The Bum's 2016 Canadian Football League Picks-Trends-News !

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7/20 - Last Week Friday's Totals: 2 - 0

June July Totals

WLT PCT UNITS RANK

ATS Picks 7-9-0 43.75% -1450

O/U Picks 9-6-1 60.00% +1200


THURSDAY, JULY 21

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CGY at WPG 08:30 PM

WPG +5.5

U 51.0

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Friday, July 22

Ottawa RedBlacks (3-0-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-3 SU, 1-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -6 ½
Total: 55

Game Overview

Ottawa is starting to assert itself as once again being the team to beat in the East this season after winning the division last year. The RedBlacks have averaged 32.3 points a game so far with Trevor Harris running the show. In last week’s road victory at Toronto, he completed 28-of-31 passing attempts for 392 yards. Ottawa has also been a tough team to score on this year with a points-allowed average of 22.5.

After winning just three games last season with quarterback Darian Durant out of the lineup, the Roughriders could be faced with the same scenario early this year after he left last week’s game against BC in the first half with an ankle injury. The early injury report out of Saskatchewan has him listed as doubtful for Friday’s game. Mitchell Gale came in for Durant against the Lions and threw for 247 yards and a touchdown while going 17-for-30.

Betting Trends

These two interdivision foes have split the last four meetings SU with each team winning once at home and once on the road. Ottawa has the 3-1 advantage ATS and the total has gone OVER in three of the four games.

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Friday, July 22

Ottawa @ Saskatchewan

Game 123-124
July 22, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
112.316
Saskatchewan
109.387
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 3
50
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
by 6 1/2
55
Dunkel Pick:
Saskatchewan
(+6 1/2); Under

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Friday, July 22

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OTTAWA (3 - 0 - 1) at SASKATCHEWAN (0 - 3) - 7/22/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 120-87 ATS (+24.3 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 51-32 ATS (+15.8 Units) in July games since 1996.
OTTAWA is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) off a division game over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

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

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Friday, July 22

9:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan
Ottawa is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Saskatchewan is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Saskatchewan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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

Ottawa (3-0-1) @ Saskatchewan (0-3)-- RedBlacks scored 32.3 ppg in their fast start, with all three wins on road, scoring 34.3 ppg. Ottawa swept Roughriders 35-13/30-27 LY; both their visits to Regina (1-1) were decided by three points. Three of four series games went over the total. Saskatchewan allowed an average of 36.3 ppg in its 0-3 start, losing both home games by 13 points. Riders lost 24 of their last 28 games overall, dating back to 2014.

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CFL

Friday, July 22

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Friday's CFL betting preview and odds: Redblacks at Roughriders
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Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris has thrown just 22 incompletions in 14 quarters.

Ottawa Redblacks at Saskatchewan Roughriders (+5.5, 55)

The Ottawa Redblacks look to stay undefeated when they hit the road to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday. The Redblacks came from behind to beat the Toronto Argonauts 30-20 to open up a three-point lead at the top of the East Division, and they can extend their regular-season unbeaten streak to nine games with another victory.

Ottawa leads the CFL in points (32.3), passing yards (431.5) and passing touchdowns (2.5) per game and hopes to continue its offensive onslaught by feasting on a Saskatchewan defence that concedes a league-worst 36.3 points per contest. The Roughriders remain the CFL's only winless team following a 40-27 setback to the BC Lions. To make matters worse for Saskatchewan, quarterback Darian Durant, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the 2015 opener, left the game in the second quarter with a severe ankle sprain and his status is uncertain for the Week 5 clash with the Redblacks. "I knew that I hurt my ankle but I knew it wasn't my Achilles because I know that feeling for sure," Durant told reporters. "I'm glad the X-rays came back negative and we'll get aggressive on it and start the healing process."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN

LINE HISTORY: The Ottawa Redblacks opened as big 6.5-point favorites over the host Roughriders. That line has dropped a full point down to +5.5 as of Thursday afternoon. The total opened at 55 and hasn't moved off the opening number. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (3-0-1 SU, 3-1 ATS, 1-2-1 O/U): Trevor Harris completed 28-of-31 passes for 392 yards in the win over Toronto and has now thrown for 1,475 yards and nine touchdowns since replacing Henry Burris in the third quarter of the Week 1 victory against the Edmonton Eskimos. Greg Ellingson caught nine passes for 218 yards and Tristan Jackson ran a punt back 75 yards for a score to record the first kick return touchdown in Redblacks history. "We have so many weapons that somebody's going to eat every night," Harris told reporters. "They all know their day will come."

