The Bum's 2017 Canadian Football League Picks/Trends/News thru Grey Cup !!

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, August 25

Saskatchewan @ Edmonton

Game 373-374
August 25, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Saskatchewan
113.271
Edmonton
117.318
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 4
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
by 7
53 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Saskatchewan
(+7); Over

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Friday, August 25

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SASKATCHEWAN (3 - 4) at EDMONTON (7 - 1) - 8/25/2017, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 130-95 ATS (+25.5 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
EDMONTON is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in a home game where the total is between 52.5 and 56 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 3-2 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-1 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Saskatchewan (3-4) @ Edmonton (7-1)— Eskimos lost at Winnipeg last week, their first loss of season after seven wins, five by 5 or less points. Edmonton won five of last six games against the Roughriders; two of their three meetings LY went to OT. Three of last four series games went over total. Riders are 0-3 on road this season, 1-2 as a road underdog, losing by 1-17-23 points while scoring 13.7 pts/game. Three of their last four games stayed under. Edmonton is 4-0 at home but only 1-3 vs spread as a home favorite. Four of their last five games went over.

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Friday, August 25

9:30 PM
SASKATCHEWAN vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Saskatchewan is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Edmonton is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Saskatchewan
Edmonton is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan

[StarDust Bum]

cfl last 17 games:

Date w-l-t % units record

08/24/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/19/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/18/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00
08/17/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
08/13/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
08/12/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/11/2017 1-1-0 0.00% -0.50
08/10/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/05/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
08/04/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
08/03/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/29/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
07/28/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/27/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/22/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/21/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/20/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/19/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


totals............27 - 15........64.28%.....+ 53.00

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SSK at EDM 09:30 PM

SSK +5.5

O 53.5

[StarDust Bum]

GAME RECAP

RIDERS DOMINATE ESKIMOS AT COMMONWEALTH FOR FIRST ROAD VICTORY

EDMONTON — The Saskatchewan Roughriders snapped their winless record on the road with a victory at Commonwealth Stadium over the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday night.

The 54-31 win improved the Riders to 1-3 away from Mosaic Stadium and handed the Eskimos their first loss at home as Saskatchewan dominated in all three phases of the game.

The Roughriders defence continued their dominance from their Week 8 contest against the BC Lions, collecting two pick six’s in the win. The offence also scored four times – thanks to Naaman Roosevelt, Cameron Marshall, Duron Carter and Vernon Adams Jr. – and special teams got in on the scoring action as well with Willie Jefferson scooping and scoring his own blocked punt.

Both teams exchanged two and outs on their first possessions of the ball game as they started to feel each other out.

Duke Williams got into the game early on the Eskimos second drive as Mike Reilly found him for a 34-yard gain. Shamawd Chambers, in his first start of the season, was the Esks pivot’s next target to get within inches of the first down.

Reilly fumbled his quarterback sneak looking for that first down and Ese Mrabure recovered the ball, bringing the Riders offence back to the field.

That turnover led to a major for the Riders as Roosevelt caught a Kevin Glenn pass deep in the end zone with one hand for the score. The touchdown was Glenn’s 15th touchdown pass of the year and just his second on the road.

The drive started with a Rob Bagg catch to bring Saskatchewan into Edmonton territory. Glenn then aired it out to Roosevelt bringing the Riders inside the 30-yard line.

Marshall then made a 20-yard gain, running out of bounds at the eight-yard line. The first attempt for the Riders pivot looking for the end zone was to Nic Demski, who had the pass go off his fingers. But Glenn’s second attempt was successful to Roosevelt for six.

If the Saskatchewan Roughriders were worried about their 0-3 record on the road, they didn’t show it as they took an early 7-0 lead.

The Riders defence also took the momentum from their impressive outing in Week 8 early in the contest, forcing the Eskimos to two punts and a fumble in their first three drives.

Edmonton’s defence pushed back, however, forcing the Riders to punt on their next possession.

Jamill Smith made his mark in his first game with the Eskimos, returning Josh Bartel’s punt 35 yards giving the Esks good field position. But the Esks’ offence couldn’t make anything happen and the Riders defence forced them to punt once again.

