Cnotes 2018 Canadian Football League Picks - News - Trends !

[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


07/14/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
07/13/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/12/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
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...............6-8...........42.85%....-13.50




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


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


07/14/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................0 - 1...................-5.50.............-11.00
07/13/2018..............1 - 0.......................+5.00.....................0 - 1...................-5.50.............-0.50
07/12/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00............-0.50
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......................3 - 4........................-12.00.....................3 - 4..................-1.50..............-13.50

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Odds for Monday’s Home Run Derby:


Bryce Harper +300


Jesus Aguilar +350


Max Muncy +500


Freddie Freeman +600


Rhys Hoskins +600


Javier Baez +600


Kyle Schwarber +700


Alex Bregman +900


Quote of the Day
“You can see everything in this stadium except the game.”
Brewers’ TV guy Bill Schroeder, talking about the press box in PNC Park in Pittsburgh


Sunday’s quiz
Where did the Texas Rangers call home before moving to the Lone Star State?


Saturday’s quiz
Houston Astrodome was the first indoor stadium in major league baseball.


Friday’s quiz
Charlie Manuel managed the Phillies when they won the 2008 World Series.


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


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


13) No Sunday Night Baseball this week on ESPN? They have a freakin’ softball game on ESPN at 8:00 Sunday night. How about baseball/ESPN actually trying to promote the sport and put the Futures’ Game on Sunday night? You know, the stars of the future?


12) Does baseball need more 8-foot high outfield fences? Spectacular catches like the one Billy Hamilton made in St Louis Friday night make for great highlights.


11) Matt Harvey is 4-1, 2.38 in his last six starts; can the Reds get anything for him at the trading deadline?


10) Mookie Betts is first player with two triples and two runs scored in first two innings of a game since September 23, 1995, when Lance Johnson did it for the White Sox against Minnesota.


9) Mets’ manager Mickey Callaway talked with Dom Smith Saturday; there is concern that Smith has lost focus because he is worrying about getting demoted back to AAA. The Mets are a mess.


8) Players receive a total of $1,500 in meal money during the 12-day Las Vegas Summer League; each player has his own room in a 5-star hotel, and gets a free plane ticket to anywhere in the country when the tournament is finished.


7) Notre Dame alum Jack Cooley is playing in the Las Vegas Summer League for the 6th year in a row; he played in his 32nd summer league game Friday, tying the all-time record (Dionte Christmas).


Cooley has played in 23 NBA games, seven with San Antonio LY.


6) Zac Rosscup will be the 27th different pitcher used by the Dodgers this season, and it is only the All-Star break; their team record is 31, set in 2015, ’16.


5) Quote of the Day, part 2, from Celtics’ Jaylen Brown:
“I think if you can serve in the military at 18, you should be able to play in the NBA. That would be my argument.”


Alrighty then.


4) NBA doings:
— Georges Niang signed a three-year, $5M contract with Utah Jazz that contains a first-year guarantee.
— Jabari Parker signs with the Chicago Bulls, a two-year, $40M deal. In his 4-year NBA career, Parker has missed 145 of 328 games due to injuries.


3) Former Wisconsin/Arkansas coach Bret Bielema is now a defensive assistant coach with the Patriots. New England lost DC Matt Patricia to the Lions last winter.


2) Oakland A’s gave their first-round draft pick Kyler Murray a $4.6M signing bonus; Murray will be Oklahoma’s QB this fall, before starting his baseball career.


Murray’s coach at Oklahoma is Lincoln Riley; he makes $4.8M a year.


1) FBI informed Maryland officials that the state’s voter registration, election management system operate on a software platform owned by a Russian-financed firm, AltPoint Capital Partners, whose largest investor is a Russian oligarch, Vladimir Potanin.


Nothing to worry about there.

 

[tar_heel_in_sc]

Cnotes, does Riders +10.5 not look like the sucker bet of the year to you?? What am I missing?

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday’s 6-pack

— SEC football Media Week ain’t the same without Les Miles.


— Superstitious much? There are no Gate 13’s in McCarran Airport in Las Vegas.


— Ole Miss basketball coach Mike White is only 41, but has lived in 14 different states


— Georgia football coach Kirby Smart was a Finance major in college.


— Purdue has a QB named Nick Sipe whose uncle is Brian Sipe, the terrific QB for the Browns who also played for the Jacksonville Bulls in the USFL.


— Last seven years, Ohio St/Northwestern are only two Big 14 football teams that have been plus in turnovers in all seven years.


Quote of the Day
“They don’t pay players to play defense.”
Jabari Parker, whose new coach must be thrilled


Thursday’s quiz
What year did the designated hitter come to the American League?


Wednesday’s quiz
George H. W. Bush was the last President who had only one term in office.


Tuesday’s quiz
In the movie Rounders, John Malkovich plays Russian gangster Teddy KGB.




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


Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….


13) San Antonio Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 1st-round pick.


Over the last five years, the Raptors went 263-147 in the regular season, only 21-30 in playoff games, so they fired their coach and traded their best player. We’ll see how that works out.


12) I’m thinking managing a major league team now has to be more difficult than it used to be; back when I was a kid, guys like Sparky Anderson, Earl Weaver, Dick Williams were big names who unquestionably ran their teams- that doesn’t exist anymore.


Front office/analytics types run the show on most teams now; managers with strong personalities don’t get hired as much or don’t keep their jobs— see Joe Girardi.


Managers, by the very nature of their jobs, dictate the tone of their teams, but they dictate less and less of their team’s tactics and roster management, but they still have to answer to the press, which can’t be a lot of fun.


