Cnotes 2018 Canadian Football League Picks - News - Trends !

[CNOTES]

CFL


Week 4


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Trend Report
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Thursday, July 5


Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Hamilton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Hamilton is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games
Hamilton is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Hamilton is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Hamilton is 8-17 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Saskatchewan
Hamilton is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Hamilton's last 8 games when playing Saskatchewan
Hamilton is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
Hamilton is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Saskatchewan is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Saskatchewan's last 8 games
Saskatchewan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Saskatchewan is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games at home
Saskatchewan is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Hamilton
Saskatchewan is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Saskatchewan's last 8 games when playing Hamilton
Saskatchewan is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Hamilton
Saskatchewan is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games when playing at home against Hamilton




Friday, July 6


Ottawa RedBlacks
Ottawa is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games
Ottawa is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games
Ottawa is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Ottawa is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games on the road
Ottawa is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Montreal
Ottawa is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Montreal
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Ottawa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 1-13 ATS in its last 14 games
Montreal is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games at home
Montreal is 1-8-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Ottawa
Montreal is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing Ottawa
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa




Saturday, July 7


Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Edmonton is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games
Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Edmonton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Edmonton's last 9 games on the road
Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Edmonton is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Edmonton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Toronto is 6-14-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton




British Columbia Lions
British Columbia is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
British Columbia is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games
British Columbia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
British Columbia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
British Columbia is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 6 of British Columbia's last 7 games when playing Winnipeg
British Columbia is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 10 games at home
Winnipeg is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing British Columbia
Winnipeg is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing at home against British Columbia

 

[CNOTES]

CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Week 4




Hamilton (2-1; -7.5, 51) @ Saskatchewan (1-2)— Roughriders won last three series games, winning four of last five series games played here, last two by 37-20/20-18 scores. Home side won seven of last nine series games. Under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Ti-Cats scored 38-31 points in winning their last two games; they split pair of road games, winning in Edmonton after losing opener 28-14 in Calgary. Riders scored 17-17 in losing its last two games; they split pair of home games, beating Toronto 27-19, losing 23-17 LW to Montreal.

Ottawa (1-1; -7.5, 48.5) @ Montreal (1-2)— Ottawa won last five series games, last three all by 18+ points; they won last five visits to Montreal, three by 15+ points. RedBlacks are 9-1 vs spread in last 10 series games; last five series games stayed under. Ottawa split its first two games after its Week 1 bye, losing 24-14 in its only road game, in Calgary. Alouettes lost their only home game 56-10 to Winnipeg, but went to Regina LW and upset the Riders as 10.5-point underdogs. Two of their three games stayed under.

Edmonton (2-1; -3, 55.5) @ Toronto (0-2)— Home side won seven of last eight series games; Eskimos lost four of last five visits here, with the one win two years ago. Nine of last ten series games went over the total. Edmonton scored 33-41 points in its two wins, 21 in their only loss at at home to Hamilton. Eskimos won their only road game, 33-30 in Winnipeg. Over is 3-0 in Edmonton games this season. Argonauts lost their first two games 27-19/41-7; Franklin is their new QB after Ray was injured LW. Under is 2-0 in Toronto games this season.

BC Lions (1-1) @ Winnipeg (1-2; -4.5, 55.5)— Lions won three of last four series games; they’re 2-3 in last five visits to Manitoba, winning 36-27 here LY. Six of last seven series games went over the total. BC scored 22-22 points in splitting its first two games this year; Lions lost their only road game 41-22 in Edmonton. Blue Bombers allowed 31-33 points in their two losses, but crushed Montreal 56-10 in their only win- they lost their only home game, 33-30 to Edmonton. Two of their three games this season went over.

After CFL Week 3: Favorites 7-5; Under 7-5

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW


RIDERS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK IN WEEK 4 OPENER VS. TICATS


REGINA — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders are two teams that carry much different storylines heading into Week 4.


The Ticats are riding high after picking up wins against two tough teams in the West and find themselves going for a third straight victory. Meanwhile the Roughriders, who started off the season strong with a convincing win over the reigning Grey Cup champs, now find themselves 1-2 after a pair of lopsided losses.


CFL.ca has unprecedented coverage of Thursday Night Football presented by the Brick, including a 30-minute live show CFL Game Time at 8:00 p.m. ET, as the Ticats visit the Riders in Regina.


The Black and Gold made a statement last week with a dominant 31-17 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 31 of 41 attempts for 369 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. It was the eighth straight game that the 29-year-old broke the 300-yard passing mark.


“It’s just a testament for how hard our offence is working,” Masoli told Ticats.ca after the game. “Number one, with the guys in the trenches giving me all kinds of time, making me feel comfortable, and everybody else just getting open. And the scheme that the coaches are calling; we’re feeling pretty good.”


Brandon Banks led all receivers with 111 yards, while Sean Thomas-Erlington rushed for 92 yards in the win. Fellow Canadian running back Mercer Timmis was effective when needed, finding the end zone twice.


“They’re putting me in a good place to succeed,” said Timmis. “I think a lot of guys probably could have walked in on those ones, but it’s definitely nice to get them…It’s always nice to contribute to the team in any way. On special teams, I was playing a little bit of that, and a little bit of running back.


“Anything I can help the team do to get a win, that’s the biggest goal.”


The Ticats have emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises to start the CFL season. After needing nine games to pick up their first win in 2017, the Ticats now have twice as many victories as they did halfway through last season.


Hamilton will face off against another tough West Division opponent for the fourth straight week as they roll into Riderville on Thursday.


“When all is said and done I think they’ll be very aggressive,” said Head Coach June Jones. “They pass rush. They’re interested in getting to the quarterback. They got to us quite a bit last year. I would think that they’ll be very aggressive…. They had a little bit of a disappointing game last week, so they’ll start off coming after us.”


The team will be without defensive end Adrian Tracy, who was injured in last weeks win against the Bombers. First year Ticat Julian Howsare will get the start.


The Roughriders have their own injury woes.


Saskatchewan will be without starting quarterback Zach Collaros for a second straight week. Collaros left the Riders’ Week 2 game against the Ottawa REDBLACKS with a head injury and currently sitting on the six-game injured list.


The Riders will once again put their faith in Canadian pivot Brandon Bridge as the starter, despite being pulled in the team’s disappointing 23-17 loss to the Montreal Alouettes last week. Bridge completed just eight of 18 passes for 111 yards with a pair of picks.


“It’s only one bad half of football,” Bridge told Riderville.com. “If you look back on every other game, everyone is going to say I was shining bright like a diamond. But now, it’s one bad half and people think hell froze over. I just have to bounce back and take what the defence gives me and execute the game plan.”


Even after the Riders replaced Bridge with backup David Watford, the team struggled to find any momentum. Watford did manage to find Naaman Roosevelt for the Riders only major of the game, but also threw two picks of his own.


Jones made the decision late in the game to put star receiver turned cornerback Duron Carter on offence to try and provide a spark for the team. However, the 27-year-old will start in the secondary for a third straight week.


“Duron’s got to make strides,” said head coach Chris Jones. “He’s like everybody else…He’s got to learn to play defence. He’s got to learn to disrupt routes early in the play. If he does that he’s going to see success.”


The Riders are aware that they are up against a tough Hamilton squad that is surging under their quarterback.


Chris Jones says that Masoli has evolved since last season.


“I think the maturity is there,” said the Riders head coach. “I think the comfort in the offence certainly is there. June and his staff are doing an outstanding job…. He can spin it as good as anybody right now.”


