CFL Previews - August 6-7 - Week Six

Football Betting Lines

08/04/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (4-1) AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (4-1)

DATE & TIME: Friday, August 6, 7:00 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: A rematch of the season opener and last year's Grey Cup title game takes center stage this week, as the Montreal Alouettes entertain the Saskatchewan Roughriders at McGill Stadium on Friday night.

Saskatchewan, which is tied with Calgary atop the standings in the Western Division at 4-1, may have won the first game of 2010 over the Als with a thrilling 54-51 overtime final, but the fact remains that Montreal is the one that is still defending its trophy from last season when it captured the league title with a narrow 28-27 final.

The Roughriders, still just sixth in the current power rankings in the CFL, have scored no less than 20 points in every game this season and toppled Hamilton last weekend by a final of 37-24. However, the final score for Saskatchewan might be a bit misleading given that the team secured all but 14 of those points from the kicking of Luca Congi. The kicker knocked through all seven of his field goal attempts, his longest being a 42-yard effort, as he tied a career mark for most field goals in a single game and came up one shy of the CFL record. On Tuesday Congi was named the CFL Special Teams Player of the Week.

From a traditional offensive standpoint, Darian Durant converted 21-of-35 passes for 270 yards. Running back Wes Cates not only carried the ball 13 times for 66 yards and two scores, but he also caught five balls for 75 yards in the home victory for the Roughriders. The pass defense for Saskatchewan was caught off guard by Arland Bruce III who tied a league record with 16 receptions and produced 272 yards and two touchdowns as a result.

As for the Als last week, they won their fourth in a row as they stomped all over the Toronto Argonauts at home, 41-10. It was the largest margin of victory for Montreal so far this season and made its scoring differential through five games that much greater as it settled in atop the Eastern Division all by itself. The victory was the seventh in a row over Toronto and the 11th straight at home for Montreal as well.

Anthony Calvillo, the league's reigning two-time MVP, had another sensational outing as he missed on just six of his 36 pass attempts, putting up 394 yards and two touchdowns. Both Kerry Watkins and Avon Cobourne finished with more than 100 yards receiving, but it was slotback Jamel Richardson who scored twice through the air, catching a TD pass from both Calvillo and backup Ricky Santos.

Cobourne, who had a number of spectacular catch and runs, also logged a game- high 115 yards and a pair of TDs on the ground, marking the first time since August 15, 2008 that he has registered at least 100 yards both on the ground and through the air in the same game.

Except for a stretch when the Montreal offense was sputtering and having trouble getting the ball into the end zone, even though the team was still winning games, Calvillo has been the leader of this dominating group that seems to be picking up steam as the year rolls along. Thanks to his near- perfect effort last week, Calvillo is again on the verge of 70 percent accuracy on his throws for the season and has the second-best efficiency rating (108.0) thanks to a league-best 1,606 passing yards and 10 TDs, against a mere two interceptions on almost 200 attempts.

In 13 games against Saskatchewan, dating back to the 2004 season, Calvillo has thrown for 26 touchdowns and more than 3,800 yards, posting a total of 16 TDs and just three interceptions over the last six meetings. However, for someone who rarely is pressured in the pocket, Calvillo has been sacked four times in each of the last two games against the Roughriders and once back in 2007 he was taken down a total of eight times and tossed three INTs in a single encounter.

Not to be lost in all of the numbers being put up by Cobourne and Calvillo, 13-year vet Ben Cahoon caught four balls for 45 yards against Toronto last week, giving the BYU product 970 catches for his illustrious career. The reception total means he is now third all-time in CFL history, trailing only Darren Flutie (972) and Terry Vaughn (1,006) and with Calvillo at the helm you can almost bank on Cahoon being atop that list by season's end.

Durant had a huge game versus Montreal in the opener this year, throwing for five touchdowns and 481 yards, but to expect him to have another game as big as that is asking quite a lot. Having Cates coming out of the backfield takes some of the pressure off Durant, seeing as how the running back is second in the league with his 466 yards and has a league-best five TDs through as many games. Cates has already tied his TD total on the ground from all of last year and will be giving his career-best rushing total of 1,229 yards in 2008 a real run.