11) On July 17, 1963, Braves-Giants played a game in San Francisco, Spahn vs Marichal, two Hall of Fame pitchers.


Game was scoreless into the 16th inning with both pitchers going whole way, when Willie Mays ended it with a solo-homer off Spahn. Marichal threw 227 pitches and Spahn threw 201.


If that happened today, both managers would’ve been fired after the game.


10) One of the coolest nights I’ve spent in Las Vegas was during this week back in 2015, late on a Wednesday night.


Diamondbacks game in Phoenix went 14 or 15 innings, ran very late; at same time, live coverage from the BBC or some channel in England had live first round coverage of the British Open on, so you could watch live action on TV’s next to each other, one on Wednesday night, the other Thursday morning. It was oddly fun.


9) All nine people who made the final table at the World Series of Poker made $1M+; the winner got $8.8M, runner-up got $5M— no wonder he was smiling in the pictures afterwards.


8) They had another poker tournament that ran Sunday-Tuesday, 27 people entered with a buy-in of $1M. Top 5 cashed, the other 22 had to explain to their wives why they blew $1M to play cards for a couple nights.


Guy who won took home $10M and he was losing for most of the heads-up period.


7) Golfer Hideki Matsuyama finished in the top-20 in each of the last seven majors and 11 of the last 14.


6) From gambling expert Bill Krackomberger, talking about the start of legalized sports betting in New Jersey:


“…….of the $15.4 million wagered, the casinos/state won just under $3.5 million in 16 days. That is a hold percentage of over 22%. In relation, Nevada’s hold for 2017 was 5.1%.”


KL Wheat reported in from New Jersey Wednesday:


“…….went to bet Ricky Fowler at 17-1 on board, went to bet 10 seconds later, it was 12-1.” That was at Monmouth— he got 16-1 on Fowler at Borgata.


5) Back in 1983, Donald Trump could’ve bought the Dallas Cowboys for $50M but passed; now they’re worth $4.8B. Thats billion, with a B.


4) Of the eight guys in Home Run Derby this year, only Harper/Freeman are making more than $660,000 this season. MLB needs more established stars to do Home Run Derby.


3) One really cool thing about the derby this year is that the two finalists both had unusual guys throwing to them. Had to be a ton of pressure on these guys to throw hittable pitches.


Bruce Harper had his dad throwing to him, which is great- Robinson Cano’s dad threw to him a few years ago, and Kyle Schwarber’s buddy threw to him- the graphic actually said under the guy’s name “Kyle’s friend”


2) Apparently, Juwan Howard holds an NBA record he had 236 different teammates during his long playing career. Vince Carter could break that record this year if he plays; he’s had 228 different teammates in his career.


1) Imagine being A’s reliever Blake Treinen Tuesday night; run out of Washington last summer, exiled to Oakland because he was having a bad year (5.73 ERA in 37.2 IP).


Now he has 24 saves for an Oakland team that is a surprise contender in the AL Wild Card race, and he has been awesome. He comes back to Washington a year after they ran him out of town and he is a freakin’ All-Star. That had to be tremendous.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Betting Recap - Week 5
July 16, 2018


League Betting Notes


-- Favorites went 2-1 SU in Week 5
-- Underdogs went 2-1 ATS in Week 5
-- Home teams posted a 2-1 SU record in Week 5
-- Road teams posted a 2-1 ATS record in Week 5
-- The 'Under' went 3-0 in Week 5


Analysis


Calgary (4-0) opened the week with an emphatic 27-3 victory at Ottawa (2-2), as their defense was on full display again. The Stampeders are mostly known for their offense by casual fans, and they have scored at least 24 points in each of their four outings. However, they have yielded just 9.5 points per game (PPG) through four games, by far the best defense in the CFL. They moved to 4-0 ATS and the 'under' is a perfect 4-0, too.


The RedBlacks are 0-2 SU/ATS in two meetings with the Stamps, and 2-0 SU/ATS against everyone else. The good news is they will now have to face Calgary for the remainder of the regular season. Ottawa is also on a 3-0 'under' run.


Speaking of 3-0, the 'under' cashed in all three meetings this week, and is 6-1 over the past two weekend in the CFL.


Edmonton (3-2) snuck by Toronto (1-3) in a defensive battle in Northern Alberta, 16-15. The line was set at 54, but the 'under' came in by a mile. After opening with the 'over' in each of their first three games, the 'under' is 2-0 in the past two outings for Edmonton, both against Toronto. The Esks are also a dismal 1-4 ATS through five outings. They're off in Week 6.


The Argos have covered back-to-back outings after opening 0-2 SU/ATS. That's not where bettors are making money on the Argos, however. Toronto has averaged just 15.3 PPG through four outings, and the 'under' has hit in all of their contests to date.


Winnipeg (2-3) has alternated losses and wins through each of their first five outings. It didn't look like the outcome would be a loss in their second end of a home-and-home with the BC Lions (2-2), as they led in Vancouver by a 17-0 score at halftime. It was a defensive battle through the end of the third quarter, with the Blue Bombers leading 17-7. Then, the Lions struck hard. With two minutes remaining, the Lions found the end zone to tie the game at 17-17. It appeared overtime might be happening, but the Lions struck for a Ty Long field goal with :11 remaining in regulation to turn the tables on the Bombers after an ugly 41-19 beatdown last weekend.