Crunchin’ Numbers:


4 – Interceptions thrown by Jeremiah Masoli during his eight-game run of 300 plus yard on 298 attempts.


7 – Points allowed by the Ticats in each second half of their last two games.


13 – Times Naaman Roosevelt was targeted last week, one short of his career-high of 14.


17 – Team-leading tackles this season by Ticats linebacker Larry Dean, ranked fourth in the league.


Our CFL writers have unanimously gone with the Ticats to pick up a win at the always hostile Mosaic Stadium. However, it’s still hard to consider the Riders an “underdog” despite their disappointing last two games.


Saskatchewan has won their last three games against the Ticats, and four of their last five matchups against the Black and Gold.


Riders quarterback Brandon Bridge also has proven success against Hamilton. Bridge’s only start in 2017 was against the Ticats on Sept. 5. He led the Riders to a 27-19 win with three touchdown passes.


Will Bridge have another successful outing against the Ticats? Or will Hamilton pick up their third straight win?


Kickoff is at 9:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, ESPN+.

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, JULY 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


HAM at SSK 09:00 PM
HAM -6.5
U 51.0

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


THIGPEN’S LATE SCORE LIFTS RIDERS OVER TICATS


REGINA – The Saskatchewan Roughriders squeezed out an 18-13 victory over Hamilton on Thursday night to kick off Week 4 of the CFL season.


The two sides traded blows throughout the evening in a low-scoring affair, but the Riders took the lead for good with 1:50 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard touchdown run by Marcus Thigpen.


Hamilton’s offence looked sharp at the start. Early in the first quarter, Nikita Whitlock, Mercer Timmis and John White helped establish a strong running game capped off by a 29-yard pass from Jeremiah Masoli to Brandon Banks. The Ticats drove the ball to the Roughriders’ four-yard line, but Saskatchewan’s goal line defence was able to hold Hamilton to a field goal.


Brandon Bridge could not find any momentum initially with the Roughriders’ offence, but Masoli made an impact early on with both his arm and his legs. Late in the first quarter, Masoli’s 14-yard sneak up the middle and 30-yard completion to Banks put the Ticats in prime scoring position, but Lirim Hajrullahu missed a 32-yard field goal to keep the score within Saskatchewan’s reach at 4-0 after the first quarter.


In the second quarter, Riders head coach Chris Jones decided to insert David Watford at quarterback, and the 25-year-old had a quick impact with his feet. Nonetheless, a 29-yard rush by Watford on could not spark the offence. It was Saskatchewan’s special teams that took back some momentum by pinning Hamilton deep in their own territory on a well-executed punt.


The Ticats gained back some ground but eventually punted the ball back to Christion Jones, who gave Saskatchewan their best field position of the game with a 27-yard return late in the second quarter.


The ensuing Roughriders drive was aided by a costly roughing the passer penalty to Hamilton’s Ted Laurent, and Saskatchewan once again threatened to score. They drove the ball all the way to the Ticats’ one-yard line, but Bridge fumbled the football just before landing in the end zone to hand Hamilton a massive turnover.


Led by Masoli, the Ticats were working their way efficiently past midfield until Riders’ defensive lineman Charleston Hughes throttled his way through the defence for a sack and fumble. Hughes scooped up the loose ball and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown that sparked Mosaic Stadium into a frenzy and put Saskatchewan ahead 6-4.


Eager to make up for his mistake, Masoli led a two-minute drive at the end of the first half that resulted in a Ticats field goal to put Hamilton in front 7-6 at the break. Hamilton dominated the first half in net yards, out-gaining Saskatchewan 243 yards to 89.


The Ticats shut out their previous three opponents in third quarters this season, but Saskatchewan was able to buck the trend when Brett Lauther nailed a 52-yard kick to put the Riders ahead 9-7 midway through third.


Masoli responded with a 64-yard drive capped off by a 19-yard Hajrullahu field goal to put the Ticats back ahead. As the second half went on, the Riders’ defence tightened up and made it difficult for Masoli to move the ball at will.


Midway through the fourth quarter, Riders defensive end Tobi Antigha dropped into coverage and picked off Masoli to give Saskatchewan prime field position at Hamilton’s 21 yard line.


The Ticats were able to hold the Riders to a field goal as Saskatchewan took a 12-10 lead.


Unfazed, Masoli needed less than three minutes to bring the Ticats back in front by leading a drive from Hamilton’s 35 yard line that finished with a 39-yard field goal by Hajrullahu for a 13-12 lead. In the fourth quarter, Masoli tied a CFL record with his ninth consecutive game of 300 or more passing yards.


Following the three minute warning, Bridge drove the Roughriders into Hamilton territory, where Marcus Thigpen broke off a 33-yard run into the endzone for Saskatchewan’s first touchdown of the game and an 18-13 lead.


With that late score, Thigpen lifted the Riders to victory and improved their record to 2-2, while the Ticats fell to 2-2. Both teams will enjoy a Week 5 bye before a rematch at Tim Hortons Field on July 19.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday’s 6-pack

Odds on potential NBA Finals matchups next season:


+155: Celtics-Warriors


+425: 76ers-Warriors


+900: Celtics-Lakers


+900: Celtics-Rockets


+1500: Raptors-Warriors


+2000: 76ers-Lakers


Tweet of the Day
“I’m playing short. That’s the position I want to play. That’s the position I know I can play and produce.”
Manny Machado, a real team guy


Friday’s quiz
What active pitcher has given up the most career home runs to the White Sox?


Thursday’s quiz
Cleveland Indians played Marlins, Cubs the last two times they were in World Series.


Wednesday’s quiz
New York Mets have used Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium and Citi Field as a home field.


*********************


Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….


13) Washington Nationals are a mess; in their last 25 games, their starting pitchers have one win. One. They had a players’ only meeting Wednesday, then fell behind 7-0 in the second inning last night- they’re 43-43 and sinking fast.


Nationals beat Miami 14-12 Thursday, after trailing 9-0.


Dusty Baker went 192-132 in two years as Washington’s manager, and they fired him so they could hire a guy who has never managed before. Why was this a good idea?


12) Agent Scott Boras was whining about shifts hurting lefty hitters more than righty hitters; I wonder who Bryce Harper’s agent is?


11) Speaking of Boras, six of the Washington Nationals’ eight highest-paid players are represented by Boras. Daniel Murphy and Harper are free agents this coming winter and neither is having a good season this year.


Maybe Boras should be managing the Nationals; he played minor league ball back in the day.


10) Rubber game of a series is the 3rd game of a 3-game series, when teams split the first two. Here are teams with best records in rubber games this season:
New York (A) 8-2, Boston 5-2, Seattle 7-3, Houston 8-4, Arizona 6-3


9) Teams with worst records in rubber games:
Royals 2-8, Orioles 1-3, Jays/Mets 2-5, Rockies 3-7


8) Major league teams have concessions stands where you can buy game-used items, like foul balls or broken bats or game-used jerseys/caps. They’re not cheap; I was in Philly’s ballpark last fall and I can personally attest that the pine tar on a bat is really sticky.


Would be interesting to know how much a team nets from those sales in the course of a season.


7) Colorado’s 1-0 home win over the Giants Wednesday as their first 1-0 win at Coors Field since June 12, 2010.


6) 51-year old Steve Stricker has made the cut in 27 consecutive majors, the longest current active streak; Brooks Koepka is next, at 16.