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (0-3 SU, 1-2 ATS, 2-1 O/U): Durant was 7-of-10 for 104 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game while Mitchell Gale, who was acquired from the Toronto Argonauts on July 2, completed 17-of-30 passes for 247 yards and a score. Rob Bagg had four receptions and a score in the loss to the Lions to record touchdown catches in back-to-back games while Naaman Roosevelt hauled in eight passes for a game-high 132 yards. All-Star offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte suffered an undisclosed injury against the Lions, which will likely force Josiah St. John, who was the top-pick in the 2016 CFL Draft, into making his first career start.

TRENDS:

* RedBlacks are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
* Roughriders are 0-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in RedBlacks last 6 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Roughriders last 7 home games.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing the road favorites from Ottawa at a rate of 58 percent and Under 55 is holding a slight edge in totals wagering at 52 percent. View full consensus data here.

EXTRA POINTS:

* Harris has thrown just 22 incompletions in 14 quarters.
* The Redblacks are 6-0-1 in their last seven games against West Division opponents.
* The Roughriders have given up at least 30 points in each of their last eight losses.

[StarDust Bum]

PREVIEW

REDBLACKS LOOK TO PLAY ROAD WARRIORS VS. GALE, RIDERS

REGINA — There are storylines aplenty entering Friday night’s matchup between the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Saskatchewan Roughriders, two teams off to polar-opposite starts in 2016.

Ottawa has been near-perfect on the road, with a trio of wins and the duo of quarterback Trevor Harris and receiver Chris Williams emerging as the early favourite for best offensive duo in the Canadian Football League. On the flip side, the Riders have lost three straight to begin the season following a Week 1 bye and will now turn to Mitchell Gale following Darian Durant’s ankle injury.

Friday’s game will also be the first meeting between coaches Rick Campbell and Chris Jones since last year’s Grey Cup. Jones got the last laugh in 2015 as his Eskimos claimed the league title, but early in 2016 it appears Campbell’s REDBLACKS are better-positioned to return to the big stage in November than the Roughriders, Jones’s new team.

Though a mismatch between the league’s best and worst teams on paper, this Week 5 matchup will be a chance for Saskatchewan to dig in, make a statement and stop a potentially devastating early-season slump: Ottawa will have to be at its best to pick up another road win in Riderville.

It’s been nine days since the red-hot REDBLACKS (3-0-1) bested the Argos in Toronto, and Ottawa visits Mosaic Stadium with a surging offence and in relative good health.

The aforementioned Harris-Williams combination has combined for six Shaw Top Performer honours in four weeks; Harris leads all quarterbacks with 1,475 passing yards and nine pass touchdowns, while Williams’s six touchdown receptions are twice as many as anybody else in the CFL.

“We do better when we don’t think too much about things, when we’re focusing on the task at hand,” Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell told OttawaREDBLACKS.com. “When you throw over 90 per cent completion rate (like Harris), you get things like that — it’s nice, (but) that’s not our focus, we’re trying to win games.”

The Ottawa secondary will receive a major boost with the returns of defensive backs Jerrell Gavins and Forrest Hightower. Gavins, a Boise State alum, is still searching for his first interception of 2016 after posting a career-best four picks a year ago, while Hightower will look to add to his 17 tackles on the season.

The enigma that is Nic Grigsby will once again start in the backfield for Ottawa. The former CFL all-star picked up 51 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown in his team’s Week 4 win in Toronto, but will feel some pressure to make a big play with Travon Van, the REDBLACKS’ original RB-1 after a season-ending injury to William Powell, nearing a return from injury.

Ottawa will have to deal with the loud Mosaic Field crowd which has long been a staple of Riders home games.

“You prepare for that (and) make sure you communicate well, especially when you’re in the red zone,” said REDBLACKS receiver Greg Ellingson. “It shouldn’t be a factor, we’re going to prepare for a loud crowd and go in there and do our thing.”