Even though the Roughriders won the first meeting between these two teams this season, the fact remains that Montreal is still in charge of the overall, regular-season series with a 33-27-1 advantage.

The touchdown drought for the Montreal offense is certainly over and given that this is a revenge game for the Als, don't expect the home team to be gracious hosts this time around.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Montreal 45, Saskatchewan 27

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (3-2) AT EDMONTON ESKIMOS (1-4)

DATE & TIME: Friday, August 6, 10:00 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: Fresh off their first win of the 2010 campaign, the Edmonton Eskimos hope to carry over some of that momentum when they host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium.

Edmonton, which finished an even 9-9 during the 2009 regular season, kicked off the new campaign with four straight setbacks and was the last team in the league to record a win, thanks to a narrow 28-25 decision over British Columbia at home last week. However, even with the victory the Eskimos have now turned the page on general manager Danny Maciocia who was fired on Saturday. In a move that was apparently made prior to the win over the Lions, president and CEO Rick LeLacheur said it was in the best interest of the team long term and also says there is no timetable for naming a replacement.

The triumph for Edmonton almost didn't happen, given the lengthy interruption brought on by a massive storm that delayed play for about 40 minutes and even caused a blackout at Commonwealth Stadium. Nevertheless, the Eskimos refused to give up easily and made it into the win column when Ricky Ray hit Andre Talbot with a nine-yard scoring pass late in the decision. Ray, was on fire after the weather delay and finished with 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 25-of-34 passing, although he was also picked off once by Davis Sanchez in the fourth and saw it returned the other way 54 yards for a score.

Fred Stamps, while not crossing the goal line himself, generated 118 yards on five receptions for the Eskimos, while running back Arkee Whitlock chipped in with a game-high 102 yards on 18 carries as well.

Also adding to the pressure set by Edmonton was defensive back Chris Thompson who tallied a pair of interceptions against Travis Lulay, on his way to being named the CFL Defensive Player of the Week.

As for this week's opponent, the Argonauts got a lethal dose of Alouette offense last Thursday when Anthony Calvillo threw for nearly 400 yards and a pair of scores in the 41-10 thrashing of Toronto.

Toronto starter Cleo Lemon converted just 8-of-17 passes for 143 yards, gained another 35 yards and scored once on the ground, but for the most part the Argonauts were of little consequence in the matchup on the road. After several successful efforts in recent weeks, running back Cory Boyd finished with just nine carries for 53 yards. Boyd maintains his place atop the league rushing list with 484 yards on 75 carries, but despite is 6.5 yards per attempt, he has made it into the end zone just once and that's the fewest of any of the top seven ground gainers in the league entering the sixth week of the season.

Even though Boyd is working as hard as any running back in the league to keep his team moving the ball, the fact remains that he can only do so much when Lemon can't get on track with his passing. Of the quarterbacks who have started every game thus far, Lemon is the only one with a completion percentage below .600, standing at just 57.6 percent at the moment. With a mere three TD passes, Lemon by no means strikes fear into opposing defenses.

Placing so much faith in Lemon and Boyd, two players who are both in their first year in the league, is quite a commitment by the Argonauts and will probably pay off in the long run, but for now the duo has to be given room to grow. It also doesn't help that leading receiver Brandon Rideau, with his 12 catches for 226 yards and one touchdown, is also a first-year player for the Argos. Perhaps putting Chad Owens on the field with the offense more will give opponents more to think about in their coverages, but to this point that possibility has not been explored enough.

Due to the huge setback against Montreal, the Argonauts fell three spots in the most recent power rankings, all the way down to eighth. For a team that has a winning record, that's a definite sign that something is not quite right in Toronto. On the other hand Edmonton, by snapping its slide, moved all the way up to fourth in the rankings, basically because there's too much talent there to ignore.

Ray has managed to throw no more than just a single touchdown in any one of his previous encounters against Toronto, but that could change this weekend with Stamps and Kelly Campbell both warming up.