Team Betting Notes and A Look Ahead


-- A pair of .500 clubs meet in the Hammer when Saskatchewan (2-2) and Hamilton (2-2) square off. The Roughriders have posted a 5-2 ATS record in their past seven following a bye week. The Tiger-Cats are 6-0 ATS in their past six following a straight-up loss, and they're 7-2 ATS in the past nine overall. However, the Ti-Cats are also 4-10-2 ATS in the past 16 at home, while going 1-5 ATS in their past six after a bye.


-- Another battle of 2-2 clubs takes place when the Lions and RedBlacks battle each other in Canada's capital city. The Lions won and covered last week, but they're still just 3-8 ATS in the past 11 overall. They're also back on the road, and they're 1-7 ATS in their past eight away from home. The RedBlacks have rebounded nicely, going 5-0 ATS in their past five following a straight-up loss, and 8-2 ATS in the past 10 after a non-cover. While the 'over' is 5-2 in the past seven for BC, the 'under' is 15-5-1 in the past 21 for Ottawa, and 5-2-1 in the past eight at home. The 'under' is also 3-0-1 in the past four meetings in this series.


-- Two sub-.500 teams desperate for a win battle in Hogtown. The Blue Bombers had a rare non-cover last week on the road, as they're still 16-5 ATS in the past 21 on the road, and 17-8 ATS in the past 25 overall. They're also 10-1 ATS in the past 11 games following a non-cover. The Argos are 5-2 ATS in the past seven games overall, and that will be put to the test as they're 0-4 ATS in the past four meetings with the Bombers. The 'over' is also 4-0 in the past four meetings, and 5-1 in the past six in Toronto.


-- Montreal (1-3) is in search of a much-needed win, but it might not happen against the red-hot Stamps. Montreal has covered just five of their past 21 games overall, including 1-7 ATS in the past eight road outings. The Stamps have covered 20 of their past 28 at home. The 'under' is 5-0 in Montreal's past five, and 9-3 in their past 12 in the month of July. In addition, the under is 12-2 in the past 14 games on a Saturday. For Calgary, the under is 4-1 in their past five at home, and 19-7 in the past 26 games played on a Saturday.


-- The Alouettes have covered six of their past seven meetings with the Stamps, but they're just 2-6 ATS in the past eight trips to Calgary. The 'under' is also 6-2 in the past eight battles in this series.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 6
July 16, 2018


With only three games on the CFL slate last week, the UNDER on the total line was the best bet with the books given that all three contests turned into low-scoring affairs.


Calgary remained perfect on the year both straight-up and against the spread with Thursday’s 27-3 victory against Ottawa as a three-point road favorite.


On Friday night, Edmonton squeaked past Toronto 16-15 as a 9 ½-point favorite at home and on Saturday the British Columbia Lions knocked off Winnipeg 20-17 as a 4 ½-point home underdog.




Thursday, July 19


Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -11
Total: 51 ½


Game Overview


This will be the second meeting in an extended home-and-home series after Saskatchewan beat the Tiger-Cats 18-13 on July 5 as a six-point home underdog. The total stayed UNDER 51 points in that victory and it has stayed UNDER in three of the Roughriders’ first four games. Brandon Bridge and David Watford were ineffective throwing the ball against Hamilton with a combined 148 yards passing. However, the Roughriders did rack-up 150 yards rushing on 23 carries.


Hamilton dropped to 2-2 (SU and ATS) with that loss after posting back-to-back victories against Edmonton on the road and Winnipeg at home in its previous two games. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the Tiger-Cats first four outings. Jeremiah Masoli was able to move the ball through the air against Saskatchewan in that first meeting with 333 total passing yards, but he could not get his team into the end zone. He is currently second in the CFL in passing with 1,378 yards through his first four games.


Betting Trends


-- Saskatchewan has won four of the last five meetings both SU and ATS with the total staying UNDER in four of the last five meetings in Hamilton.




Friday, July 20


British Columbia Lions (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) at Ottawa RedBlacks (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -6 ½
Total: 53 ½


Game Overview


The Lions are coming off a split both SU and ATS in a recent home-and-home series against Winnipeg as part of their 2-2 record both ways on the year. The total stayed UNDER 55 points in Saturday’s upset against the Blue Bombers after going OVER the closing line in two of BC’s first three games. Travis Lulay got the call at quarterback in Week 5 and he responded with 326 yards passing with one touchdown throw against one interception. He completed at least one pass to eight different players.


Ottawa’s two losses this season have come against Calgary on the road and at home. It has also beaten Saskatchewan at home and Montreal on the road closing as a favorite. The total has stayed UNDER in each of its last three contests with a scoring average of 15.0 points per game. Trevor Harris looked awful in his two losses to the Stampeders, but he still has 915 yards passing and five touchdown throws in his first four games.


Betting Trends


-- Ottawa has a 4-2 edge both SU and ATS in its last six games against BC and the total has stayed UNDER in four of its last six home games against the Lions.




Saturday, July 21


Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS) at Toronto Argonauts (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS)
Point-spread: PICK
Total: 50 ½


Game Overview


The Blue Bombers have scored at least 30 points in three of their first five games this season with the total easily going OVER in each of those contests. They opened the season with a tough 33-30 loss to Edmonton as seven-point home underdogs before waxing BC 41-19 at home in Week 4 as 6 ½-point favorites. Matt Nichols is back under center for Winnipeg and he threw for 214 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions in last week’s less than stellar performance.


Toronto lost the backend of its home-and-home series against Edmonton and it has now failed to score more than 20 points in each of its first four games. The total has stayed UNDER in all four contests. James Franklin got the start at quarterback against the Eskimos for an injured Ricky Ray. After throwing for 217 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception in Game 1 at home, he completed 26-of-36 passing attempts for 296 yards against Edmonton in last week’s loss on the road.