Ellingson has quietly put together an all-star calibre campaign in his own right, sitting second in the league in receiving yards (439) only to teammate Chris Williams’ monster start.

Reality for the Riders is Mitchell Gale: the 26 year-old gunslinger out of Abilene Christian will be making his first pro start in place of Darian Durant (ankle), who will dress as a fourth-string option.

Defensive problems have plagued Saskatchewan under new head coach Chris Jones. The Riders have given up the most points (109) of any team in the CFL, despite having played one less game than five teams, and have struggled to create penetration (league-low three sacks).

Saskatchewan will have to find a way to neutralize the Harris-Williams duo.

“You have to try to get the ball out of (Williams’) hands (and) don’t give them an opportunity to throw it to him,” Riders head coach Chris Jones told Riderville.com. “We’ve just got to do a great job of it’s man-to-man, play man, and when it’s zone, make sure what your zone is.”

A positive for the Riders will be the talented targets at Gale’s disposal; Saskatchewan has four players with double-digit catches on the season, including Namaan Roosevelt (team-high 295 receiving yards) and Ricky Collins (17.2 yards-per-catch).

“We feel prepared, we feel good with the practice we had,” said Gale, who broke numerous records in college at Abilene Christian. “We’re getting the kinks out of our gameplan, and tomorrow night we’re going to make sure we’re efficient and successful.”

Defensive end A.C. Leonard could be a catalyst on the defensive side of the ball for the Riders. The Tennessee St. alum has posted two of Saskatchewan’s three sacks on the young season, and will be critical in Chris Jones’s attempt to neutralize REDBLACKS QB Trevor Harris.

By the Numbers

0 – Number of wins by a home team in four CFL games last week.

22 – Team-high number of tackles registered by Ottawa’s Damaso Munoz.

97 – Passing touchdowns for Saskatchewan QB Mitchell Gale in college at Abilene Christian.

109 – League-worst points allowed by the Riders in just three games.

The Skinny

Ottawa’s offence looked unstoppable for the majority of the season’s opening month; the REDBLACKS defence will be boosted by the return of two key playmakers in Jerrell Gavins and Forrest Hightower; and the Riders’ pass-heavy offence will be relying on a 26 year-old in his first professional start.

You can crunch the numbers all you’d like, but at the end of the day Friday night’s matchup pits the league’s best offence (Ottawa, 32.3 points-per-game) against the league’s worst defence (Saskatchewan, 36.3 points-against-per-game).

As such, the Riders will need to come up with an inspired performance on Friday night if they want to upset their high-flying visitors.

Kickoff is slated for 9 p.m. ET and can be seen live on TSN or followed online via CFL.ca GameTracker.

[StarDust Bum]

7/21 - Thursday's Totals: 0 - 1 - 1

June July Totals

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 7-10-0 41.18% -2000

O/U Picks 9-6-2 60.00% +1200

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JULY 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

OTT at SSK 09:00 PM

OTT -6.0

U 54.0

[StarDust Bum]

PREVIEW

TICATS VISIT ESKS IN SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN

EDMONTON — As far as marquee matchups go in Week 5, Saturday’s showdown between the red-hot Edmonton Eskimos and talented Hamilton Tiger-Cats is about as good as it gets.

Both teams are coming off the back of strong road performances — Edmonton’s a fourth-quarter comeback in Winnipeg; Hamilton’s a dominant defensive performance in Montreal. And both have the tools on either side of the ball to make a serious run in November.

The Eskimos have had a mixed bag of results at Commonwealth thus far with one win and one loss, but one thing is for sure: expect offence. Edmonton’s averaged 38 points for and 40 points against in its first two home games.

In keeping with the league’s overall trend of road teams having success, Kent Austin’s Ticats are 2-0 away from Tim Hortons Field with a pair of dominant wins in Toronto (Week 1) and Montreal (Week 4).

Hamilton (2-2) was dominant, albeit against a depleted opposition, on the defensive side of the ball in Montreal last week. Offence was another story altogether for the Ticats, who struggled to move the chains for the better part of 60 minutes and required a patented Brandon Banks special teams touchdown to bust the game open.

Talent is not the issue for the Tabbies: Chad Owens and Andy Fantuz give Hamilton one of the best 1-2 receiving punches in the league and C.J. Gable has once again proven he can be a difference-maker.

