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CFL
Saturday, June 27
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Game of the day: Eskimos at Argonauts
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Edmonton Eskimos at Toronto Argonauts (+7.5, 48.5)
Toronto will be without standout quarterback Ricky Ray and Edmonton signal caller Mike Reilly might not be at full strength when the Argonauts host the Eskimos in Saturday's CFL opener for both teams. Ray is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery while Reilly mysteriously was in for just two plays in Edmonton's preseason finale.
Reilly bristled as speculation swirled that he was dealing with a concussion issue. "I find that to be a bit of a shame," Reilly told reporters. "I think that's a problem when members of the media are speculating there's an injury of any kind, let alone a concussion." The situation is clearer for Toronto as Trevor Harris will start in place of Ray, who passed for a league-best 4,595 yards last season. "It's a little bit different knowing that you're going to play but it's just a different feeling," Harris told reporters. "It's not any different in preparation or the way I study my game plan, watch film or anything of that nature."
TV: 5 p.m. ET, TSN
LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Eskies as 5-point road faves but that has moved to -7.5. The total opened at 50 but has come down to 48.5.
INJURY REPORT: Eskimos - OL Greg Wojt (Out, neck), DT Gregory Alexander (Out, undisclosed), WR Wallace Miles (Out, undisclosed). Argonauts - OL Brandon Braxton (Questionable, suspension).
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2014: 12-6 SU, 12-6 ATS, 5-13 O/U): Edmonton suffered a huge blow in the preseason as leading rusher John White (852 yards) ruptured his left Achilles' tendon, leaving the unproven duo of Shakir Bell and Kendial Lawrence and recently signed Chad Simpson (1,039 yards for Winnipeg in 2012) to battle for playing time. Reilly passed for 3,327 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and his favourite target will again be Adarius Bowman, who set career bests for receptions (112) and yardage (1,456) last season. The Eskimos led the CFL in scoring defense (18.9) and total defense (279.4) last season with linebacker Dexter McCoil (tied for the CFL lead with six interceptions, while adding 67 tackles and four sacks) bursting on the scene to win Most Outstanding Rookie honours.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (2014: 8-10 SU, 7-11 ATS, 8-10 O/U): Harris has thrown 94 passes in three previous seasons with Toronto and passed for 281 yards, two touchdown and one interception against Ottawa in his lone 2014 start. He has a solid duo of targets in Chad Owens (86 receptions for 989 yards and seven touchdowns last season) and Andrew Durie, who had just 19 catches in 2014 due to a broken collarbone after having 92 catches for 986 yards in 2013. The defense is led by second-year lineman Tristan Okpalaugo (team-high 12 sacks) and veteran lineman Ricky Foley, who played for the Argonauts from 2010-12 and tied his career high of 12 sacks last season for Saskatchewan.
TRENDS:
* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Eskimos are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings.
* Eskimos are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games in Week 1.
* Under is 10-2 in Argonauts last 12 games in Week 1.
CONSENSUS: Fifty-six percent of users are on the Argos.
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Saturday, June 27
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the day: Eskimos at Argonauts
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edmonton Eskimos at Toronto Argonauts (+7.5, 48.5)
Toronto will be without standout quarterback Ricky Ray and Edmonton signal caller Mike Reilly might not be at full strength when the Argonauts host the Eskimos in Saturday's CFL opener for both teams. Ray is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery while Reilly mysteriously was in for just two plays in Edmonton's preseason finale.
Reilly bristled as speculation swirled that he was dealing with a concussion issue. "I find that to be a bit of a shame," Reilly told reporters. "I think that's a problem when members of the media are speculating there's an injury of any kind, let alone a concussion." The situation is clearer for Toronto as Trevor Harris will start in place of Ray, who passed for a league-best 4,595 yards last season. "It's a little bit different knowing that you're going to play but it's just a different feeling," Harris told reporters. "It's not any different in preparation or the way I study my game plan, watch film or anything of that nature."
TV: 5 p.m. ET, TSN
LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Eskies as 5-point road faves but that has moved to -7.5. The total opened at 50 but has come down to 48.5.
INJURY REPORT: Eskimos - OL Greg Wojt (Out, neck), DT Gregory Alexander (Out, undisclosed), WR Wallace Miles (Out, undisclosed). Argonauts - OL Brandon Braxton (Questionable, suspension).
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2014: 12-6 SU, 12-6 ATS, 5-13 O/U): Edmonton suffered a huge blow in the preseason as leading rusher John White (852 yards) ruptured his left Achilles' tendon, leaving the unproven duo of Shakir Bell and Kendial Lawrence and recently signed Chad Simpson (1,039 yards for Winnipeg in 2012) to battle for playing time. Reilly passed for 3,327 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and his favourite target will again be Adarius Bowman, who set career bests for receptions (112) and yardage (1,456) last season. The Eskimos led the CFL in scoring defense (18.9) and total defense (279.4) last season with linebacker Dexter McCoil (tied for the CFL lead with six interceptions, while adding 67 tackles and four sacks) bursting on the scene to win Most Outstanding Rookie honours.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (2014: 8-10 SU, 7-11 ATS, 8-10 O/U): Harris has thrown 94 passes in three previous seasons with Toronto and passed for 281 yards, two touchdown and one interception against Ottawa in his lone 2014 start. He has a solid duo of targets in Chad Owens (86 receptions for 989 yards and seven touchdowns last season) and Andrew Durie, who had just 19 catches in 2014 due to a broken collarbone after having 92 catches for 986 yards in 2013. The defense is led by second-year lineman Tristan Okpalaugo (team-high 12 sacks) and veteran lineman Ricky Foley, who played for the Argonauts from 2010-12 and tied his career high of 12 sacks last season for Saskatchewan.
TRENDS:
* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Eskimos are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings.
* Eskimos are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games in Week 1.
* Under is 10-2 in Argonauts last 12 games in Week 1.
CONSENSUS: Fifty-six percent of users are on the Argos.
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