5) Whats the worst day to have a birthday? Dec 26? Feb 29? July 5? Jan 2?


4) Baseball DL doings:
— Angels put P Tyler Skaggs and OF Chris Young on the DL.
— Nationals put P Erick Fedde on the DL.
— Arizona put OF Jarrod Dyson on the DL.
— Mariners put C Mike Zunino on the DL.


3) Interesting that Yuli Gurriel was playing 3B for the Astros last night, with the White Sox in town. Houston has been rumored to be interested in acquiring Chicago’s 1B Jose Abreu.


2) Graduate transfer Geno Crandall bolts North Dakota for Gonzaga; it is getting to the point where mid-major coaches are becoming reluctant to pay for kids’ summer school now, since if they graduate early, they’re more likely to jump to greener pa$ture$.


Crandall is a 6-4 guard who scored 28 points against the Zags in a 89-83 Gonzaga win in OT in Spokane last fall. Very good player.


1) Western Kentucky signed a 5-star basketball recruit named Charles Bassey, who will be at WKU this fall, after re-classifying from the Class of 2019.


In a stunning coincidence, the Hilltoppers also hired young Bassey’s guardian as an assistant coach, and will play him $200,000 a year— a totally legal move.


Larry Brown did the same thing when he signed Danny Manning at Kansas— Ed Manning had been a truck driver before his son was recruited by the Jayhawks.

 

[CNOTES]

Ottawa (1-1; -7.5, 48.5) @ Montreal (1-2)— Ottawa won last five series games, last three all by 18+ points; they won last five visits to Montreal, three by 15+ points. RedBlacks are 9-1 vs spread in last 10 series games; last five series games stayed under. Ottawa split its first two games after its Week 1 bye, losing 24-14 in its only road game, in Calgary. Alouettes lost their only home game 56-10 to Winnipeg, but went to Regina LW and upset the Riders as 10.5-point underdogs. Two of their three games stayed under.




**********************




PREVIEW


REDBLACKS VISIT ALS ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


MONTREAL — If the Montreal Alouettes do have some kind of homefield advantage when playing at Percival Molson Stadium, it has not been evident in their recent meetings with the Ottawa REDBLACKS.


Rick Campbell’s Ottawa outfit has dominated the Alouettes over the last two seasons, winning five of six meetings — including a 4-0 record in Montreal.


The two teams will meet on the Week 4 edition of Friday Night Football, a contest which could prove pivotal in establishing the power balance in the East in 2018.


Mike Sherman’s Alouettes are fresh off their first win of the year, a 23-17 nail-biter in Regina which snapped the club’s 13-game losing streak dating back to last August, and looking to gain momentum.


The REDBLACKS, meanwhile, never clicked offensively in a 10-point at Calgary last week and now face a Montreal squad with a new sense of purpose.


Last year’s journeys to Montreal were fruitful for the REDBLACKS, as the team claimed a pair of one-sided victories — 32-4 and 29-11 — in the span of three weeks. The challenge this time around, however, will be different: Montreal has championed its new locker room identity and coaching staff as the dawn of a new era.


“Everybody in this league’s very capable,” Campbell told OttawaREDBLACKS.com this week. “It’s no easy feat to go into Montreal and win a football game. They have a lot of talented, veteran guys. We’ll game plan and prepare, but at the end of the day the focus has got to be on us and playing well.”


After assessing the tape of his team’s 24-14 loss at McMahon Stadium last week, the fifth-year REDBLACKS coach believes a handful of plays were the difference.


“I liked our fight, our effort, we just needed to make some plays in the key moments,” explained Campbell. “There were some big moments, especially in the fourth quarter, when we didn’t cash in. It wasn’t a lack of effort or want, it’s more just making sure you cash in when you need to.”


One of those moments Campbell alluded to was a fourth-quarter stop on the goal line by the Stampeder defence.


One of the early-season bright spots for Ottawa has been its run game; feature back William Powell sits third in the CFL in rush yards (217) despite having played one game less than all others in the top five.


“Part of the reason it’s working is our offence is doing a great job of mixing it up, (and) keeping (opponents) off-balance,” said Campbell. “There’s some run-pass option plays too, and sometimes the D takes away the run with a crashing D-end or whatever, so sometimes (there are) more run plays called, it just ends up (that) you’re trying to take what the defence gives you.”


The REDBLACKS made a boatload of changes — six, to be exact — to the roster that lost in Alberta last week.


Notably, Noel Thomas Jr. draws back in at slotback; the rookie out of UConn burst onto the scene in Ottawa’s opening game with a highlight-reel 42-yard catch, but was sidelined last week due to injury.


The REDBLACKS will also start R.J. Harris in his first CFL game; the New Hampshire product has spent mini-camp time with various NFL and CFL teams, and will finally make his regular-season debut at age 26.


“It’s awesome, I’m really excited,” Harris told TSN 1200 in Ottawa. “That’s the beauty of professional football, you never know when your time will be called. I was here last year (on practice roster), in training camp this year, and I’ve been grinding it out. The opportunity’s here, and now it’s time to go out and execute.”


Harris, who was born in Germany but counts as a national, has been biding his time in Ottawa.


“I love the game a lot, (and) I know how the business works — you have to put your time in, pay your dues,” continued Harris. “I’ve been sitting back, waiting and learning from the vets. We have an older group here that always help out guys — Greg (Ellingson), Brad (Sinopoli).”


On the Montreal side of the Friday’s matchup, moods haven’t been this good since, oh, last August.


The Alouettes’ road win in Regina last week took a collective weight off the team’s shoulders, and judging by the giddy atmosphere in the team’s locker room following the game, Montreal may finally have turned the corner.

Crunchin’ Numbers:


4 – Interceptions thrown by Jeremiah Masoli during his eight-game run of 300-plus yard on 298 attempts.


7 – Points allowed by the Ticats in each second half of their last two games.


13 – Times Naaman Roosevelt was targeted last week, one short of his career-high of 14.


17 – Team-leading tackles this season by Ticats linebacker Larry Dean, ranked fourth in the league.


Our CFL writers have unanimously gone with the Ticats to pick up a win at the always hostile Mosaic Stadium. However, it’s still hard to consider the Riders an “underdog” despite their disappointing last two games.


Saskatchewan has won their last three games against the Ticats, and four of their last five matchups against the Black and Gold.


Riders quarterback Brandon Bridge also has proven success against Hamilton. Bridge’s only start in 2017 was against the Ticats on Sept. 5. He led the Riders to a 27-19 win with three touchdown passes.


Will Bridge have another successful outing against the Ticats? Or will Hamilton pick up their third straight win?


Kickoff is at 9:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN+

 

[CNOTES]

June's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


Totals.......... 12-10-0........54.54%.....+5.00




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


DATE.........................ATS.................. .....UNITS.....................O/U...................UNITS...........TOTAL


Totals.......................7 - 4.....................+13.00.................... 5 - 6..................-7.00............+5.00




*********************


July's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


07/05/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


DATE.........................ATS.................. .....UNITS.....................O/U...................UNITS...........TOTAL


07/05/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00............-0.50

 

[CNOTES]

Friday, July 6


Ottawa RedBlacks (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) at Montreal Alouettes (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -5 ½
Total: 48 ½


Game Overview


The RedBlacks blasted Saskatchewan in their season opener in Week 2 with Trevor Harris completing 26-of-36 passes for 345 yards and two scores. Against the best team in the CFL last Thursday night, Harris came back down to earth with 135 passing yards and one interception. He completed a dismal 44.8 percent of his 29 passing attempts. The lone bright spot was William Powell’s 123 yards rushing the ball on 13 carries. He has gained 217 yards on 32 carries in his first two games.