Jefferson blocked Hugh O’Neill’s punt, recovered it and brought it to the house himself for the Riders’ second touchdown of the night off a turnover. With Tyler Crapigna’s convert kick, Saskatchewan took a 14-0 lead with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.

Edmonton started driving down the field as the opening quarter expired and Brandon Zylstra, in his return after missing two games to injury, caught a 33-yard pass to bring the Esks to the one-yard line. Reilly then plunged in for the home team’s first score of the ball game.

But the Eskimos momentum was taken right away after O’Niell’s convert kick was blocked and Carter took it out of the end zone and all the way down the field adding two points to the Riders’ score and extending their lead to 16-6.

On Saskatchewan’s next drive, Adams Jr. made his Riders debut that led to Crapigna adding three more points to his team’s lead with a 20-yard field goal.

When the Riders seemed to be rolling once again, Johnny Adams notched an interception after Glenn’s pass went off Roosevelt’s hands inside the red zone.

With just 15 seconds left in the half, the Riders weren’t done scoring just yet.

Under pressure and as he was falling, Glenn flipped the ball to Marshall who dodged himself into the end zone for the Riders third major of the night and extended their lead to 26-6 as the first half concluded.

Kenny Ladler blocked Crapigna’s 43-yard field goal attempt to start the second quarter and Alex Hoffman-Ellis recovered it for Edmonton.

Both team’s traded offensive possessions for most of the third frame as their defences stood tall.

The next score came late in the quarter, after Jovon Johnson picked off Reilly and took it 40 yards for another Riders touchdown. The 11-year CFL veteran’s score extended Saskatchewan’s lead to 33-6.

Things didn’t get better for the Eskimos pivot, as Kacy Rodgers also intercepted Reilly on the Eskimos next drive and ran it into the end zone. The second pick-six of the game extended the lead to 40-7.

Edmonton scored on their next possession. O’Neill punted the ball away and Cauchy Muamba scored the touchdown on a misplayed punt return by Demiski. The Esks then went for two as Reilly found Williams, cutting the Riders lead to 40-15 early in the final frame as the home team looked for a spark.

The Riders defence added to their takeaways on the night after recovering a Reilly fumble bringing Saskatchewan’s offence back onto the field.

Adams Jr. scored his first touchdown as member of the Roughriders late in the fourth, as he scurried around the line of scrimmage to run untouched into the end zone. That score extended the Riders lead to 47-15.

James Franklin made his season debut on the Esks next drive that led to a LaDarius Perkins touchdown with just over three minutes left in the contest. The Esks two-point convert was successful to Kenny Stafford to cut the Riders lead to 47-23.

The Riders still weren’t done scoring. Carter scored another major for the visiting team with just over one minute left in the contest as he stretched into the end zone.

Franklin passed to Bryant Mitchell with just 16 seconds left to add a touchdown to the Eskimos point total but it wasn’t enough and Edmonton was handed their second loss of 2017.

Saskatchewan heads home next week to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers while the Eskimos take a trip to Calgary for a tussle with the Stampeders.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, August 26

Toronto @ Calgary

Game 377-378
August 26, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
110.236
Calgary
124.185
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 14
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
by 10
55
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-10); Over

BC Lions @ Ottawa

Game 375-376
August 26, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
BC Lions
112.024
Ottawa
115.123
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 3
53
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
by 1
55
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(-1); Under

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Saturday, August 26

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (5 - 4) at OTTAWA (2 - 6 - 1) - 8/26/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 3 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 92-66 ATS (+19.4 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 69-47 ATS (+17.3 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 27-10 ATS (+16.0 Units) in road games in August games since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) off a loss against a division rival over the last 3 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up losses over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 2-2 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 2-2 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA 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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TORONTO (4 - 5) at CALGARY (6 - 1 - 1) - 8/26/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) off a win over a division rival over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in August games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 4-1 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 5-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BC Lions (5-4) @ Ottawa (2-6-1)— Lions beat Ottawa 29-23/40-33 in LY’s meetings; they’re 4-2 overall vs Ottawa— under was 4-1-1 in those games. BC lost three of last four games, scoring 8-17 points in losses the last two weeks. Lions’ last three games stayed under; they’re 3-2 on road, 1-1 as a road underdog. Five of Ottawa’s six losses are by 4 or less points; RedBlacks are 1-3-1 at home; they’re 2-3 vs spread as a favorite this season. Under is 5-1-1 in Ottawa’s last seven games.