Betting Trends


-- The Argonauts have won 11 of the last 16 meetings against Winnipeg SU, but they have failed to cover in four of their last five matchups against the Blue Bombers. The total has gone OVER in four of those last five meetings.




Montreal Alouettes (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS) at Calgary Stampeders (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS)
Point-Spread: Calgary OFF
Total: OFF

Game Overview


Montreal has already established itself as the worst team in the CFL this season on each side of the ball after winning just three games SU all last season. The Alouettes have complemented an offense that is averaging 15.3 PPG with a defense that is giving up 30.8 points a game. They are coming off a bye last week after losing to Ottawa at home 28-18 on July 6 as 7 ½-point home underdogs. The total has stayed UNDER in three of Montreal’s first four games.


At the opposite end of the spectrum in the CFL, Calgary is off to a perfect 4-0 start (SU and ATS) while winning each game by 10 points or more. The total has stayed UNDER in all four games behind a defense that has not allowed more than 14 points in any of those wins. The big concern for Saturday’s matchup as far as the actual betting spread is the playing status of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. He left last Thursday’s victory at Ottawa with an injured knee.


Betting Trends

-- Calgary has won its last five home games against Montreal SU, but it has failed to cover in six of the last seven meetings overall. The total has stayed UNDER in six of the last eight games between the two.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Week 6


Saskatchewan (2-2) @ Hamilton (2-2) (-10.5, 51)— Roughriders nipped Hamilton 18-13 at home two weeks ago, scoring winning TD with 1:50 left. TiCats didn’t score TD in game- total yardage was 429-298, Hamilton. Saskatchewan had last week off; they split first four games (under 3-1), losing 40-17 at Ottawa in their only road game. Hamilton also had last week off; they split first four games (under 3-1), beating Ottawa 38-21 in their only home game. Riders won last four series games, but lost three of last four series games in Ontario. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games.


BC Lions (2-2) @ Ottawa (2-2) (-7, 53)— Teams split eight series meetings, going 2-2 in each city; over is 2-0-1 in last three series games. Home side won all four BC games this season; Lions lost 41-19/41-22 in visits to Winnipeg, Edmonton- both those games went over the total. Lions covered only one of last eight road games. BC allowed 17-10 points in their wins. RedBlacks split their first four games, losing twice to unbeaten Calgary, winning other two games by 23-10 points. Ottawa’s last three games stayed under total- under is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games overall.


Winnipeg (2-3) (-2, 52.5) @ Toronto (1-3)— Blue Bombers are only team not to have bye yet; they lost four of last five visits to Toronto- home side won seven of last nine series games, with Winnipeg covering last four. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Bombers are 2-1 when they score 30+ points, 0-2 when they score less than 30, losing by 14-3 points. Over is 3-2 in their games, 1-2 on road. Toronto scored 15.3 ppg in losing three of its first four games, all of which stayed under the total. Argonauts’ last two games (both vs Edmonton) were decided by total of four points.


Montreal (1-3) @ Calgary (4-0) (NL)— Stampeders’ QB Mitchell is a ?? here; rookie Arbuckle gets nod if Mitchell can’t go. Home side won last nine series games; Alouettes lost last five visits to Calgary by 48-14-3-21-11 points- they lost 59-11 here LY. Under is 6-2 in last eight series games, 3-2 in last five here. Montreal scored 15.3 ppg in their 1-3 start; they had LW off. Alouettes won in Regina, lost 22-10 in BC; all four of their games stayed under the total. Stamps won/covered all four of their games, with 24-14 the closest win. Calgary beat Hamilton by 14, Ottawa by 10 in their two home games; all four of their games stayed under.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL (CANADIAN)


DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME


Saskatchewan at Hamilton - Thursday July 19, 2018


The Roughriders head to Hamilton on Thursday night to face a Tiger-Cats team that is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 home games. Saskatchewan is the pick (+10 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Tiger-Cats favored by only 8. Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan (+10 1/2).

THURSDAY JULY 19, 2018


Saskatchewan
@
Hamilton
Game 371-372
July 19, 2018 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating: Saskatchewan
108.738
Hamilton
116.896
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Hamilton
by 8
55
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Hamilton
by 10 1/2
51
Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan
(+10 1/2); Over




FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018


BC Lions
@
Ottawa
Game 373-374
July 20, 2018 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating: BC Lions
107.536
Ottawa
111.856
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Ottawa
by 4 1/2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Ottawa
by 7
52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BC Lions
(+7); Over




SATURDAY JULY 21, 2018


Winnipeg
@
Toronto
Game 375-376
July 21, 2018 @ 4:00 pm


Dunkel Rating: Winnipeg
114.696
Toronto
110.233
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Winnipeg
by 4 1/2
39
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Winnipeg
Pick
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg
Under




Montreal
@
Calgary
Game 377-378
July 21, 2018 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating: Montreal
98.608
Calgary
126.718
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Calgary
by 28
38
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Calgary
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick: Calgary
N/A

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday's Best Bet
July 18, 2018


Thursday CFL Betting Preview


Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Hamilton Tigercats


Week 6 of the CFL season kicks off on Thursday with a rematch from Week 4 between Saskatchewan and Hamilton. Both teams had a bye in between so it's not a “true” home-and-home, but after Saskatchewan won that first meeting 18-13 two weeks ago closing as 6-point home underdogs, you'd better believe that Hamilton has been anxiously waiting for their opportunity at redemption these past 14 days.


Will the Tigercats get it done?


And more importantly, will they get it done in a big way to cover this big number they are laying?