What has been the issue for Hamilton is turnovers.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, while completing 71 per cent of his passes, has thrown a league-high five interceptions. As a team, the Ticats have turned the ball over 11 times — only Winnipeg has been worse in that department.

Taking care of the football is a cliche, but it’s an apt one for the Ticats. They have enough playmakers on the offensive side of the ball to move the chains consistently, but avoidable turnovers have stalled the Hamilton offence at various points.

The defensive gameplan for the Ticats is easy, in theory: Stop Mike Reilly. The Esks pivot has been his usual consistent self, completing over 70 per cent of his passes for seven touchdowns in just three games.

“He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s accurate,” Ticats head coach Kent Austin told Ticats.ca. “He’s very confident in his understanding of the offence, and every part of the field is open to him, so we’ll have to defend the whole field.”

Austin knows his team will have to be at its best defensively to shut down Edmonton.

“They’re a good football team in all three phases, they’re well-coached and they can score points,” said Austin. “We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”

The Hamilton front seven is nothing short of scary: the trio of John Chick, Drake Nevis and Simoni Lawrence has combined for 12 sacks on the season. No other CFL team has registered more than 12 sacks this season.

Add in the threats of Adrian Tracy (21 tackles, two sacks) and Ted Laurent (two sacks) on the line, and it’s easy to see why the Tabbies front seven is the most-feared in the league.

Times are pretty good in Edmonton; the Esks are 2-1 and coming off a character Week 4 victory in Winnipeg. Reilly is once again among the top gunslingers in the league, and the two-headed receiving monster of Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker is one of the best in the CFL.

Of course, for the Bowman-Walker combo to be in full effect, the Esks will have to protect Reilly in the pocket; no easy task against the varied defensive schemes of Ticats defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer.

“They move their guys around, they get pressure on the quarterback by doing it,” Edmonton head coach Jason Maas told Esks.com. “They’ve been doing it for a few years with Orlando Steinauer, with various schemes and looks, and you have to be able to protect your QB when you play them.”

While the focus entering Saturday’s game is firmly on the Eskimos passing game vs. Hamilton’s pass rush, Esks running back John White could have a significant role to play.

“John’s an integral part of our protection plan every week, he’s a great blocker” Maas said of his running back, who is one of just two players in the league — the other BC’s Jonathon Jennings — with multiple majors this season. “We understand any touches that John gets can be an explosive play, and we understand what kind of back we have, but he fits right in with our scheme.”

The Esks D-line will be looking for a breakout game, having registered just five sacks in its first three games.

Considering the Ticats haven’t exactly done a fantastic job of protecting Masoli (13 sacks allowed, third-most in CFL), Saturday could be a chance for the likes of Marcus Howard and Odell Willis to make a statement.

Edmonton will be without receiver Nate Coehoorn (concussion), who was injured at practice on Thursday.

By the Numbers

4 – Wins in 18 games for home teams thus far in the 2016 CFL season

7 – Pass TDs thrown by Mike Reilly, third-most in the league

11– Team-high tackles posted by DE Adrian Tracy last week in Montreal

56– Edmonton wins in the 89-game lifetime series between the two teams

The Skinny

This has the makings of another CFL classic: Hamilton will be hoping to bog the Eskimos down in a defensive battle, while the Esks will be more than happy to trade offensive bombs all night with their Ontarian visitors.

Saturday’s game will likely come down to the battle between Edmonton’s offensive line and Hamilton’s front seven. If the Esks give Reilly the protection he’s enjoyed thus far, Edmonton should be able to outscore the Tabbies — especially if the Ticats’ offence can’t get in a groove once again.

Expect both teams’ gamebreakers to make an impact early and often; players like Simoni Lawrence, Adarius Bowman and Mike Reilly don’t often have ‘quiet games’.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and can be seen live on TSN or followed online via CFL.ca GameTracker.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, July 23

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) vs. Edmonton Eskimos (2-1 SU, 0-2-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -4
Total: 56

Game Overview

The Tiger-Cats will be looking to stay perfect on the road this season both SU and ATS. In two road wins this season, they have outscored both Toronto and Montreal by a combined 46 points while posting a total of 73 points on the scoreboard. In two stunning losses at home as favorites, they managed to score a combined 27 points. Jeremiah Masoli continues to run the offense with quarterback Zach Collaros still on the mend and he is ranked fourth in the league in total passing yards with 1,141.