Toronto (4-5) @ Calgary (6-1-1)— Stampeders (-6) won 41-24 at Toronto three weeks ago, their 7th win in a row over the Argonauts, who’ve lost last three visits to Calgary, by 7-5-18 points. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games played here. Toronto snapped 3-game skid with win over Montreal last week; Argos are 1-3 on road, 1-3 as a road underdog, with losses by 8-11-12 points, and the lone win 26-25 at Ottawa. Calgary won/covered its last four games; they’re 3-0 at home, 2-1 as a home favorite, winning by 4-17-59 points- this is their first home game in a month.

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Saturday, August 26

3:30 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. OTTAWA
British Columbia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
British Columbia is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Ottawa
Ottawa is 2-6-1 SU in its last 9 games ,
Ottawa is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing British Columbia

9:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CALGARY
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Toronto is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games
Calgary is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 10 games when playing at home against Toronto

[StarDust Bum]

cfl last 17 games:

Date w-l-t % units record

08/25/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
08/24/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/19/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/18/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00
08/17/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
08/13/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
08/12/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/11/2017 1-1-0 0.00% -0.50
08/10/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/05/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
08/04/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
08/03/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/29/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
07/28/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/27/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/22/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/21/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/20/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/19/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


totals............29 - 15........65.90%.....+ 63.00

[StarDust Bum]

PREVIEW

REDBLACKS ENTERTAIN LIONS IN SATURDAY MATINEE

OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS and BC Lions find themselves in similar positions entering their meeting on Saturday afternoon in the nation’s capital.

Both are second-last in their division. Both left points on the field throughout the first half of the 2017 CFL season. Both understand the need to step it up in the second half if they want to be in the playoffs.

Saturday’s visitors, the BC Lions, have something of a quarterback controversy brewing: Jonathan Jennings has battled inconsistency in recent weeks en route to a pair of losses, while Travis Lulay won his last start back on Aug. 5.

Saturday’s hosts, the Ottawa REDBLACKS, have just two victories to show for nine close football games; the screws are tightened and the pressure is most definitely on in the nation’s capital.

As evidenced by the words of defensive back Ronnie Yell this week, the BC Lions are far from satisfied with their 5-4 record entering this Saturday’s clash with the REDBLACKS in Ottawa.

“5-4 is average, man,” Yell told BCLions.com candidly. “That’s average for us and we don’t want to be there. We’re going to work extremely hard to get to the top in the second half of the season.”

BC will have a chance to snap a two-game losing skid and begin the process of righting the ship against the REDBLACKS; despite Ottawa’s 2-6-1 record, the Lions know a win won’t come easy at TD Place.

“They have been in all those games they’ve lost, it just seems like they can’t catch a break,” said Yell. “It’s not a pushover game. Their record doesn’t indicate who they are and we have to be ready for them in their house.”

The Lions’ 21-17 defeat to Calgary last week left a sour taste in the mouths of all involved with the team, most of all Head Coach Wally Buono.

“The missed opportunities obviously were disturbing, the blocked kick was disturbing,” said Buono, who expects his team to bounce back in Ottawa. “Our quarterback will be better, our offensive line will be better and I think our receiving corps will be better. That should hopefully allow us to score more points; which makes our team better.”

Former REDBLACK and leading running back Jeremiah Johnson is excited to face his former team.

“This is really funny because I want them to be yelling as loud as they can so I can shut them up as fast as I can,” said Johnson, who ran for 11 touchdowns in 15 games with Ottawa over the 2014 and 2015 seasons. “Those fans did me right when I was there so I most definitely want to give them a show, but at the end of the day I want to give them a show and break their back as well.”

The Lions secondary will receive a boost with the return of T.J. Lee from injury; the Eastern Washington product had recorded 17 tackles and two interceptions prior to a Week 6 injury against Edmonton.