Montreal’s defense came to life in that Week 2 upset over the Roughriders after allowing a combined 78 points in the first two games this season. Quarterback Drew Willy left that game in the third quarter due to injury and his status for this game remains unknown. In his place, Jeff Mathews completed 8-of-12 passes for 98 yards. The Alouettes’ ground game was not a factor in the stunning upset with 32 yards on 16 rushing attempts.


Betting Trends


-- Ottawa has a SU 8-1 edge in the last nine meetings and it has covered the spread in its last five road games against the Alouettes. The total has stayed UNDER in all five of those games.


*****************


Friday, July 6


Ottawa @ Montreal


Game 353-354
July 6, 2018 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
116.662
Montreal
95.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 21
44
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
by 6
48 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(-6); Under


***********************


Friday, July 6


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OTTAWA (1 - 1) at MONTREAL (1 - 2) - 7/6/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 5-1 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 5-1 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Friday, July 6


Ottawa RedBlacks
Ottawa is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games
Ottawa is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games
Ottawa is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Ottawa is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games on the road
Ottawa is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Montreal
Ottawa is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Montreal
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Ottawa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal


Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 1-13 ATS in its last 14 games
Montreal is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games at home
Montreal is 1-8-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Ottawa
Montreal is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing Ottawa
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa


*************************


Ottawa (1-1; -7.5, 48.5) @ Montreal (1-2)— Ottawa won last five series games, last three all by 18+ points; they won last five visits to Montreal, three by 15+ points. RedBlacks are 9-1 vs spread in last 10 series games; last five series games stayed under. Ottawa split its first two games after its Week 1 bye, losing 24-14 in its only road game, in Calgary. Alouettes lost their only home game 56-10 to Winnipeg, but went to Regina LW and upset the Riders as 10.5-point underdogs. Two of their three games stayed under.




****************************




FRIDAY, JULY 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


OTT at MTL 07:30 PM


MTL +7.5


U 48.5

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


SINOPOLI TAKES FLIGHT, REDBLACKS WIN 28-18 IN MONTREAL


MONTREAL — It was close for one quarter. Then it wasn’t. And suddenly, in the fourth quarter, it was tight again.


After a comfortable three quarters, the Ottawa REDBLACKS had to white-knuckle their way through a fourth-quarter comeback attempt to earn a 28-18 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday Night Football.


Quarterback Trevor Harris threw for 342 yards and a trio of touchdowns in the win for Ottawa, while Brad Sinopoli caught a career-high 11 passes en route to a game-high 148 receiving yards and a touchdown. REDBLACKS feature back William Powell also ripped off a season-high 138 rush yards.


Friday’s win was the fifth in a row at Percival Molson Stadium for the REDBLACKS, who have now won nine of their last 10 contests against Montreal.


The Als attempted to mount a late-game comeback attempt, but it fell short due to a combination of penalties and incompletions.


The REDBLACKS opened the scoring on the first drive of the ballgame, as Harris found former Alouette J.C. Beaulieu in blown coverage for a 47-yard touchdown; the subsequent two-point convert fell incomplete.


Montreal’s offence — aided by 25 yards in Ottawa penalties — responded on its opening drive, as Tyrell Sutton plunged in from the 2-yard line for a major. Boris Bede nailed the convert to give the hosts a 7-6 lead.


A booming 59-yard punt single from Bede then made it 8-6 Montreal.


The REDBLACKS retook the lead late in the first quarter on a 12-yard chip shot field goal from Lewis Ward.


Quarter No. 2 belonged entirely to Ottawa, as Harris and co. marched at will and Noel Thorpe’s defence shut the door on Mathews and the Als.


The visitors forced the Montreal offence into a pair of two-and-outs to begin the quarter, then Harris marched his own offence 65 yards on six plays into the end zone — a 37-yard connection to Brad Sinopoli being the touchdown cherry on top. Harris then zipped a dart to Beaulieu for the two-point convert, and the REDBLACKS led 17-8.


One uneventful Als drive later, the REDBLACKS were back in possession and marching; the duo of Harris and running back William Powell combined for a 10-play, 87-yard drive, capped by a nine-yard Harris-to-Noel Thomas Jr. touchdown with just six seconds left in the half. Powell then raced in untouched on the two-point convert to send Ottawa to the locker room with a 25-8 lead.


The REDBLACKS continued to roll in the third quarter, with a 31-yard field goal from Ward pushing the lead to 20 and the defence limiting Montreal to just three first downs.


Montreal finally managed a major offensive play early in the fourth quarter, when Mathews connected with Eugene Lewis for a massive 65-yard gain. Two plays later, Mathews partnered with Chris Harper for a 14-yard major. Following Bede’s convert, the Ottawa lead stood at 28-15.


The Als’ next possession was kept alive despite a Mathews interception — returned by Kevin Brown back to Montreal’s goal line — by an Ottawa penalty, and ended with a 43-yard Bede field goal to cut the lead to 10.


It was as close as Montreal would come, as a Jermaine Robinson penalty and a handful of Mathews overthrows would seal the end result.


The Alouettes got beaten up in the closing stages of Friday’s game, as veteran kick returner Stef Logan was carried off the field with an apparent ankle injury and Mathews took a pair of massive hits to close out the ballgame.


With the win, the REDBLACKS moved to 2-1 on the young season; they will now return home for a Thursday Night Football date against the first-place Calgary Stampeders next week (Thu. Jul. 12, 7:30 p.m. ET).


Campbell’s team looked solid in all three phases, and created separation between itself and Montreal in the East Division standings (two points with a game in-hand) with the win.


The loss dropped the Alouettes to 1-3, and killed any momentum Mike Sherman’s team gained from its Week-3 win in Regina. It will be back to the drawing board for the Alouettes as they enter a bye week; they, too, will face the Calgary Stampeders in their next game (Sat. Jul. 21, 9:30 p.m. ET).


Montreal has now failed to break the 20-point mark in three of its four games to begin 2018.

 

[CNOTES]

June's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


Totals.......... 12-10-0........54.54%.....+5.00




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


DATE.........................ATS.................. .....UNITS.....................O/U...................UNITS...........TOTAL


Totals.......................7 - 4.....................+13.00.................... 5 - 6..................-7.00............+5.00




*********************


July's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


07/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


Totals...............2-2...........50.00%....-1.00




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


DATE.........................ATS.................. .....UNITS.....................O/U...................UNITS...........TOTAL


07/06/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00.............-0.50
07/05/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00.............-0.50


Totals......................0 - 2........................-11.00....................2 - 0...................+10.00...........-1.00

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s 6-pack

NFL players who were targeted most on red zone pass plays LY:


26— Rob Gronkowski NE, Jimmy Graham Sea, Cooper Kupp LAR


25— Julio Jones Atl


24— Keenan Allen LAC


23— Davonte Adams GB, Jarvis Landry Mia, Antonio Brown Pitt


21— Travis Kelce KC, Adam Theilen Minn, Michael Thomas NO


20— Fitzgerald Az, Bryant Dal, Abdullah Det, Jeffrey/Agholor/Ertz, all Phil


Quote of the Day
“He’s very demanding. A lot of guys haven’t had a coach like that…….you have to have a thick skin, that’s for sure. You have to park your ego, and you have to realize that you can’t take things personally. That’s the biggest thing.”
Sean Elliott, on playing for Gregg Popovich


Saturday’s quiz
Who did Carmelo Anthony break into the NBA with?