Edmonton has had little trouble putting points on the board this season with Mike Reilly under center with an average of 32 points over its first three games. The problem in the Eskimos’ 2-1 start has been a defense that has given up an average of 32.3 points to its opponents. Edmonton has failed to cover ATS in five of their last seven home games and it has gone 1-4 ATS in its last five games in Week 5.

Betting Trends

The road team is 4-2 SU in the last six meetings and it has covered ATS in all six games. The total has stayed UNDER in four of those six matchups.

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Saturday, July 23

Hamilton @ Edmonton

Game 125-126
July 23, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Hamilton
107.816
Edmonton
114.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 7
59
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
by 4
55 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(-4); Over

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Saturday, July 23

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HAMILTON (2 - 2) at EDMONTON (2 - 1) - 7/23/2016, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Saturday, July 23

7:00 PM
HAMILTON vs. EDMONTON
Hamilton is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Hamilton is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Edmonton is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Edmonton is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Hamilton

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Hamilton (2-2) @ Edmonton (2-1)-- TiCats/Eskimos split their last eight series games, going 2-2 in each stadium. Three of last four series games stayed under. Road team won all four Hamilton games, with TiCats winning 42-20/31-7 in their two road games- only one of their four games was decided by less than 22 points. Two of Edmonton's three games (both home games) went to OT; Eskimos split those two games, then won road opener 20-16 at Winnipeg last week.

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CFL

Saturday, July 23

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Saturday's CFL betting preview and odds: Tiger-Cats at Eskimos
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Mike reilly and the Eskimos can move into 1st place in the West Division with a win over the Ti-Cats. Edmonton is currently 5-pt chalk.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Edmonton Eskimos (-5, 55)

The Edmonton Eskimos look to move into first place in the West Division when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday. The Eskimos have won back-to-back games, including a 20-16 road victory over the Winnipeg in Week 4, and can join the idle BC Lions at the top of the division standings by avenging a 49-20 loss to the Tiger-Cats at Commonwealth Stadium last season.

Edmonton is 6-1 at home since the loss to Hamilton on Aug. 21, 2015 and hopes to notch its seventh win in its last 10 games against East Division opponents. The Tiger-Cats notched an impressive 31-7 win against the Montreal Alouettes to pull within three points of the East Division-leading Ottawa Redblacks. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli struggled to get the offence moving but will get the starting nod once more as Zach Collaros, who returned to practice last week after tearing his ACL against Edmonton on Sept. 19, 2015, is "extremely unlikely" to play, according to Hamilton head coach Kent Austin. The Tiger-Cats boast the CFL's best passing defence and hope to put the clamps on Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly, who has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his last six regular-season games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN

LINE HISTORY: The Eskimos opened as 4-point home favorites and bettors quickly pushed that number to -4.5, where it remained for most of the week. The line moved even further in Edmonton's favor recently moving to Eskimos -5.

Meannwhile the total has dropped a point and a half since opening. The number opened at 56.5 and almot immediately moved to 56, then to 55.5 and finally to 55, where the number hasn't moved for a few days. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (2-2, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U): Brandon Banks returned a a punt 86 yards for his ninth career kick-return touchdown against the Alouettes to move into fifth place on the league's all-time list. Defensive end Adrian Tracy was named one of the CFL Top Performers of the Week after recording a career-high 11 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in the win over Montreal. "I was joking with the guys that I have to step up to the plate," Tracy told reporters. "Any time you have a game like that it gets the monkey off your back."

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2-1, 1-2 ATS, 2-1 O/U): Reilly continues to pick apart opposing defences as he passed for 465 yards and two touchdowns in the win against the Blue Bombers. Offensive lineman Matt O'Donnell (leg), linebacker J.C. Sherritt (undisclosed) and defensive back Pat Watkins (undisclosed) suffered injuries against Winnipeg and sat out practice on Tuesday, but they are expected to suit up against Hamilton. "They are on the mend right now and will be fine for this week," Edmonton head coach Jason Maas told reporters. "Everyone is a little beat up this time of year."