Saturday will mark the return of receiver Chris Williams to the nation’s capital; the BC pass-catcher has hauled in 214 yards and a touchdown in three games since returning from an injury that delayed the start of his 2017 season. The New Mexico St. alum caught 15 touchdowns and broke the 1,200-yard mark twice (2015, 2016) during his time with the REDBLACKS.

Last week’s 38-17 win in Hamilton eased some of the pressure in Ottawa’s camp, but not all. The REDBLACKS, after all, are still a 2-6-1 team.

However: They’re a 2-6-1 team in the struggling East Division, meaning they’re only three points out of first.

“It goes to show you that where we’ve come up short is making key plays in the fourth quarter,” Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell told OttawaREDBLACKS.com, referencing his team’s losing record and positive point-differential. “Obviously our record’s not where we want, (but) we do know we can play with anybody — we’ve got to put some wins in the bank, (because) it’s going to be competitive down the stretch.”

The challenge for the REDBLACKS this week is a unique one in the ultra-talented but under-performing BC Lions.

“Typically, you can find a strength (or weakness) in a team’s defence, (but) you can’t with (BC’s) defence, because they’re all strengths,” admitted Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris. “Their pass rush, their linebacking core — led by Solomon, doesn’t get much better than him — (and) their DBs break on everything, they have length, speed (and) veterans back there.”

REDBLACKS linebacker Taylor Reed believes his defence has to keep it simple against the Lions this week.

“We’ve had some plays, easy touchdown stuff, that could’ve been preventable,” explained Reed. “Guys going for the big play instead of the easy play, and it extended the drive (or) gave up a touchdown — we have to buckle down on defence (and) get the QB down when we have the chance to.”

Running back Mossis Madu Jr. will dress in just his second game since Week 5, replacing the injured William Powell; Madu, an Oklahoma product, has averaged 4.49 yards-per-carry in limited action.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Jonathan Newsome will make his REDBLACKS debut at D-end, replacing Teidrick Smith; the 26 year-old was signed by Ottawa on Jul. 7, shortly after Chris Jones and co. released him in Saskatchewan.

By The Numbers

3 – Wins in three tries this season for BC against East Division opponents.

41.9 – Difference in QUAR rating between BC quarterbacks Jonathon Jennings (52.1) and Travis Lulay (94.0).

118 – Passes caught by Greg Ellingson (60) and Brad Sinopoli (58) this season, first and second in the league respectively.

2,862 – League-high passing yards for Ottawa’s Trevor Harris.

The Skinny

Now isn’t this a tasty matchup?

Both the Lions and REDBLACKS have an embarrassment of riches at multiple positions, and watching the two battle it out at TD Place should be fun.

How long is Jonathon Jennings’s leash under centre, given Travis Lulay’s quality appearances this season? How will Jonathan Newsome look in his REDBLACKS debut? Can Ottawa close out a game on home turf?

These questions will be answered on Saturday afternoon at a sunny TD Place.

Both teams will want to put disappointing first halves behind them; what better way to start than in Week 10?

Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker and seen on TSN and ESPN 3.

[StarDust Bum]

PREVIEW

STAMPS LOOK TO CONTINUE HOME DOMINANCE VS. ARGOS

CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders search for their 14th straight win at McMahon Stadium against the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday night as cross-division foes finish off Week 10.

Calgary has not dropped a game on home turf since Oct. 10, 2015, presenting a tough challenge for the Double Blue.

The Argonauts are coming off of an impressive victory after dominating the Montreal Alouettes in all three phases last week, cruising to a 38-6 win in a key East Division matchup. Veteran pivot Ricky Ray tossed four touchdown passes and threw for 377 yards. Receiver S.J. Green found the end zone twice and racked up 145 yards on nine catches.

Running back Brandon Whitaker also appears to be finding his stride after missing a pair of games earlier in the season. The 31-year-old has 185 rushing yards on 31 catches in his past two games.

It was a redemption game for the Argos after losing to the Als just one week earlier. The victory gave the Boatmen sole possession of first place in their division.

“We look at [last week] as a glimpse of the team we want to become,” Argos head coach Marc Trestman told Argonauts.ca. “We don’t know what that team’s going to be and we don’t know where we’re going to be at the end of the season… but we’re going to try and build on what we did last week.

“We’re going to try and be efficient. We’re going to try and be a smarter football team.”