Odds: Hamilton (-10.5); Total set at 51


Saskatchewan won that first meeting despite getting outgained by nearly 200 yards through the air, sticking with their QB rotation (Brandon Bridge and David Watford), and really not getting much of anything done offensively outside of a decent run or two. But a fumble return TD always helps and with a defense that clearly was in bend but don't break mode, Saskatchewan found a way to get the job done. A result like that isn't really sustainable long term though and with Saskatchewan sticking with their QB rotation in all likelihood again this week, they have got to hope at least one of them catches fire to even have a chance at sweeping this series.


But what may be more worrisome for the Riders this week is the fact that for as good as their defense was two weeks ago in shutting down Hamilton, that Riders defense didn't travel with them on the plane for their only other road game this year.


Saskatchewan's lone game as visitors in 2018 was a 40-17 beatdown by the Ottawa Redblacks back in Week 2 and I believe we get a similar result here this week. Hamilton has had two full weeks to review the film of what did/didn't work in that first meeting, adapt accordingly, and hopefully execute at a much higher level back at home. Hamilton's lone home game this season was a 31-17 beating of Winnipeg, so scoring 30+ should come rather easily for the Tigercats here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see them approach that 40 number that Ottawa hung on this Saskatchewan team away from home. Hamilton's offense did bounce back once already this year after a bad Week 1 performance in Calgary (28-14 loss) by putting up 38 points the next week, and it's that type of offensive output I'm expecting from the Tigercats this week.


Therefore, if you want to lay the points with Hamilton, I say go ahead. I was hoping (and still am) that this number creeps into the single digits so I'd feel more comfortable laying the chalk and a 10-point victory would be enough to cash, but for the side at the current moment, it seems more like a very sharp line that could land a point or two on either side. But thanks to the CFL being an 'under' bettor's haven the past two weeks (1-3 O/U in Week 4, 0-3 O/U in Week 5), this total has come in at 51 again and it's that number that I'm looking to cash on.


'Over' bettors in the CFL can't help but be a little gun shy at the moment with the 1-6 O/U run the league is on, but if you're of the mindset of “waiting to see something first from any particular offense” (especially Saskatchewan in this case) before betting an 'over', that's when you get left behind and it ends up being too late. Personally, I'm looking to stay ahead of the curve here and play on the high side of this total simply because of how the game script should play out here.


Hamilton is going to look to jump all over this Saskatchewan defense right away, put up big points on them early (like Ottawa did) and then cruise the rest of the way to win. Saskatchewan's offense will have no choice but to take plenty of shots down the field if that's the case and that will either lead to points for the Riders or short fields for the Tigercats. Saskatchewan's QB's on an individual level aren't happy about this splitting time ordeal and the only way to really put an end to it is to go out on the field, take some chances and cash in. Both Bridge and Watson have to be of that mindset here – especially as a double-digit underdog – and no matter if it turns out great for Saskatchewan or a disaster, chances are we will see points scored.


So while many are already looking to the low side of this total based on the previous meeting between these two, the league-wide trends of 'unders' hitting, and the idea that Saskatchewan's offense can't be trusted, I'll gladly take the value in going against the herd mentality (that's already pushed this number 0.5 points lower) and look for a high-scoring, entertaining, 35-25 type win for Hamilton. Remember, Saskatchewan's lone road game easily cashed an 'over' ticket, as did Hamilton's lone home game this year. This meeting won't be any different.


Best Bet: Over 51 points

 

[CNOTES]

Cnotes, does Riders +10.5 not look like the sucker bet of the year to you?? What am I missing?

To answer your question Tar Hell In SC...............i have the line at Ham -7....it will possibly go up to 7.5 or 8.0.......yes i think it could be a suckers bet......Just my opinion.....

 

[CNOTES]

Owens activates 10-day clause with CFL
July 17, 2018


Soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens wants to play in the Canadian Football League this season.


Owens has invoked the 10-day clause that gives the Edmonton Eskimos a window to offer him a deal or to release him from their negotiation list. He made the request on July 14.


Jason Staroszik, a Canada-based agent who is representing Owens, told TSN's Dave Naylor that the 44-year-old "absolutely 100 percent" wants to play in the CFL.


"He still feels like he has some football years left in him," Staroszik said. "He just loves the game and wants to get back to playing whether it's the CFL or NFL."


Staroszik told ESPN that Owens "wants to play in the NFL, but if he can't, the CFL is the next-best option."


Owens last played in the NFL in 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals, recording 72 receptions for 983 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games. He played briefly in 2011 for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League and attempted an NFL comeback in 2012 before being cut in training camp by the Seattle Seahawks.


Owens recently posted a video of himself running a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash while working out with Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones.


Last month, Owens announced that he would not attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio. Instead, Owens will give his speech at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he played college football.


Should Owens join the Eskimos, he could make his CFL debut on Aug. 2 against the Saskatchewan RoughRiders.


A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens resides second in career receiving yards (15,934), third in receiving touchdowns (153) and eighth in receptions with 1,078. He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Bengals.

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW


REDBLACKS HOST LIONS ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


OTTAWA — Seven days can feel like an eternity in football.


For the Ottawa REDBLACKS, the time between their 27-3 loss at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders last week and their upcoming date with the BC Lions this Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) will certainly have felt that way.


Ottawa’s offence failed to lift off against Calgary, while its defence was carved up enough in less than one half by Bo Levi Mitchell and co. that the second one was rendered moot.