Friday’s quiz
Justin Verlander has given up the most career home runs to the White Sox (41).


Thursday’s quiz
Cleveland Indians played Marlins, Cubs the last two times they were in World Series.


*************************


Saturday’s List of 13: NFL knowledge for a summer Saturday


13) Seven new head coaches in the NFL this coming season, 17 new offensive coordinators— over half the teams in the NFL changed OC’s after last year. 13 teams have new defensive coordinators.


12) There are only three offensive coordinators in the NFL who’ve been in that job with the same team for more than three years; Scott Linehan (Dallas), Pete Carmichael (NO, though Sean Payton is the real OC there) and Josh McDaniels (NE).


Only six defensive coordinators have been in their current job with the same team for 4+ years.


11) Pete Carroll is going into his 9th season in Seattle, but he’ll have two new coordinators this season; Mike McCarthy has been in Green Bay for a dozen years, but he’ll have two new coordinators this season, too.


10) Over was 13-3 in Falcon games in 2016, 2-13-1 last year. Over is 21-11 in Washington games the last two years.


9) Baltimore Ravens went 9-7 LY, missing playoffs for 3rd year in row when their defense gagged at end of a 31-27 home loss to Cincinnati in Week 17, giving up a 49-yard TD pass in the last minute.


When an NFL team is +17 in turnovers, +14 in sacks, scores eight TD’s on defense/special teams (T1 in NFL) and doesn’t make the playoffs, that not good.


8) Vikings, Patriots had similar profiles last year; they both won despite not forcing many turnovers (Minn 19, NE 18), but rarely turning ball over themselves (Minn 14, NE 12).


7) Teams who turned ball over the most LY: Browns 41, Broncos 34, Dolphins 29.


Teams who turned ball over the least: Chiefs 11, Patriots 12, Vikings/Raiders 14.


6) Teams with the most takeaways LY: Ravens 34, Jaguars 33, Lions 32, Eagles 31.


Teams with the least takeaways LY:


5) Jets, Raiders were only NFL teams LY to not score a TD on defense or special teams.


4) Carolina Panthers were 11-5 LY, 8-1 in games decided by 8 or fewer points, 4-0 in games decided by 3 or fewer points.


Norv Turner as the Panthers’ new OC will be fascinating, how he utilizes Cam Newton.


3) Chargers went 9-7 LY, but were 1-4 in games decided by 3 or fewer points, losing three of those games during their 0-4 start, when the Bolts’ kickers screwed up in key spots. Chargers used four different kickers last year.


2) Dak Prescott loses his top two red zone targets from LY, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Dallas has only three players on its team who are 30+ years old.


1) Alex Smith is a QB who doesn’t take as many chances as most QB’s, so his teams don’t turn the ball over as much- they had 11 turnovers LY, least in league. but Smith is in Washington now, and rookie QB Mahomes (1 start LY) is the Chiefs’ QB.


Its not inconceivable that their giveaway total could double this season; 19 of 32 NFL teams turned the ball over 22+ times LY.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, July 7


Edmonton Eskimos (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) at Toronto Argonauts (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -4 ½
Total: 52 ½


Game Overview


Edmonton looked a bit shaky in its SU 1-1 start (0-2 ATS), but it quickly returned to form in Week 3 with that convincing victory against BC. The total has gone OVER in all three of its games with a scoring average of 31.7 points per game. Mike Reilly is once again one of the top quarterbacks in the CFL when it comes to passing yards with 1,020 in his first three starts. He is tied for the lead in passing touchdowns with six and he has completed 69.8 percent of his 106 attempts.


Toronto needed last week’s bye to try and regroup following losses to Saskatchewan on the road and Calgary at home in the first two weeks of the new season. The bigger loss could be veteran quarterback Ricky Ray, who appears to be out for the season with a neck injury. In his place against Calgary in that 41-7 loss was James Franklin. He completed eight of his 13 passing attempts for 65 yards. The Argonauts gained another 76 yards running the ball on 15 attempts.


Betting Trends


-- Edmonton has the 6-3 edge ATS in the last nine meetings in Toronto, but the Argonauts are 5-1 SU in their last six home games against the Eskimos. The total gone OVER in five of those six home games.


British Columbia Lions (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Winnipeg -3 ½
Total: 53


Game Overview

The Lions got past Montreal at home in Week 1, but they are going to have to play much better than they did last week against Edmonton to compete in the West Division this season. Jonathon Jennings has completed 68.8 percent of his 48 passing attempts for 382 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Emmanuel Arceneaux has been his top target with seven receptions for 106 yards in the first two games. The ground game has been led by Jeremiah Johnson with 116 yards and one score on 21 rushing attempts.


Winnipeg had its hands full against the Tiger-Cats’ defense last week after a promising start by rookie quarterback Chris Streveler. He continues to fill in for an injured Matt Nichols and last week he looked like he was making his third start in the CFL with 146 yards passing, while completing 17 of his 30 passing attempts. The Blue Bombers were able to move the ball on the ground behind Andrew Harris and Streveler with a combined 121 yards rushing.


Betting Trends


-- The Blue Bombers have covered ATS in seven of the last eight meetings overall and the total has gone OVER in four of the last six meetings in Winnipeg.




****************************




Saturday, July 7


Edmonton @ Toronto[/B]


Game 355-356
July 7, 2018 @ 5:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
112.575
Toronto
110.633
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 2
57
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
by 5
52 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+5); Over


BC Lions @ Winnipeg


Game 357-358
July 7, 2018 @ 8:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
BC Lions
109.328
Winnipeg
111.274
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
by 4
53
Dunkel Pick:
BC Lions
(+4); Over


**************************


Saturday, July 7


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDMONTON (2 - 1) at TORONTO (0 - 2) - 7/7/2018, 5:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 21-42 ATS (-25.2 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 since 1996.
TORONTO is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) in a home game where the total is between 52.5 and 56 since 1996.
TORONTO is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-2 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BRITISH COLUMBIA (1 - 1) at WINNIPEG (1 - 2) - 7/7/2018, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 56-32 ATS (+20.8 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 38-20 ATS (+16.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 70-48 ATS (+17.2 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 5-1 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-3 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

----------------------------------------------------


Saturday, July 7


Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Edmonton is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games
Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Edmonton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Edmonton's last 9 games on the road
Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Edmonton is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Edmonton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Toronto is 6-14-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton




British Columbia Lions
British Columbia is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
British Columbia is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games
British Columbia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
British Columbia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
British Columbia is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 6 of British Columbia's last 7 games when playing Winnipeg
British Columbia is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 10 games at home
Winnipeg is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing British Columbia
Winnipeg is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing at home against British Columbia




--------------------------------------------------------------------



Edmonton (2-1; -3, 55.5) @ Toronto (0-2)— Home side won seven of last eight series games; Eskimos lost four of last five visits here, with the one win two years ago. Nine of last ten series games went over the total. Edmonton scored 33-41 points in its two wins, 21 in their only loss at at home to Hamilton. Eskimos won their only road game, 33-30 in Winnipeg. Over is 3-0 in Edmonton games this season. Argonauts lost their first two games 27-19/41-7; Franklin is their new QB after Ray was injured LW. Under is 2-0 in Toronto games this season.