Ray has proven this season that age is just a number. The 37-year-old ranks second in the league in passing yards (2,798), trailing only Ottawa’s Trevor Harris by less than 100 yards despite playing one less game.

The Argos’ receiving corps will have a different look compared to last week with the return of DeVier Posey in the lineup. The 27-year-old got off to a stellar start in 2017, racking up 280 receiving yards through three games before being placed on the six game injured list. Jimmy Ralph will get the start on Saturday in the absence of receiver Anthony Coombs, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Coombs reportedly requires surgery, although Trestman wouldn’t rule out a return later this season.

Also out for the Argos is Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, who is day-to-day after exiting last weekend’s win. That means some juggling for Corey Chamblin in the defensive backfield, resulting in rookie 25-year-old Alden Darby getting his first career start at field corner.

Alan-Michael Cash is also out after being placed on the one-game injured list while the Argos’ hobbled D-line continues to await the return of Cleyon Laing and Victor Butler. The latter did some workouts this week but was not deemed ready to play.

The Argos will have their hands full with on of the best in the West. The Stamps edged the BC Lions 21-17 on the road last week to improve to 6-1-1 on the season. Rene Paredes was a perfect five-for-five on field goal attempts while Jerome Messam had the Stamps’ only touchdown of the night, powering into the end zone on a short one-yard run.

While the Stamps got the job done in hostile territory, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was only successful on 15 of 31 attempts, mustering 237 yards and an interception. Mitchell’s completion percentage of 48.4 per cent was his second-lowest as a starter.

Mitchell said after the win that his arm was not 100 per cent. However, both Mitchell and Head Coach Dave Dickenson confirmed earlier in the week that the starting quarterback would good to go for Week 10 despite some soreness.

The Stamps have proven once again this year to be one of the best offences in the CFL, averaging a league best 34.4 yards per game.

Dickenson says that both his offence and defence will have to be sharp to compete with a strong Argos squad.

“I think our guys are excited to play,” Dickenson told Stampeders.com. “I think we’re going to have a great challenge. You look at their roster, Toronto, their receiving core is just excellent. Great size, speed…. They put on a show last week. [It’s a] big challenge for our defence there.

“Defensively they pretty much had their way with Montreal. They made them look like they didn’t have anything that could be successful.”

The Stamps will be without a key part of their lineup as defensive lineman Charleston Hughes will not be on the field Saturday. Dickenson says that the injury does not appear to be long term.

While the absence of Hughes hurts, the Stamps’ defence gets some help in the form of Josh Bell. Bell replaces rookie Tunde Adeleke at safety after missing three games.

Deron Mayo could dress for the first time in 2017 after needing some extra time to recover from the knee injury that ended his 2016 season. However, he’s listed behind Jameer Thurman on the depth chart and could be a game-time decision for the Stamps.

By The Numbers

1 – Games that Calgary has lost at home in its last 20 matches.

7 – League leading rushing touchdowns for Jerome Messam this season.

18 – First downs that the Stampeders held the BC Lions to last week.

88 – Receiving targets for S.J. Green, the most for any player this year.

100 – Marc Trestman reaches the century game mark in this contest against the Stamps, with an overall career record of 63-36.

The Skinny

While the Argos and Stamps are led by two of the top quarterbacks in the league, Ray and Mitchell will both be in tough against the opposition’s defence.

The Argos and Stamps rank first and second respectively in yards given up per game. The Double Blue have held their opponents to only 335.3 yards per game on average while Calgary is not far behind, averaging 355.9 yards. The Stamps have also given up a league best 20.3 points per game, four points less than the next closest team.

Toronto linebacker Bear Woods and Calgary’s Alex Singleton sit third and fourth in tackles this season with 53 and 52. Two tough defences could equal a low scoring battle to close out Week 10.

Kickoff is slated for 9:00 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker and seen on TSN and ESPN 3.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BC at OTT 03:30 PM

OTT +1.0

U 55.0

TOR at CGY 09:00 PM

CGY -10.0

U 54.5

[StarDust Bum]

GAME RECAP
REDBLACKS HOLD OFF LATE SURGE BY LIONS FOR 31-24 VICTORY

OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS narrowly held off a fourth quarter comeback attempt by the BC Lions for a 31-24 victory at TD Place in game one of a Saturday CFL doubleheader.