It’s a different story entering Friday’s contest for the BC Lions; bolstered by the return of veteran quarterback Travis Lulay, Wally Buono’s bunch stormed back to beat Winnipeg on a last-second field goal in Week 5 and will hope to build on that momentum this week.


The two squads will meet in a special #LiveMic edition of Friday Night Football this week in the nation’s capital.


Last week was a breath of fresh air for BC.


Not just under centre, where Travis Lulay threw for 326 yards and a touchdown, but in terms of the end result as well. In a season in which the Lions had struggled for positive outcomes — on individual plays, series and games at-large — they turned a 17-point deficit into a legitimate win on home turf.


“We’re trying to use that second half and take it onto the rest of the season,” Lions defensive back Otha Foster III told BCLions.com. “We gave up a lot of rush yards last week, but if we stop the run, we’ll be pretty good.”


Stopping the run will be markedly harder for BC this week without the presence of defensive captain and star linebacker Solomon Elimimian; the four-time CFL all-star was placed on the six-game injured list with a wrist issue, and will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.


“That’s real tough, any time you lose a guy like that it takes a team effort to replace him,” continued Foster. “They’ve got a good core of receivers, a good offence period. We’re gonna have to jump on them fast — the quicker we take the crowd out of it, the better it’ll be for us.”


The task of securing a road win in Ottawa will be made more difficult on offence, too, by the absence of Jeremiah Johnson; Brandon Rutley draws in and will likely split touches out of the backfield with Chris Rainey. Rutley featured extensively for Montreal in 2015 and 2016, rushing for 949 yards over two seasons with the Alouettes.


“I’m excited, just ready to do my job,” said the veteran 29 year-old. “It’s been a great week of prep. I think we’re prepared and it’s just time for us to go out there and pound the pavement man.”


Second-year pro Jordan Herdman will slot into Elimimian’s spot in the heart of the defence; the Simon Fraser product’s tutoring under Elimimian actually dates back to 2014, when the latter was helping coach linebackers at SFU.


“I learned a great deal from Solly. He coached me for a year at SFU and just being a teammate and seeing how he prepares in his work ethic, his hustle, it can’t do anything but just pass on to me and I embrace it,” explained Herdman. “It’s crazy how things work sometimes, you know? From him coaching me, to us playing together and now I get the opportunity to take over his role and try to fill his shoes.”


In Ottawa, all systems were very much not a go against Calgary last week.


The REDBLACKS managed a grand total of one first down in the entire first half against the Stamps, and Trevor Harris’s offence was booed off the field by the irked Ottawa peanut gallery.


Thus, the message throughout practice for the REDBLACKS this week was one of redemption: Back to basics, high-percentage plays and execution.


“We watched that game (on film) last week, it was seven days ago when we watched it,” Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell told OttawaREDBLACKS.com. “It’s been all eyes on BC and what’s ahead of us.


“It’s a big game. As you can see, the way things are working out, everybody’s stacked together. You’ve gotta cash out and win games. Our guys are looking forward to getting out and playing.”


Campbell was his usual non-committal self when asked about any added importance to Friday’s contest.


“We love this place, we love our fans, but if you get into that…” he trailed off. “Whoever we’re playing or wherever we’re playing, we’ve got to show up and play well.”


The matchup against BC will definitely have some added juice for REDBLACKS defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy; the outspoken 25 year-old spent the last two seasons with the Lions, and did not mince words on facing his former team for the first time.


“I’m just ready to go [win], to be honest. I let bygones be bygones, but it’s personal,” he stated. “Lulay is going to make the right throws until he finds what he needs to find. You can show him something different, then you’re good. If not he’s going to know where he’s going with the ball every time.”


The REDBLACKS will be hoping D-lineman Michael Wakefield can continue his red-hot form to begin 2018; the FIU product has exploded onto the scene this season, with three sacks in his first three games after an inauspicious six-game, four-tackle start to his career in 2017.


Like most of Ottawa’s key players, however, Wakefield was held at bay last week by Caglary: quarterback pressure will be key against Travis Lulay and a BC offensive line which has given up the second-most sacks (12) in the CFL.


Crunchin’ Numbers:


0 — Times that BC QB Travis Lulay has thrown for 300-plus yards against Ottawa; the Lions pivot eclipsed the mark for the 20th time in his career against Winnipeg, and the REDBLACKS are the only CFL team he has not thrown for 300 yards against.


93 – Total passing yards for Trevor Harris last week against Calgary, the first time in his career he has been held under 100 yards in a game without being lifted due to injury.


229 – As Harris goes, so too do the REDBLACKS; the Ottawa pivot is averaging 343 pass yards in the team’s two wins, and just 114 per game in the team’s two losses.


297 – Receptions for Emmanuel Arceneaux since the beginning of the 2015 season, ranking him second in the CFL in that time frame to only Ottawa’s Greg Ellingson at 347.


Believe it or not, Ottawa has won two in a row and four of its last six meetings against BC.


The difference this time around is the Lions have momentum with Lulay under centre — Jennings started and took the loss in both meetings last season — while Ottawa does not.


The REDBLACKS have some work to do to help erase the memory of last week’s dismantling at the hands of the Stamps; BC, meanwhile, will be hoping to tap into the same mojo that helped lead the Lions to a memorable fourth-quarter comeback last week.


Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN+.