TRENDS:

* Tiger-Cats are 1-6 ATS in their last seven versus a team with a winning record.
* Eskimos are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games at home.
* Over is 4-1 in Tiger-Cats last five road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Eskimos last seven home games.
* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Edmonton.

CONSENSUS: The public is taking the home team and the points in this matchup with 62 percent of wagers on the Eskimos. As for the total, bettors are on the under with 55 percent of wagers on it.

EXTRA POINTS:

* The Eskimos have split the last six meetings with the Tiger-Cats.
* Hamilton has turned the ball over a league-worst 11 times.
* Reilly has thrown for over 400 yards three times in his career.

[StarDust Bum]

7/22- Friday's Totals: 0 - 2

June July Totals

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 7-11-0 38.89% -2550

O/U Picks 9-7-2 56.25% +650

SATURDAY, JULY 23

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HAM at EDM 07:00 PM

EDM -5.0

O 55.0

[StarDust Bum]

7/23- Saturday's Totals: 1 - 1

June July Totals

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 7-12-0 36.84% -3100

O/U Picks 10-7-2 58.82% +1150

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, July 25

Montreal Alouettes (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) vs. Toronto Argonauts (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Toronto -3 ½
Total: 47

Game Overview

Alouettes have only managed to score a grand total of 42 points in their first three games. They turned to Rakeem Cato at quarterback in last week’s loss to Hamilton for Kevin Glenn, but he was rather ineffective with just 203 yards passing on 18 completions. Glenn is still listed as questionable for next Monday’s game with an eye injury. Montreal has been averaging 80 yards a game on the ground.

Toronto is now 0-2 (SU and ATS) at its new digs at BMO Field with a total of 20 points scored in each of the two losses. Defensively, the Argonauts allowed a total of 72 points in those two games. Overall, this offense is averaging 23.8 points over its first four games, but it is only generating 309.8 total yards including just 52.5 yards a game on the ground. Ricky Ray has thrown for 1000 yards and six touchdowns so far.

Betting Trends

This East Division clash has been dominated by the road team the past several seasons with a SU 9-1 run in the last 10 meetings. Montreal has covered ATS in four of the last six games and the total has stayed UNDER in all six contests.

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Monday, July 25

Montreal @ Toronto

Game 127-128
July 25, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
109.474
Toronto
112.897
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 7
44 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+7); Over

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CFL
Long Sheet

Week 5

Monday, July 25

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MONTREAL (1 - 2) at TORONTO (2 - 2) - 7/25/2016, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 3-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 3-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CFL

Week 5

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Trend Report
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Monday, July 25

7:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 8 games
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Montreal
Toronto is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games


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CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Montreal (1-2) @ Toronto (2-2)-- Road team won 10 of last 11 games in strange series; Alouettes won last seven games in Toronto, with last loss here in 2010. Underdogs are 7-3 SU in last seven series tilts. Under is 12-2 in last 14 series games. Montreal lost 28-13/31-7 at home last two weeks; they won only road game 22-14 at Winnipeg-- all three of their games stayed under total. Argonauts lost 42-20/30-20 in their two home games. Visitor won all four of their games this year. Home teams are 2-13-1 against spread in CFL this year-- how long can this trend continue?

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CFL

Sunday, July 24


Road teams now 16-3 ATS Underdogs now 13-5 ATS


So with Ti-Cats win over Eskimos tonight ANOTHER road dog covered in the CFL. Road pups are now an incredible 11-1 ATS this season. Whoa.

[StarDust Bum]

WEST DIVISION

RK TEAM GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV

1 BC 4 3 1 0 6 102 73 1-1-0 2-0-0 2-0-0

2 Calgary 4 2 1 1 5 113 86 1-0-0 1-1-1 2-1-0

3 Edmonton 4 2 2 0 4 127 134 1-2-0 1-0-0 2-0-0

4 Saskatchewan 4 1 3 0 2 110 138 1-2-0 0-1-0 0-2-0

5 Winnipeg 5 1 4 0 2 98 135 0-3-0 1-1-0 0-3-0


EAST DIVISION

RK TEAM GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV

1 Ottawa 5 3 1 1 7 158 126 0-0-1 3-1-0 2-0-0

2 Hamilton 5 3 2 0 6 137 114 0-2-0 3-0-0 2-0-0

3 Toronto 4 2 2 0 4 95 103 0-2-0 2-0-0 0-2-0

4 Montreal 3 1 2 0 2 42 73 0-2-0 1-0-0 0-2-0

[StarDust Bum]

CFL

Monday, July 25

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Monday's CFL betting preview and odds: Alouettes at Argonauts
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Montreal hopes that the return of quarterback Kevin Glenn, who missed the loss to Hamilton with eye inflammation, can kickstart an offence that is averaging a CFL-low 14 points per game.