BC Lions (1-1) @ Winnipeg (1-2; -4.5, 55.5)— Lions won three of last four series games; they’re 2-3 in last five visits to Manitoba, winning 36-27 here LY. Six of last seven series games went over the total. BC scored 22-22 points in splitting its first two games this year; Lions lost their only road game 41-22 in Edmonton. Blue Bombers allowed 31-33 points in their two losses, but crushed Montreal 56-10 in their only win- they lost their only home game, 33-30 to Edmonton. Two of their three games this season went over.

After CFL Week 3: Favorites 7-5; Under 7-5

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW


BOMBERS, LIONS SEEK BOUNCE BACK ON SATURDAY NIGHT


WINNIPEG — The Matt Nichols show is back in town.


The biggest storyline ahead of Saturday night’s Winnipeg-BC showdown at Investors Group Field, by far, is the 2018 debut of the Bombers’ starting quarterback.


While rookie Chris Streveler was more than competent in two of his three starts under centre, the return of Nichols will provide a boost — in morale, even if his rust results in little immediate gain — to Winnipeg.


“It’s frustrating, but at the same time I tried to keep my positive attitude around the guys,” Nichols told BlueBombers.com‘s Ed Tait. “I thought (Streveler) did an unbelievable job, especially because I know what it’s like for a young quarterback coming up to this league. The way that he performed was much better than 99 per cent of the rookies who come up and play in their first year.”


The test for Wally Buono and the Lions this week, then, will be game-planning for a Nichols-led Bombers offence that has not been on tape yet in 2018.


In Lions-land, it’s been difficult to plot a course for the team; will it be led by a shutdown defence, or a dynamic offence?


Neither has risen to the occasion consistently through BC’s first two games — a precocious 22-10 win over Montreal and a second half collapse-driven 41-22 loss at Edmonton — and the team needs an identity quickly.


“The division is always tough so when you get a divisional opponent this early, you want to win that series,” receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux told BCLions.com. “We’ve got to really just send a message and actually have the identity that we have to have teams on their heels and be in attack mode. This is the week for us to start that.”


BC’s ability to attack will hinge on two key people: quarterback Jonathon Jennings and running back Jeremiah Johnson. The former has failed to eclipse the 200-yard passing mark in either of BC’s first two contests, while the latter’s averaged 58 rush yards per game early in 2018.


Both of those players depend on the offensive line — which has surrendered a second-worst seven sacks already this season — to do their jobs.


“Some of the sacks were on draws,” explained veteran BC centre Cody Husband. “I think only one or two of them were our fault. It’s fixable. A lot of times it’s just little technical things. We will be fine.”


The chance to go up against former Lion Adam Bighill, fresh off a stint in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, is an exciting one for his former teammates.


“He’ll hustle and he’s got a high engine, high motor and he’s going to play ’til the clock reads zero,” said Arceneaux of his old friend. “You’ve just got to hit those kinds of guys in the mouth, impose your will on them and that starts right off the bat. You’ve got to put your pads on people like that and let them know it’s going to be a long night.”


On the defensive side of the ball, the key is simple: Be better.


The Leos surrendered 517 yards of offence to Mike Reilly and the Esks last week, and everybody involved knows that is not good enough.


“Play assignment football and we’ll be okay,” said veteran Solomon Elimimian. “The biggest thing is just being decisive with what we do in all aspects. It’s certainly going to be a tough matchup, they have a lot of good players over there.”


BC will have just one roster change from Week 3, as Maxx Forde will make his season debut on the defensive line with Julien Laurent sliding onto the one-game injured list.


For Mike O’Shea’s Bombers, it seems like it’s been forever since they played a home game; Winnipeg split a two-game eastern swing against Montreal (56-10 win) and Hamilton (31-17 loss), and their lone home game in 2018 turned into a six-hour saga due to weather delays.


So yes, it will be nice for the Bombers to get home for a proper home game, with their starting quarterback no less.


Given the significant ex-Lion contingent on the Winnipeg roster — think Bighill, Chandler Fenner, Craig Roh and the injured Anthony Gaitor — there will naturally be a bit of added emotion to Saturday’s contest.


“It’s not just, ‘Oh, I used to play there. I’m amped up to play against them’,” Fenner told BlueBombers.com. “I just want to show growth against the team I used to play for. There’s no anger there at all. I’m always competitive. I’m always going to be in the middle of it. I’m always going to be trying to make a big hit, an interception or a big play. That never goes up or down.”


Enhanced communication on an evolving Richie Hall defence will be key moving forward.


“We want to focus on having an adaptive gameplan,” continued Fenner. “I want our defence to have that communication to the point that no matter what we see or no matter what our initial gameplan was, we can adjust it to win. That’s what I want our identity to be, because we’re already physical, already fast, we already have really intelligent guys on the entire defence.”


The return of Nichols will provide veteran leadership on a Bomber offence that stalled out in Hamilton last week.


“(Matt’s) got experience, played a lot of games, seen a lot of pictures. That’s obviously the difference between the two players,” said Winnipeg offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice. “The one thing I’ll give Chris (Streveler) a lot of credit for is the reason we minimized things is really doing what he’s best at, not because he couldn’t handle anything in the playbook that Matt couldn’t handle.”


The Bombers will start rookie Tyneil Cooper at cornerback this week; the rookie out of Dixie State (Ut., D-II) will take the starting place of Marcus Sayles, another rookie out of West Georgia (D.-II).


Mitchell Gale slides out to make room on the roster for Matt Nichols, who will be backed up by the aforementioned Streveler and Bryan Bennett in that order.

Crunchin’ Numbers:


.500 – Career record for BC quarterback Jonathon Jennings (20-20).


.500 – Records for each team in the last 16 meetings between the two, which have been split down the middle at eight apiece.


28 – Per cent TD/drive rate for Winnipeg, far and away the best mark in the CFL at 11 touchdowns on 39 offensive possessions.


46 — Per cent of Winnipeg’s plays are runs, the highest mark in the league. Second-highest? BC at 41 per cent (league average is 37 per cent).


Here we are, West Division teams looking to climb back up the standings after tough Week 3 losses.


At quarterback, the edge would normally go to the Bombers: Matt Nichols is 21-9 in his last 30 starts, while Jonathon Jennings has been a .500 pivot (or worse) dating back to last season.


But Nichols is fresh off the injury list, and Jennings has to be due for a breakout some time.


Then again, Andrew Harris is still the premier dual-threat running back in the CFL — and he wears blue and gold.


Tons of playmakers, tons of ex-teammates on both sides of the ball. This should be fun.


Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN and ESPN+

 

[CNOTES]

PICK ‘EM MARQUEE MATCHUP: CFL’S HOTTEST OFFENCE LANDS IN TORONTO


TORONTO — This week’s Pick ‘Em Marquee Matchup features the Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts.


The Eskimos topped the BC Lions last week to improve to 2-1 while the Argonauts were on a Week 3 bye and at 0-2 are still searching for their first win of the season.


One of the league’s hottest offences will touch down in Toronto this week for a meeting with the Argos at BMO Field.


The top two receivers in the CFL right now wear green and gold – Duke Williams sits at the top with 308 yards followed by his teammate Derel Walker with 299 yards. Esks quarterback Mike Reilly sits second in the league in passing yards with 1,020 while running back C.J. Gable is in the No. 2 spot in rushing yards with 241.


It’ll be a tough task for the Argonauts defence to contain the Esks offence both on the ground and through the air on Saturday night.


