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**Udog** · 06-20-2017, 08:43 AM

CFL season betting preview: Stampeders big Grey Cup faves

Calgary's offense, led by quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, led the CFL with 586 points scored in 2016.

The 2017 CFL season is nearly upon us, and bettors come in with plenty of questions. Can the Ottawa Redblacks repeat as CFL champions following last year's thrilling Grey Cup finish? Can the Calgary Stampeders overcome the sting of a crushing defeat in last year's title game? Can the Toronto Argonauts defy the odds and win their 17th Grey Cup title?

Here's a look at all nine teams heading into this week's season openers, along with their odds of winning the CFL championship (odds courtesy Sports Interaction):

Calgary Stampeders (+275)

The Stampeders remain the team to beat in the CFL's West Division, returning the majority of a roster that ploughed through the regular-season en route to a league-best 15-2-1 record and a 13-5 mark against the spread. While the offense - led by All-Star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell - was the focal point (league-best 586 points scored), the Calgary defense was just as elite, surrendering a CFL-low 369 points - 85 fewer than the next closest teams. Barring a collapse, Calgary should have little trouble rolling through the division and once again contending for a spot in the Grey Cup.

BC Lions (+500)

The Lions underwent a significant defensive overhaul in the offseason despite boasting one of the league's best units in 2016. Yet, while there are undoubtedly upgrades at every key defensive position, the loss of linebacker Adam Bighill to the NFL's New Orleans Saints looms large, as no other player on the roster is considered a strong replacement on the weak side. The Lions posted a 13-5 ATS mark in 2016, along with a 9-9-0 O/U record; with the defense in flux heading into the season, bettors shouldn't be surprised to see more of an Over lean in the Lions' 2017 O/U ledger.

Edmonton Eskimos (+550)

Second-year head coach Jason Maas can't stop talking about how deep this team is - he says he "slept like a baby" after the final cutdown day, having struggled with who to release right up to the final hour. The largest area of optimism appears to be focused on the defensive line, which surrendered 155 more points while recording eight fewer interceptions and 15 fewer sacks in 2016 than it did the year before. Edmonton finished 9-9-0 ATS and 10-8-0 O/U last season, and will be looking to eliminate the sour taste of a double-digit loss to Ottawa in last year's East final.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+700)

Every team in the East Division showed some flaws in 2016 - yes, even the Grey Cup-champion Redblacks. For the Tiger-Cats, it was a porous defense that was one of only three units in the entire league to surrender more than 500 points in the regular season. Quarterback Zach Collaros is the focal point of the offense, but has yet to play an entire CFL season; on defense, John Chick is coming off a sensational 14-sack campaign but is 34 entering the season. The TiCats went just 6-12 ATS last season while boasting an 8-9-1 O/U mark; if Collaros can't stay healthy, it could be another dismal season in Hamilton.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+700)

This is absolutely a "show-me" season for the Blue Bombers, who captured their first playoff berth in six years last season thanks to an 11-7 record and a defense that allowed the third-fewest points in the CFL. Winnipeg had a largely uneventful offseason, opting to add depth pieces to both the offense and defense rather than making a splash as it had done in 2016. The Blue Bombers, who went 10-8 SU and 10-7-1 O/U in 2016, have worse odds than two teams that finished behind them last season, but ended 2016 with wins in 10 of their final 13 regular-season games before losing a one-point heartbreaker to BC in the division semifinal.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (+700)

It was a particularly bad time to be the worst team in the West, as the Roughriders were the only unit in the division to finish below .500; not surprisingly, a 1-9 mark against other West teams was Saskatchewan's biggest downfall. This season has already started on a dour note, with former NFL quarterback and marquee offseason addition Vince Young having been released after suffering a torn hamstring earlier this month. It's a significant blow to a team that needs to find an offensive spark after finishing with a league-low 350 points in 2016. Saskatchewan went 9-9 ATS and 8-10 O/U last season.