 

[CNOTES]

FRIDAY, JULY 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BC at OTT 07:30 PM
OTT -7.0
U 53.0

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, July 21, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
4:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers Toronto Argonauts
9:00 PM Montreal Alouettes Calgary Stampeders


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




July's Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


07/21/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
07/20/2018 0-0-0 0.00% +0
07/14/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
07/13/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/12/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
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...............6-10...........37.50%....-24.50




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


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


07/21/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................0 - 1...................-5.50............-11.00
07/20/2018-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
07/14/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................0 - 1...................-5.50.............-11.00
07/13/2018..............1 - 0.......................+5.00..................... 0 - 1...................-5.50.............-0.50
07/12/2018..............0 - 1........................-5.50.....................1 - 0...................+5.00............-0.50
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......................3 - 5........................-17.50.....................3 - 5..................-7.00..............-24.50

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 6




Saturday, July 21


Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS) at Toronto Argonauts (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS)
Point-spread: PICK
Total: 50 ½


Game Overview


The Blue Bombers have scored at least 30 points in three of their first five games this season with the total easily going OVER in each of those contests. They opened the season with a tough 33-30 loss to Edmonton as seven-point home underdogs before waxing BC 41-19 at home in Week 4 as 6 ½-point favorites. Matt Nichols is back under center for Winnipeg and he threw for 214 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions in last week’s less than stellar performance.


Toronto lost the backend of its home-and-home series against Edmonton and it has now failed to score more than 20 points in each of its first four games. The total has stayed UNDER in all four contests. James Franklin got the start at quarterback against the Eskimos for an injured Ricky Ray. After throwing for 217 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception in Game 1 at home, he completed 26-of-36 passing attempts for 296 yards against Edmonton in last week’s loss on the road.

Betting Trends


-- The Argonauts have won 11 of the last 16 meetings against Winnipeg SU, but they have failed to cover in four of their last five matchups against the Blue Bombers. The total has gone OVER in four of those last five meetings.




Montreal Alouettes (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS) at Calgary Stampeders (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS)
Point-Spread: Calgary OFF
Total: OFF


Game Overview


Montreal has already established itself as the worst team in the CFL this season on each side of the ball after winning just three games SU all last season. The Alouettes have complemented an offense that is averaging 15.3 PPG with a defense that is giving up 30.8 points a game. They are coming off a bye last week after losing to Ottawa at home 28-18 on July 6 as 7 ½-point home underdogs. The total has stayed UNDER in three of Montreal’s first four games.


At the opposite end of the spectrum in the CFL, Calgary is off to a perfect 4-0 start (SU and ATS) while winning each game by 10 points or more. The total has stayed UNDER in all four games behind a defense that has not allowed more than 14 points in any of those wins. The big concern for Saturday’s matchup as far as the actual betting spread is the playing status of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. He left last Thursday’s victory at Ottawa with an injured knee.


Betting Trends


-- Calgary has won its last five home games against Montreal SU, but it has failed to cover in six of the last seven meetings overall. The total has stayed UNDER in six of the last eight games between the two.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, July 21

Winnipeg @ Toronto


Game 375-376
July 21, 2018 @ 4:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
114.696
Toronto
110.233
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 4 1/2
39
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
Pick
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
Under


Montreal @ Calgary


Game 377-378
July 21, 2018 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
98.608
Calgary
126.718
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 28
38
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
N/A

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, July 21


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


WINNIPEG (2 - 3) at TORONTO (1 - 3) - 7/21/2018, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 4-0 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG 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


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


MONTREAL (1 - 3) at CALGARY (4 - 0) - 7/21/2018, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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

 

[CNOTES]

Winnipeg (2-3) (-2, 52.5) @ Toronto (1-3)— Blue Bombers are only team not to have bye yet; they lost four of last five visits to Toronto- home side won seven of last nine series games, with Winnipeg covering last four. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Bombers are 2-1 when they score 30+ points, 0-2 when they score less than 30, losing by 14-3 points. Over is 3-2 in their games, 1-2 on road. Toronto scored 15.3 ppg in losing three of its first four games, all of which stayed under the total. Argonauts’ last two games (both vs Edmonton) were decided by total of four points.


Montreal (1-3) @ Calgary (4-0) (NL)— Stampeders’ QB Mitchell is a ?? here; rookie Arbuckle gets nod if Mitchell can’t go. Home side won last nine series games; Alouettes lost last five visits to Calgary by 48-14-3-21-11 points- they lost 59-11 here LY. Under is 6-2 in last eight series games, 3-2 in last five here. Montreal scored 15.3 ppg in their 1-3 start; they had LW off. Alouettes won in Regina, lost 22-10 in BC; all four of their games stayed under the total. Stamps won/covered all four of their games, with 24-14 the closest win. Calgary beat Hamilton by 14, Ottawa by 10 in their two home games; all four of their games stayed under.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, July 21


Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games
Winnipeg is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games
Winnipeg is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Winnipeg is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Winnipeg's last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games on the road
Winnipeg is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Winnipeg is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Toronto is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Winnipeg




Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 1-14 ATS in its last 15 games
Montreal is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games
Montreal is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Montreal is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 8 games when playing Calgary
Montreal is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary Stampeders
Calgary is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 5 games
Calgary is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Calgary is 22-2 SU in its last 24 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games at home
Calgary is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 8 games when playing Montreal
Calgary is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Montreal
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW


BOMBERS VISIT ARGONAUTS IN SATURDAY AFTERNOON CONTEST


TORONTO — The first game of Saturday’s CFL doubleheader features two teams looking to bounce back in a big way from Week-5 defeats.


Both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts will want to start quickly in their meeting Saturday afternoon at BMO Field (4:00 p.m. ET); last week saw Winnipeg let a late lead slip in BC, while the Argonauts trudged their way to a 16-15 defeat in sopping conditions in Edmonton.


