CFL Betting Notes – Week 6
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
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.
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