Montreal Alouettes at Toronto Argonauts (-5.5, 45.5)

The Toronto Argonauts look to notch their first home win against the Montreal Alouettes in more than five years Monday. Toronto has dropped seven consecutive home games to the Alouettes, including a 34-2 loss last season, and hopes that a switch from Rogers Centre to BMO Field this year, and a 12-day rest between games, can help the Argonauts record their first home victory in the series since Aug. 14, 2010.

Toronto is coming off a 30-20 defeat to the Ottawa Redblacks on July 13 and hopes to beat an East Division rival for the first time this season. The offensively challenged Alouettes failed to score a touchdown in the 31-7 home loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 4. Montreal has dropped two straight games by an average margin of 19.5 points and hopes that the return of quarterback Kevin Glenn, who missed the loss to Hamilton with eye inflammation, can kickstart an offence that is averaging a CFL-low 14 points per game. "We have to find a way to win," Montreal coach and general manager Jim Popp told reporters. "We win in Week 1 and everybody loves you but you lose two in a row and everybody can't stand you."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS, ESPN2

LINE HISTORY: The Argos opened as 6.5-point favorites at home but the spread has come down a full point to settle at -5.5 at the time of publication of this preview. The total opned at 44.5 and took a full point leap higher to 45.5. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS, 0-3 O/U): Linebacker Bear Woods, who has recorded 18 tackles and two sacks, missed practice earlier in the week with a knee injury but is expected to recover in time to face Toronto. Wide receiver Nik Lewis has been reportedly fined by Montreal after unleashing a profanity-laced tirade criticizing the team's performance in the loss to Hamilton. "I'm just out here trying to motivate my team to be better," Lewis told reporters. "If we go out and play better this week, then it was worth it."

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U): Defensive back Akwasi Owusu-Ansah will miss the rest of the season with a pectoral injury while safety Jermaine Gabriel suffered his second concussion in four games in the loss to Ottawa and is ruled out for Monday. Cory Greenwood, who is tied for the team lead with 22 tackles, suffered a hand injury against the Redblacks and his status is uncertain. Toronto signed defensive end Michael Buchanan on Wednesday and quarterback Adrian McPherson returns for his second tour of duty in Toronto after being released prior to the 2016 season.

TRENDS:

* Alouettes are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
* Argonauts are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. East.
* Under is 5-0 in Alouettes last 5 games in July.
* Under is 11-1 in Argonauts last 12 Monday games.
* Under is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the favorite Toronto Argonauts at a rate of 58 percent and Over is getting the majority of the action on the total also at 58 percent.

EXTRA POINTS:

* Toronto has dropped its first two games at BMO Field after spending the previous 27 years at Rogers Centre.
* Montreal has been held to three touchdowns in its first three games.
* The Argonauts and Alouettes have split their last eight meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

PREVIEW

ALS TRAVEL TO TORONTO FOR MONDAY NIGHT DATE WITH ARGOS

TORONTO — The Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts will both feel they have a statement to make on Monday night in Toronto at BMO Field. Both teams enter the Week 5 matchup with a sour taste in their mouths; the Als trying to fix a sputtering offence quickly off the back of a 31-7 home defeat against Hamilton last week, and the Argos licking their wounds after a fourth-quarter collapse doomed them to a 30-20 loss against Ottawa at home in Week 4.

With Ottawa having fallen in Saskatchewan earlier in Week 5 and Hamilton facing a tricky contest in Edmonton, both teams know that Monday night’s victor will be thrust right back into the picture in the CFL’s competitive East Division.

Home teams have been woeful, specifically in the East, thus far in 2016 and the Argos are no different: 2-0 away from BMO Field and 0-2 at their new stadium. In keeping with the trend, Montreal is 1-0 on the road and 0-2 at home.