Quarterback James Franklin will make his first start for Toronto this week, taking over the offence from Ricky Ray, who is sidelined with a neck injury. The start comes against his former team, making the drive to win even more prominent for the 26-year-old pivot.


Toronto will hope their week of rest will be enough of a reset to pull out a win this week after falling to the Calgary Stampeders 41-7 in their home opener. Running back James Wilder Jr. and pass-catcher S.J. Green still remain threats on the Argos offence and will test Edmonton’s defence this weekend.


It’s anyone’s guess as to who will take this one in this week’s Pick ‘Em Marquee Matchup. Who are you siding with?

 

[CNOTES]

FRANKLIN EAGERLY ANTICIPATING FIRST START AGAINST FORMER TEAM


TORONTO — While he didn’t think it would be this soon, James Franklin is set to play against his former club, the Edmonton Eskimos, this weekend.


“It’s funny because I was expecting maybe another year or two until I’d actually get to, not necessarily play against you (Reilly) but be able to have our teams play against each other, because I know we don’t directly compete,” Franklin said to Mike Reilly on a conference call with the media ahead of Saturday night’s tilt.


“Now we’ll get this opportunity and I’m just thankful for the help that Mike’s provided for me over the years helping me develop and progress as a quarterback especially in a league up here.”


Before joining the Toronto Argonauts, Franklin patiently waited behind Reilly for his opportunity, learning from the reigning Most Outstanding Player. He appeared in 55 games with the Esks with 52 of them being a backup primarily to Reilly himself.


“He had to jump in and play significantly early based on my injury,” said Reilly, recalling his knee injury in 2015. “Between him and Matt (Nichols) keeping our team afloat on that season we had the Grey Cup. His play time may not have been as significant over the two seasons after that but what you don’t see on game day is the stuff that goes on on the field in practice, what goes on in the meeting rooms, things like that, and you could certainly see James grasping the offence better and better as each season went on.”


This weekend the pair will face each other for the first time as the Argos look for their first win of the season and the Eskimos hope to improve to 3-1.


Franklin was looked to during the team’s Week 2 contest against the Calgary Stampeders after Ricky Ray left the game with a neck injury. The team then went on a bye and it was deemed that Ray would miss a significant amount of time because of that injury.


Now with arguably the biggest opportunity of his CFL career in front of him, Franklin is prepared to be the team’s starter and for everything the Eskimos defence is going to throw at him on Saturday.


“I’m excited to see a lot of the guys and then play against them,” Franklin said. “I know that they’re definitely going to be giving me a hard time out there. Especially Mondo (Almondo Sewell). He’d always joke around at practice (saying), ‘that’s a sack, Frank!’ and I’d say, ‘no, upright on that tackle!’ Unfortunately now, I’m going to have to try and prove that if he gets a hold of me.”


Franklin’s first test as a Toronto’s starting pivot gets under way at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday night at BMO Field.

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, JULY 7
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


EDM at TOR 05:30 PM
TOR +3.0
O 55.5


BC at WPG 08:30 PM
WPG -6.0
U 56.5

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


FRANKLIN DELIVERS ARGOS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON


TORONTO – James Franklin threw for 217 yards, tossed a touchdown and ran for another in his starting debut for the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon. The 26-year-old out-duelled Edmonton’s Mike Reilly, the reigning Most Outstanding Player, in a 20-17 win to give Toronto their first win of the 2018 season.


Franklin established his command of the Argos offence on the first drive after kickoff, leading a 76-yard charge to the end zone in nine plays in which James Wilder Jr. ran with poise. Franklin capped off the series with a two-yard scramble into the end zone to give Toronto a 6-0 lead before Reilly touched the ball.


The Eskimos’ pivot didn’t keep the ball for long, though. On a first-down handoff to C.J. Gable, Argos linebacker Cassius Vaughn forced a fumble that was quickly snapped up by teammate Shawn Lemon.


Toronto made the Esks pay for that early mistake after they took over on Edmonton’s 35 yard line. Franklin connected with Armanti Edwards for a 30-yard highlight-reel pitch-and-grab, then Wilder Jr. trotted across the goal line from five yards away to put Toronto up 12-0.


Reilly was able to mount a response on the ensuing drive, but Eskimos kicker Sean Whyte missed a 32-yard field goal attempt and had to settle for a rouge.


After the Argos pinned the Eskimos’ offence at their own two-yard line, Reilly refocussed the Esks offence and led a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive ending with Whyte converting a 33-yard field goal to cut Toronto’s lead to 12-4 early in the second quarter.


As the Eskimos defence finally began to slow Franklin down, Reilly continued to pierce the Argos’ defence with his passing prowess. He brought the Eskimos all the way to the goal line, but after a touchdown was called back due to an offensive holding penalty, Reilly was intercepted in the end zone by Toronto defensive back Ronnie Yell.


Penalties slowed down the pace of the first half, but the Eskimos were able to edge back with a 40-yard field goal from Whyte to narrow the deficit to 12-7 at halftime.


Franklin showed some spark early in the third quarter, launching a 50-yard pass to Llevi Noel, but was intercepted two plays later by Maurice McKnight.


On the ensuing Eskimos drive, Reilly and Kenny Stafford connected for their own 50-yard completion. The big gain led to a 24-yard touchdown pass from Reilly to Derel Walker, giving Edmonton a 14-12 lead, their first of the game.


In search of a response, the Argos could not find one from Franklin and the offence. A nine-yard sack by Esks lineman Mark Mackie halted one drive, a two-and-out halted another. Meanwhile, Whyte nailed another 41-yard field goal to increase the Eskimos lead to 17-12 early in the fourth quarter.


As the urgency deepened, Wilder Jr. and Franklin were finally able to re-capture their first-quarter momentum. They moved the Argos from their own 35 yard line deep into Eskimos territory, aided by a four-yard sneak by Franklin on third down to extend the drive.


The 75-yard journey was capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass to Declan Cross, which pulled the Argos back ahead 20-17 following a two-point conversion, The crowd of 12,196 at BMO Field was re-ignited, and helped Toronto force an Eskimos punt on the ensuing drive.


With the ball back in Franklin’s hands, the Argos advanced the ball efficiently and left the Eskimos without any time to mount a comeback. Wilder Jr. finished the contest with 21 rushes for 120 yards and a touchdown on the ground, plus another 27 yards through the air. Reilly passed for 370 yards and a touchdown, while Duke Williams led all receivers with 125 yards.


The Argos and Eskimos have less than a week to prepare for their Week 5 rematch on July 13 in Edmonton.

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


HARRIS AND BIGHILL SHINE BRIGHT AS BOMBERS TOP LIONS


WINNIPEG — Andrew Harris carried the load and Adam Bighill made a huge impact as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers rolled to a 41-19 home victory against the BC Lions on Saturday night. The CFL’s top rushing attack continued to find success once again, with Harris finishing the night with 109 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, including a 43-yard run.


Linebacker Adam Bighill had a night to remember against his former team, reeling in two interceptions and returning one for a 55-yard touchdown.


Matt Nichols looked sharp in his season debut for the Bombers, finishing with 162 passing yards and a touchdown, but the team leaned on Harris and the running game all night long to grab their second win of the season.


Both teams started out slow on offence until running back Jeremiah Johnson began to get things rolling on the ground for BC. Johnson put together back-to-back first down runs as the team drove into scoring position. But the Bombers’ defence held strong and forced the Lions to settle for a 19-yard field goal from kicker Ty Long, giving them an early 3-0 lead.