As far as the all-time, regular-season series between these two squads is concerned, dating back to 1949 Edmonton owns a 40-37-1 advantage over the Argos. Last season the Eskimos won both encounters, first taking a 22-19 decision on the road in the middle of October and then capturing a 36-10 verdict two weeks later at home. These teams are set to meet once more during the regular season on September 26 in Toronto.

Getting into the win column was just one step in the right direction for the Eskimos and perhaps catching Toronto right now could also work in their favor. Lemon's lackluster performances thus far should give Edmonton the sort of confidence it needs in order to continue its winning ways.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Edmonton 27, Toronto 20

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (2-3) AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (1-4)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, August 7, 7:00 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: Winless on the road in three tries so far this season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats try their luck at home this weekend as they entertain the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Despite losing two in a row and four of the first five games of the season, Hamilton has actually jumped three spots in the most recent power rankings to fifth, but that has more to do with the inept play of other clubs in the league rather than with how the Ti-Cats performed last week.

Against Saskatchewan last time out, the Hamilton defense did a fairly decent job keeping the Roughriders out of the end zone, but what the visitors couldn't stop was a kicking game that accounted for seven field goals and a couple of extra points that put the home team on top by a final of 37-24. Quarterback Kevin Glenn posted strong numbers with 31-of-45 passing for 425 yards and three scores, but he was also picked off twice. Having a monster game was receiver Arland Bruce who tallied an incredible 16 catches for a startling 272 yards and a pair of TDs.

The reception total by Bruce tied a CFL single-game record previously shared by the likes of Terry Greer, Brian Wiggins and Derrell Mitchell and still the receiver and his team came out on the losing end. Perhaps even more incredible was the fact that Bruce, who on Tuesday was named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week, had more receiving yards than all of the Roughriders combined.

As for the Blue Bombers, they again had Steven Jyles at quarterback but this time he was unable to work his magic as Winnipeg suffered the 23-20 loss at Calgary, the squad's third defeat in the last four outings. Jyles completed 17-of-30 passes for 227 yards and a score, while Fred Reid accounted for 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushing attempts. Terrence Edwards turned his six receptions into a game-high 162 yards and a score, while defender Odell Willis had a huge game for the Bombers as he recorded a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.

Well on his way to a career year, Edwards already has 25 receptions for a league-leading 545 yards and four touchdowns. Thanks to a career-best 90-yard catch he is averaging a staggering 21.8 yards per grab which is easily the best mark entering the sixth week of this season. Considering the Winnipeg passing attack, split between Jyles and an injured Buck Pierce, has accounted for a total of just seven TDs thus far, it is clear that Edwards is the man to watch no matter which signal-caller is breaking the huddle.

In their two previous meetings against Hamilton this season, the Blue Bombers have been slow starters, scoring just six and seven points in the first and third quarters, respectively. Needing time to warm up, Winnipeg has been credited with a total of 25 points in the fourth frame, accounting for almost half of the team's 56 points from the two prior encounters. Last year it was a much different story when the teams clashed as Winnipeg tallied a combined 29 points in the opening period, but just 39 points the rest of the way, including just a single touchdown in the fourth while Hamilton was dropping seven touchdowns in the final quarter on the Bombers.

Over the years Bruce has been quite productive against Winnipeg, the team that he broke into the league with back in 2001. In 17 career meetings, the receiver has a total of 70 catches for 953 yards, yet he has visited the end zone just three times. However, only once in his last 12 games versus the Bombers has he recorded more than 65 yards receiving, so don't expect him to have another huge game like he did last week.

The only win of the season thus far for the Tiger-Cats came against this same Winnipeg squad three weeks ago at home by a final of 28-7. That game also marked the only time this season that Hamilton has managed to hold an opponent below 23 points, which is why the club is last in the Eastern Division with 153 points allowed over the course of five outings.

Believe it or not, these squads are set to meet again just six days from now in Winnipeg, marking the fourth and final time during the regular season that they will see each other on the gridiron. In terms of the all-time, regular- season series between the teams, Winnipeg is ahead by a count of 54-43 dating back to 1945.