The Alouettes (1-2) need a big play from somebody, anybody.

Montreal’s offence sputtered last week against the Ticats. Rakeem Cato was 18-of-25 for just over 200 unremarkable yards, Vernon Adams Jr. wasn’t much better in relief and the Als’ running game was ineffective.

With the likes of receiver S.J. Green and running back Tyrell Sutton out long-term — the former’s season is over — Montreal needs to find a way to move the chains consistently.

That responsibility will this week fall on the shoulders of veteran Kevin Glenn, who moves back under centre after sitting out last week’s loss to Hamilton with an eye injury.

History has not been kind to the Als when Green is out of the lineup: Montreal is 0-4 since 2014 in games that its star slotback has missed, averaging just 14.8 points per game and one offensive touchdown.

“Our young players have to rise up,” Als receivers coach Jacques Chapdelaine told MontrealAlouettes.com. “Don’t underestimate them. Our practices have given these players a chance to really improve.”

As for the defensive looks his team might see, Chapdelaine was transparent.

“The (Argos) defence is coached by Rich Stubler, who has several years of experience in the league,” said Chapdelaine. “It relies a lot on the speed of the players; their complexity is in their simplicity. Often, it looks as though they are executing the same play, but they add a variation to it.”

Through four weeks of play and three games, the Als offence had put up a league-worst 42 points, thrown for a league-worst 848 passing yards and, once again league-low, two pass touchdowns.

There will be a number of familiar faces for Montreal on the opposite side; Argos running back Brandon Whitaker previously played in 51 games (2009-14) as a member of the Als, while Toronto offensive coordinator Marcus Brady served as Montreal offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo’s backup for three years (2006-08).

“(It’s) just going to be a dogfight,” said Als linebacker Winston Venable. “They’ll be real hungry to get that W, so we’ve got to be prepared for them to do anything they can to get that.”

On the Toronto side of the equation, the Argos (2-2) are looking to right the ship after a pair of disappointing home losses to open up BMO Field. Off the back of a 30-20 home loss against Ottawa in Week 4, Head Coach Scott Milanovich told Argonauts.ca that his team is ready to hit the field and set the record straight.

“It’s been a long week; we had to stew and brew, and the players are anxious to get back on the field,” said Milanovich. “Our offence needs to play better — we need to stay on the field and put more points on the board than we have been.”

Argos quarterback Ricky Ray, off to a relatively quiet start in 2016, believes now is the time for Toronto to shake off its home jitters.

“It’s come down to a handful of plays where we just haven’t executed,” said the 36 year-old pivot. “That’s what we’re trying to clean up — we just haven’t played well enough at home in our first two games, shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit.”

Canadian special-teamer and 2016 CFL Draft pick Llevi Noel has been a bright spot thus far in 2016 for the Argos, having recorded a league-high eight special-teams tackles through four games.

The importance of making a statement in a home game against the limping Als isn’t lost on Coach Milanovich.

“They’ll be desperate, I’m sure, (but) I don’t know if they’ll be any more desperate than we are,” said the fifth-year head coach. “It’s not like we’re 6-0; we’re 2-2 and we let one get away last week.”

Milanovich has his offence ready to expect the unexpected against the unorthodox Als defence on Monday.

“They’ve mixed it up almost every game this year, changing coverages depending on which team they’re playing,” said Milanovich. “We’ll have to figure it out early what their plan is against us — (sometimes) they’ll drop a bunch of guys (or) they’ll zone blitz you — it’ll be interesting how they’ll play us.”

By the Numbers

-30 – Montreal’s point differential in the fourth quarter thus far in 2016

3 – Touchdown receptions for Toronto wideout Vidal Hazelton

14 – Sacks allowed by the Argos, second-most in the CFL

96:49 – League-low time of possession enjoyed by the Als this season

The Skinny

Both sides will feel they have a chance to gain some momentum on Monday night in Toronto; the Argos are facing the league’s most injury-ravaged team, while the Als are facing a team that’s yet to win at home. Both defences have come up with big plays at points this season: Expect a low-scoring trench battle.

If Kevin Glenn can turn Montreal’s sputtering offence around at BMO Field, the Als will have every shot of walking away with the road win.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on TSN or followed online via CFL.ca GameTracker.