The REDBLACKS appeared to be in control with a 31-3 lead heading into the final 15 minutes, but the Lions battled back to score three touchdowns in the final quarter in what would have been the greatest comeback in league history. A pass by Travis Lulay was picked off with less than two minutes to go and the REDBLACKS controlled the clock from there for the win.

Running back Mossis Madu had a touchdown on the ground and in the air for Ottawa in the win while Lions quarterback Jonathon Jennings was pulled in the loss.

The REDBLACKS had a short field to work with on their second possession of the game, beginning their drive at their own 53-yard line. Ottawa was not able to take full advantage of the field position, settling for a 41-yard field goal from Brett Maher.

Ottawa punted the ball away on its next drive, but a too many men call against the Lions gave the REDBLACKS another third down attempt and put them within striking distance of a field goal. Maher split the uprights from 48-yards out to pull Ottawa ahead 6-0.

The kick was Maher’s eighth straight successful field goal attempt, setting an Ottawa pro-football record.

The Manny Show was on full display near the end of the first quarter when Emmanuel Arceneaux hauled in a 52-yard catch to put the Lions just outside of the red zone. However, BC could not capitalize on the big play as a Jennings pass in the end zone was picked off by Ottawa defensive back Corey Tindal.

The REDBLACKS held the Lions to just two first downs in the first 15 minutes of the match.

Ottawa continued to pull away in the second quarter as Harris and his offence controlled the clock with a steady charge down the field. A gamble on third down in the red zone paid off, setting Ottawa up just one-yard short of a touchdown. Ryan Lindley charged across the plane for the major, increasing the REDBLACKS’ lead.


Another field goal by Maher puller the REDBLACKS ahead 15-0 late in the second quarter.

The Lions attempted a 45-yard field goal with less than a minute left in the game, but Ty Long’s kick sailed wide left. Diontae Spencer charged out of the end zone, running the ball 90 yards downfield. His long return set up Maher’s fourth field goal of the day to carry an 18-0 REDBLACKS lead heading into halftime.

In need of an offensive spark, the Leos decided put backup pivot Travis Lulay at the helm to start the third quarter.

A pass interference call against BC proved costly for the Lions, moving the REDBLACKS 44 yards downfield. Madu capped off the drive by taking a pitch from Harris and making the eight-yard dash into the end zone for the major.

The Lions finally managed to get on the board midway through the third quarter thanks to their strong ground game. It started with Chris Rainey’s 49-yard punt return, followed by an 18-yard rush by Jeremiah Johnson. Lulay also got in on the action, running the ball on three straight plays. The REDBLACKS’ defence held strong, standing up the Lions twice within the ten-yard line. BC settled for a short field goal to narrowly cut into the REDBLACKS lead.

Madu continued to work his third quarter magic, notching his second touchdown of the quarter by snagging a pass from Harris in the end zone. The REDBLACKS third touchdown of the game gave them a commanding 31-3 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.

Despite the large deficit, the Lions refused to go down without a fight. Bryan Burnham made a spectacular 42-yard catch to set up BC’s first touchdown of the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Running back Jeremiah Johnson capped off the drive with a four-yard dash into the end zone for the major, putting the score at 31-10.

The Lions weren’t done there.

A REDBLACKS two-and-out gave BC control of the ball once again. Lulay and the Lions offence moved the sticks and continued to crawl their way back into the game. Johnson recorded his second touchdown of the afternoon, catching a three-yard toss from Lulay to cut the REDBLACKS lead to 31-17.

The Lions battled back to make it a one-score game when Ronnie Yell intercepted a Harris pass deep in Ottawa territory, setting up the Lions for first and goal. Burnham caught a Lulay pass in the short left corner of the end zone to make it a 31-24 score late in the fourth quarter.

BC got the ball back once again with less than two minutes remaining, but could not pull off the miraculous comeback. Jonathan Newsome caught a bouncing ball for a REDBLACKS interception with just over a minute remaining as Ottawa held on for the win.

Up next for the REDBLACKS is a date with the Montreal Alouettes in an all-East matchup, while the Lions are on a bye week. They will return to action Sept. 8 to take on the Als at BC Place.