Considering these two teams are tied for last in the league in made field goals (seven) after five weeks, expect this matchup to be a close call and one that should favor Hamilton as long as Glenn is hitting his marks.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Hamilton 27, Winnipeg 24

CALGARY STAMPEDERS (4-1) AT BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS (1-4)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, August 7, 10:00 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: As the only team in the league still without a home win in 2010, the British Columbia Lions give it another shot this weekend as they host the Calgary Stampeders at Empire Field in Vancouver on Saturday night.

Except for a season-opening win against a woeful Edmonton club, little has gone right for the Lions thus far as they find themselves tied for last place in the Western Division with the aforementioned Eskimos at just 1-4. The last three weeks have seen the Lions play some tight games, but each time the squad came out on the losing end, as it did again against Edmonton last weekend by a score of 28-25.

In a game that was delayed about 40 minutes due to poor weather conditions that actually knocked out power at the stadium, BC scored 15 of its 25 points on the night in the final quarter, but it was the defense that let the Lions down late in the meeting.

Travis Lulay, who again stepped in for the injured Casey Printers at quarterback, didn't have much luck against the Edmonton defenders as he completed 16-of-26 passes for a mere 134 yards and a pair of interceptions, all while shaking off three sacks. However, Lulay did manage to generate 62 yards and a score on seven rushing attempts, helping the team to log 163 yards on the ground overall in the setback.

As for the Stampeders, the team that is tied with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for first place in the division, they celebrated their 23-20 victory against Winnipeg last weekend on a number of levels. Not only did the win represent the fourth in five tries this season, it also saw the return of receiver Ken- Yon Rambo who was back on the field for the first time since suffering a torn knee ligament against the Lions on July 24, 2009. Rambo caught six passes for 86 yards and one touchdown as he again became a crucial piece of the offensive puzzle for the Stamps.

Also getting in on the receiving action was Nik Lewis who reeled in a game- high 10 passes for a team-best 160 yards in the narrow victory. Quarterback Henry Burris completed 28-of-38 passes for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns, although losing one of his two fumbles did hamper the team's play somewhat. Kicker Rob Maver made all three of his field goal attempts and finished with 11 points for the home team.

The return of Rambo is huge for the Stampeders because it adds an extra element to the offense that was lacking for much of last year. In his 15 previous matchups against the BC defense, Rambo has accounted for 50 receptions for 839 yards and scored three times. However, the receiver has also turned the ball over four times while averaging better than 16 yards per catch. Put him together with Lewis and Calgary has a lethal receiving duo, seeing as how Lewis has averaged better than 16 yards per grab and has scored seven touchdowns in his career versus British Columbia.

Over on the other side, Lions receiver Geroy Simon has been no slouch himself against Calgary in his career, posting 89 catches for 1,412 yards and five touchdowns. However, Simon has not hit the end zone versus the Stamps defense since late 2007 when he made five grabs for a whopping 211 yards and two scores.

Burris, who hasn't thrown an interception against the Lions since 2008, has tossed one TD and ran for two others in each of his last two encounters against BC in 2009. Even though he has eight interceptions already this year, keeping the ball in the hands of Burris is generally a solid decision, especially since he currently leads the league in TD passes with 11 and has completed more than 64 percent of his pass attempts.

The quarterback has the luxury of leaning on Joffrey Reynolds as usual, even though the running back gained a mere 30 yards on nine carries last weekend versus Winnipeg. Reynolds has averaged 6.5 yards per carry in his 17 games versus British Columbia and has run for at least 100 yards in five of the last six meetings. After five games this season, Reynolds ranks fourth in the league in rushing with 381 yards, averaging almost six yards per attempt.

This is the first of four meetings this season between the clubs, with the second contest being played later this month at BC as well. Dating back to the 1954 season, the Stamps lead the series by a count of 91-71-5. Calgary won all three meetings last season, although the latest one was also the closest as the Stamps slipped by with a 28-26 decision on the road at the end of October.

Rambo's return will continue to give the Stampeders a huge boost on offense and until a defense shows that it can slow down Burris and his key options, it would not be smart to pick against them.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Calgary 38, British Columbia 23

Sportsbook Betting Lines Season Predictions: 13-7; Last Week: 3-1.