Neither offence looked particularly potent in its respective defeat last week, and both James Franklin and Matt Nichols know they will need to be more efficient in order to pick up a win in Toronto this weekend.


A new week is a much-needed breath of fresh air for Matt Nichols and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ offence.


Dominant on their way to a 17-0 halftime lead last week at BC Place, a trio of interceptions and a big, fat zero on the scoreboard in the second half gave the unit a hard dose of reality.


“Our gameplan every week (is) play clean football and give ourselves a chance to win in the end,” Nichols told BlueBombers.com. “I felt like every phase took turns not doing that last week. (We’ll) look to get back to playing more consistent football as a team this week, for sure.”


The Bombers have lost four of their last five trips to BMO Field — something Nichols and co. are acutely aware of entering the first game of a back-to-back series against the Argonauts.


“It’s always tougher to go into some place and win on the road, and we’ve had some tough ones here, so we expect that that’s the kind of game it’s going to be,” said Nichols. “A four-quarter game, down to the wire. (We’d) love to take it on the road, then make them come to our place.”


Discipline will likely be a key for Winnipeg come Saturday, given how critical mistakes were in the team’s second-half collapse last week.


“We’ve just had a few mistakes,” said Bombers receiver Weston Dressler. “We only had two penalties in the (loss to B.C.) that were unforced penalties, not a tough holding call or anything like that. It was an offsides and a false start/procedure penalty and they were both in situations where it was second and medium or second and short and it put us into second and long and into a hole.


“Those are the little things we can always control that have nothing to do with who you’re going against, the defence they’re bringing against you or anything like that.”


Roster-wise, Kienan Lafrance draws back into the lineup in a backup role to feature back Andrew Harris; Chandler Fenner, meanwhile, did not get the green light in time to feature in Winnipeg’s secondary. Brandon Alexander and Abubakarr Conteh enter as defensive depth in the secondary.


In Toronto, the big news this week centred around the signing of former Pro Bowler Dexter McCluster.


The Ole Miss alumnus has 12 NFL touchdowns to his name, but has not played since 2016 — and will not change that this weekend, as he will watch Saturday’s contest against Winnipeg in street clothes despite practicing this week.


Practice was notably sharp for the Argonauts, who sit tied for last in the East Division at 1-3, this week.


“From the moment we got into the meeting room after a very tough loss and travelling, you would not know we’d lost the game,” head coach Marc Trestman told argonauts.ca. “Guys were locked in with good energy, (and) the guys know that come Saturday at 4 o’clock, we’ve got to perform.”


Perform they certainly will have to against a Winnipeg team chock full of playmakers on both sides of the football.


“They like to run the ball in Winnipeg, I believe they’re the top rushing team in the league right now, (so) we know it’s going to be a physical game,” said Toronto safety Jermaine Gabriel. “They’ve got 33, Nichols, Adams…so we’re going to have our hands full.”


The sixth-year safety believes the Argos’ loss last week in Edmonton gave a sour taste to an overall strong outing from his unit.


“Just us not quitting, playing ’til the final whistle, playing hard-nosed football — it wasn’t easy out in Edmonton, the conditions were rough and it ended up being a close game,” explained Gabriel, who points to his unit’s chemistry as a key moving forward. “We’re all vets, so (we) knew of each other around the league and we come in with the (same) mindset. We have a young coach in (Tyron) Brack(enridge), and we all relate to each other.”


Rookie Trumaine Washington will make his CFL debut at linebacker in place of the injured Cassius Vaughn; the 23-year-old Louisville product comes highly touted after recording 129 tackles with the Cardinals over three seasons (2015-17).


“I saw some light (from him), as we all did in the pre-season,” said Trestman of his new starting linebacker. “He’s stayed on it, (and) he’s got a bunch of guys around him helping him get better.”


Ken Bishop slides onto the defensive line in place of the suspended Dylan Wynn.


Bishop, a 27-year-old Northern Illinois product registered 31 tackles and started 15 games in his debut CFL campaign in 2016, but was limited to just four starts last season.


Crunchin’ Numbers:


.488 — Win percentage for Toronto quarterbacks who have started in place of Ricky Ray since 2012 (20-21), a number that puts to bed the notion the team is worse-off when Ray is out of the lineup. The injured veteran’s win percentage in the same time span is .465 (33-38).


5.3 — Flags against the Argonauts in a typical game, the lowest average in the league. Winnipeg is the third-most penalized team thus far in 2018, averaging 6.6 penalties-per-game.


6.7 — Yards-per-rush attempt for the Bombers, who own the best mark in the CFL — not just this season, but all-time. If you want to get technical, Winnipeg’s league-leading 6.680 average is 0.002 ahead of the full-season record holders, the 1994 Birmingham Barracudas.


449 — League-high rush yards for Winnipeg’s Andrew Harris, who is trying to become the first Bomber since Charles Roberts (2005-06) to lead the CFL in rush yards in back-to-back seasons.


Here we go: Argonauts and Bombers.


Toronto is hosting its Family Day-themed game, the first of nine being hosted across the league this season, and will be hoping to put on a good show for the crowd.


The Bombers, meanwhile, want to prove to the rest of the league they truly are the team which hung 41 and 56 points on BC and Montreal respectively — not the one that collapsed in Vancouver. Heck, Matt Nichols just wants to put the memory of last week’s three-INT performance behind him.


It’s a little early to start talking redemption, but given where these teams are at in the standings — tied for last in their respective divisions — relative to the talent on their roster, pressure is starting to build as we enter the middle portion of the season.


The stakes are getting higher. Who will rise to the occasion on Saturday at BMO?


Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN and ESPN+.