[StarDust Bum]

RECAP
STAMPEDERS DEFENCE DOMINANT EN ROUTE TO 23-7 WIN OVER ARGOS

CALGARY — Defence stole the show on Saturday night at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium, where the hometown Stampeders defeated the Toronto Argonauts 23-7.

Calgary (7-1-1) created pressure on Toronto (4-6) quarterback Ricky Ray throughout the night, limited its visitors to just three first-half first downs, and simply dominated the line of scrimmage en route to sole possession of first place in the West Division.

Stamps D-end JaGared Davis had a pair of sacks in the winning effort, and played — along with the rest of Calgary’s pass rush — a key part in Ray’s sub-standard 256-yard outing.

Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 383 yards and two touchdowns in the win, with DaVaris Daniels — final line: 114 receiving yards, two touchdowns — being his target of choice on the night.

Defence was the story of the first quarter, as the two squads combined for just four first downs and 101 net yards.

A strong punt return from Roy Finch late in the first quarter set the Stamps up with good field position; Bo Levi Mitchell then marched the Calgary offence down inside the red zone.

Once there, Mitchell was picked off by Cassius Vaughn in the Toronto end zone; Vaughn then motored for a 115-yard pick-six, which was initially flagged for pass interference but corrected to stand upon review. Lirim Hajrullahu’s convert gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.

Calgary would respond later in the quarter, as Mitchell found receiver DaVaris Daniels just inside the end zone on a 21-yard connection for the latter’s third touchdown of 2017. Rene Paredes missed the convert, so Toronto’s lead temporarily stood at 7-6.

The Stamps defence took over on the following series, as Alex Singleton and Micah Johnson combined to bring down Ray for a sack. Ja’Gared Davis then broke through on the following play for his second sack of the night.

Rene Paredes handed his Calgary team the lead on the final play of the first half, drilling a 40-yard field goal to send the Stamps to the locker room with a 9-7 lead.

Early in the third quarter, Mitchell found Daniels for the pair’s second touchdown of the night — a 38-yard bomb. The ensuing Paredes convert pushed the hosts’ lead to 16-7.

The Calgary kicker then made it a 10-point lead on the following kickoff; with the help of a Shawn Lemon roughing-the-kicker penalty on the convert, Paredes forced the Argos to concede a single in their end zone.

Paredes, a Concordia product, extended the Stamps’ advantage to 20-7 with a 24-yard field goal.

Ray and the Argos offence then saw their ensuing drive early in the fourth quarter stall near midfield due to penalty trouble.

Coordinator DeVone Claybrooks’s Calgary defence continued to dominate through the fourth quarter, forcing a two-and-out and, later, a critical turnover on downs near midfield.

A 32-yard Paredes field goal inside the final two minutes rounded out the night’s scoring.

Brandon Smith led the Stamps defensively with seven tackles, while standout linebacker Alex Singleton was also a force. Brandon Harris led the Argos with seven tackles in a losing cause.

On the special-teams front, Calgary return man Roy Finch ripped off a number of sizeable returns, while diminutive Toronto speedster Martese Jackson was held largely in check (7-yard average).

Receiver DeVier Posey caught five passes for 60 yards in his return to the lineup for Toronto.

Both the Stamps and Argos now enter crucial weeks in the run-up to Labour Day weekend rivalry contests.

Mitchell and the Stamps will now prepare for a long-weekend Monday showdown at McMahon Stadium against provincial rivals Edmonton (7-2) on Sept. 4 (3 p.m. ET), while Ray and the Argos will look to bounce back in the second game of the Monday doubleheader against Hamilton (0-9) at Tim Horton’s Field (6:30 p.m. ET).