Quarterback Chris Streveler showed that he could still make an impact for Winnipeg despite the return of Nichols. The athletic pivot found the edge for a 26-yard run on the Bombers’ ensuing drive, and he proceeded to move the chains with tough rushing yardage up the middle. Nichols came back on the field and began to find a passing rhythm as he led the offence down the field, and the veteran passer connected with receiver Darvin Adams for a 20-yard touchdown strike to give Winnipeg the 7-3 lead.


The Bombers’ defence made an big play of their own on the following drive, as former Lions linebacker Adam Bighill picked off a Jennings pass to give the ball straight back the Winnipeg offence. The interception was Bighill’s first as a Bomber.


Winnipeg quickly made the most of the turnover, and Harris showed off his vertical ability by catching a short pass and hurdling a Lion defender for an impressive 11-yard gain, setting the team up with a first and goal. Harris took a direct snap on the next play and found a hole on the left side to reach the end zone for a four-yard score, giving Winnipeg a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.


Streveler made a big play through the air when he found receiver Daniel Petermann for a 24-yard gain, with Petermann gaining 19 yards after the catch. Streveler finished off the drive two plays later with a one-yard quarterback sneak across the goal line, putting the Bombers on top 21-3.


Winnipeg’s defence prevented the Lions from sustaining any drives on offence early on, with their defensive front constantly applying pressure and allowing no room for Jennings to make a play.


Harris put together his biggest run of the season so far when he found daylight and accelerated into open field for a 43-yard gain. Nichols completed a pass to Adams for a 37-yard pick up on the following play, putting Winnipeg back in scoring position.


Streveler finished things off once again with his second short-yardage touchdown of the game, giving Winnipeg a 28-3 lead. Harris showed his dynamic ability everytime he touched the ball, finishing the first half with 101 rushing yards on 11 carries.


The Lions showed a major sense of urgency in the final minutes of the opening half, and Chris Rainey gave his team a massive spark with a 63-yard kick return. Jennings made multiple big throws on the drive, including a 12-yard connection to Rainey that put the team in scoring position. Johnson capped off the 73-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, making it 28-10 heading into halftime.


Jennings and the BC offence continued to move the ball after the half, and they were able to cut into Winnipeg’s lead once again with a 42-yard field goal from Ty Long.


The Bombers responded with a big 36-yard punt return from Kevin Fogg that helped regain momentum. Nichols proceeded to march the Bombers’ offence into position for a 31-yard field goal from kicker Justin Medlock, giving Winnipeg a 31-13 lead near the end of the third quarter.


Bighill came up big once again for Winnipeg when the former Lion picked off his second pass of the night and returned it for a 55-yard touchdown. The athletic linebacker read Jennings the entire way as the quarterback tried to find receiver Bryan Burnham on a crossing route, and the score helped put the Bombers on top 38-13.


Quarterback Cody Fajardo came into the game for BC, but he was also intercepted when Bombers’ defensive back Chris Randle made an impressive play to get his hands on the ball. Winnipeg capitalized by adding a 26-yard field goal from Medlock, grabbing a 43-13 lead.


The Lions added another touchdown in the final minute with a short rushing score from Fajardo, but it was too little too late as the Bombers secured the 41-19 victory.


Both teams will see each other again next week in a rematch, with the Bombers heading on the road to face the Lions next Saturday night.

 

[CNOTES]

WEEK 5


Thursday, July 12, 2018


Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Calgary Stampeders Ottawa Redblacks

Friday, July 13, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
9:00 PM Toronto Argonauts Edmonton Eskimos


Saturday, July 14, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
10:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers British Columbia Lions




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June's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


Totals.......... 12-10-0........54.54%.....+5.00




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


DATE.........................ATS.................. .....UNITS.....................O/U...................UNITS...........TOTAL


Totals.......................7 - 4.....................+13.00.................... 5 - 6..................-7.00............+5.00




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July's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


07/07/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
07/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


Totals...............4-4...........50.00%....-2.00




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


DATE.........................ATS.................. .....UNITS.....................O/U...................UNITS...........TOTAL


07/07/2018..............2 - 0.......................+10.00...................0 - 2...................-11.00............-1.00
07/06/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00.............-0.50
07/05/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00.............-0.50


Totals......................2 - 2........................-1.00.....................2 - 2...................-1.00..............-2.00




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Sunday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind……..


13) It is possible that I watch too much TV; wore out my damn remote control. Seriously.


The 0 and the 4 buttons don’t work anymore; DirecTV sent me a new one, which better get here pretty soon.


12) Colts’ QB Andrew Luck lost his wallet recently; a guy found it, and returned it to Colts’ HQ, without taking anything out of it. Honorable guy.


For his honesty, Luck gave the guy a signed football; throwing in some game tickets or a signed jersey/helmet might’ve been good, too. Everyone is happy, which is the main thing.


11) NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is very popular; the first game of the day is usually in the girls’ gym, Cox Pavilion, and it always almost full for the first game.


Once the day gets started, they’ll have two games going at once; the best move, if you don’t care which game you’re watching, is to walk down the hall to the Thomas & Mack Center and stretch out in the big arena— lot more room, and closer to the concession stands, which are pretty good.


10) Did I mention it was supposed to be 110 degrees in Las Vegas Friday? So for $38 or so, you get solid entertainment all day while staying cool. Cheaper than playing video poker all day.


9) I’ve told this story here before, but few years ago, I’m sitting in Cox Pavilion by myself watching the summer league, listening to conversations around me. For a solid hour, not one of the conversations were in English.


GM’s from basketball leagues all over the world are in Las Vegas, looking for players to help their teams next season. Once spent an hour talking to an agent whose clients were all players who played overseas. Guys still make six figures playing ball internationally.


8) Indiana Pacers lost their summer league opener 92-89 to Houston Friday; they were 19-33 on the foul line; you wonder why Doug McDermott makes $7M a year? Shooters are always welcome.


7) This is going to look strange; Tony Parker signed a 2-year, $10M deal to go to the Charlotte Hornets. Parker played for San Antonio the last 17 seasons.


Dwight Howard was bought out by the Nets, signs a 2-year, $11M deal with the Wizards.


Zach LaVine signed a 4-year, $78M offer sheet with Sacramento- Bulls matched it.


6) Guy that owns the NHL’s Florida Panthers is selling his NYC mansion for a mere $88M, thats million, with an M. Place looks more like a museum than a house.


5) There is a grocery store on East Flamingo Rd in Las Vegas, Smith’s Food King, with a bar inside it. This is an excellent idea. Wife shops, husband drinks, marriages are happier.


4) Orlando Magic’s summer league team had five practices in three days before the summer league began; they’ll practice once a day on their off-days until summer league is over.


3) University of Houston hired Robert Boudwin as assistant AD for marketing and event presentation; he spent two decades as the Houston Rockets’ mascot “Clutch the Bear”


2) This makes no sense; major league base coaches have to wear batting helmets on the field, but watch when a team has a runner on 2nd base- the third base coach will stand halfway between home and third, to get a better angle on a ball hit to the outfield.


This is totally unsafe; the third base coach shouldn’t be allowed to be closer to home plate than the coaches’ box. I mean, if you care about safety and all.


1) Bartolo Colon and Jamie Moyer are only pitchers in MLB history to allow a home run to 300 different players; this week James McCann became the 300th player to homer off Colon.