[StarDust Bum]

WEST DIVISION

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

1 Calgary 9 7 1 1 15 298 169 4-0-0 3-1-1 3-0-0

2 Winnipeg 9 7 2 0 14 308 278 3-1-0 4-1-0 2-2-0

3 Edmonton 9 7 2 0 14 261 256 4-1-0 3-1-0 2-2-0

4 BC 10 5 5 0 10 269 274 2-2-0 3-3-0 2-4-0

5 Saskatchewan 8 4 4 0 8 251 203 3-1-0 1-3-0 2-3-0


EAST DIVISION

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

1 Toronto 10 4 6 0 8 230 254 3-2-0 1-4-0 4-1-0

2 Ottawa 10 3 6 1 7 282 271 2-3-1 1-3-0 2-2-0

3 Montreal 9 3 6 0 6 199 231 3-2-0 0-4-0 1-2-0

4 Hamilton 8 0 8 0 0 148 310 0-4-0 0-4-0 0-2-0

[StarDust Bum]

WEEK 11

Thursday, August 31, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Ottawa Redblacks Montreal Alouettes

Sunday, September 3, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
4:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers Saskatchewan Roughriders

Monday, September 4, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
3:00 PM Edmonton Eskimos Calgary Stampeders
6:30 PM Toronto Argonauts Hamilton Tiger Cats

[StarDust Bum]

cfl last 17 games:

Date w-l-t % units record
08/26/2017 3-0-1 100.00% +1500
08/25/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
08/24/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/19/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/18/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00
08/17/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
08/13/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
08/12/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/11/2017 1-1-0 0.00% -0.50
08/10/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
08/05/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
08/04/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
08/03/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/29/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
07/28/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/27/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/22/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/21/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/20/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/19/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


totals............32 - 15 - 1........68.08%.....+ 78.00

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

Six baseball contracts that surprised me:

— Jordan Zimmerman, Det: 3 years, $74M left after this year

— Jose Altuve, Hst: 4 years, $12.5M; club option for 2018. Think they’ll take it?

— David Wright, NYM: Mets are on hook for 3 more years, $47M

— Francisco Cervelli, Pitt: 2 years, $22M left after this year

— Albert Pujols, LAA: 4 years left, $114M left after this year. Oy.

— Mike Trout, LAA: 3 years left, $102M left after this year.

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..

13) Hurricane happenings:
— Astros-Rangers series this week moves to the Trop in St Petersburg.
— Texans-Cowboys exhibition game Thursday moves to Dallas.
— BYU-LSU football Saturday moves to the Superdome in New Orleans.

12) This storm in Texas might be the worst storm ever; another 15-25 inches of rain is expected between now and Thursday. We pray for everyone down there; stay safe!!!!

11) Only two New York Mets have been active for all their games this season; Jerry Blevins and Jacob deGrom.

10) Mets’ 1B prospect Dominic Smith is batting .161 in his first 59 major league AB’s; it is too early to worry about him (Rhys Hoskins started 0-12 and look how he’s doing) but I saw Smith play in Las Vegas in July and wasn’t all that impressed by him then. Time will tell.

9) June Jones is now the coach of the Hamilton TigerCats of the CFL after the TiCats got off to an awful start this season; he’s brought in former Baylor coach Art Briles as an assistant.

8) Rice University’s football team came back from its game in Australia and has relocated at TCU in Fort Worth, as they wait out the storm/flooding near their campus.

7) Indianapolis Colts traded long snapper Thomas Hennessy to Jets in exchange for safety Ronald Martin. Unusual trade.

6) Miami Marlins have new owners, a team that is rolling right now and the best outfield in all of baseball, but I keep seeing articles on how the the team might trade Giancarlo Stanton at the end of the season. Is that a good idea?

Stanton has a HUGE contract that has a long way to go on it; trading him is a bold move, since he is having a great season and is hugely popular in Miami. What could they get back for him? Tough early decision for the new ownership.

5) The profile of Ivy League basketball is getting bigger; Yale-St Bonaventure game on December 9 is going to be shown on ESPNU.

4) Jets named Josh McCown their starting QB, which if he is healthy, is the only possible choice they could’ve made. Bryce Petty played well Saturday but hurt his knee; the other options were not good at all.

3) Clayton Kershaw is going to be activated later this week and will start either Friday/Saturday against the Padres in San Diego. He threw five innings in a AAA rehab start Saturday.

2) If you want to replace those statues that have been taken down recently, how about a statue of a first responder carrying two little kids out of a flooded house? Those guys are heroes, for sure.

1) DeShone Kizer will be the Cleveland Browns’ 27th different starting QB since 1999.