Ottawa Redblacks (+750)

Talk about not having love for the defending champions - or perhaps, oddsmakers realize just how improbable the Redblacks' run to the title actually was. Ottawa was the best of a very bad bunch of East teams, winning the division despite finishing below .500 and then catching a little magic en route to the first Grey Cup championship in franchise history. And then there's the schedule, which has led some to wonder if the Redblacks made enemies of the CFL schedule maker; they'll open with back-to-back games against Calgary, play three games in a 10-day span in mid-July - two away from Ottawa - and don't have a bye until Week 18.

Montreal Alouettes (+800)

The Alouettes are one of the more intriguing teams heading into the season, primarily due to their unsettled quarterback situation. Darian Durant is the starting signal caller for now, but Montreal has reportedly been kicking the tires on former NFL quarterback Josh Freeman. Regardless of who takes the snaps for the Als, the focus will be on improving a lackluster offense that produced just 383 points in 2016. Montreal went 9-9 ATS and 7-10-1 O/U last season; a better showing at quarterback might turn some of those Unders into Overs this season, provided the defense is as stout as it was a season ago.

Toronto Argonauts (+1,200)

Last season was monumentally disappointing for the Argos, who tied Saskatchewan for the worst record in the league while allowing the most points (568) and scoring the second-fewest (383). Mark Trestman was brought in to help turn around the moribund team, and his impact will almost certainly be felt primarily on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Ricky Ray is 37 and played just nine games last season, but is one of the league's top QBs when healthy - and could face significant competition from backup Drew Willy. Still, the Argos won't improve upon last year's 5-13-0 ATS mark if they can't stop opposing teams from scoring.

**Udog** · 06-20-2017, 08:43 AM

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 1

Thursday, June 22

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SASKATCHEWAN (5 - 13) at MONTREAL (7 - 11) - 6/22/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 78-54 ATS (+18.6 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 127-93 ATS (+24.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.

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

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Friday, June 23

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CALGARY (16 - 3 - 1) at OTTAWA (10 - 9 - 1) - 6/23/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1996.
OTTAWA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

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

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Saturday, June 24

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EDMONTON (11 - 9) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (13 - 7) - 6/24/2017, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-1 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-2 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA 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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Sunday, June 25

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HAMILTON (7 - 12) at TORONTO (5 - 13) - 6/25/2017, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 19-37 ATS (-21.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 6-1 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 6-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 06-20-2017, 08:44 AM

CFL

Week 1

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Trend Report
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Thursday, June 22

7:30 PM
SASKATCHEWAN vs. MONTREAL
Saskatchewan is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games on the road
Montreal is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Montreal's last 17 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan

Friday, June 23

7:30 PM
CALGARY vs. OTTAWA
Calgary is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
Ottawa5-1-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Calgary

Saturday, June 24

10:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Edmonton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of British Columbia's last 6 games at home
British Columbia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Sunday, June 25

4:00 PM
HAMILTON vs. TORONTO
Hamilton is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Hamilton is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

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**Udog** · 06-21-2017, 08:43 AM

CFL
Dunkel

Week 1

Thursday, June 22

Saskatchewan @ Montreal

Game 351-552
June 22, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Saskatchewan
107.335
Montreal
116.702
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 9 1/2
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
by 6 1/2
50
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(-6 1/2); Over

Friday, June 23

Calgary @ Ottawa

Game 353-354
June 23, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
122.155
Ottawa
114.939
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 7
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
by 3
55
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-3); Under

Saturday, June 24

Edmonton @ BC Lions

Game 355-356
June 24, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
114.887
BC Lions
122.373
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
BC Lions
by 7 1/2
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
BC Lions
by 3
58
Dunkel Pick:
BC Lions
(-3); Over

Sunday, June 25

Hamilton @ Toronto

Game 357-358
June 25, 2017 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Hamilton
111.216
Toronto
102.191
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hamilton
by 9
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Hamilton
by 3
54
Dunkel Pick:
Hamilton
(-3); Under

**Udog** · 06-22-2017, 08:25 AM

Breaking down the CFL’s stunning 2016 road trend

Oddsmakers couldn’t seem to figure out what was going on in the Canadian Football League last season - and that resulted in a boon for bettors who put their faith in road underdogs.

In a year that featured plenty of bizarre trends and results, the strangest of all might be that road dogs went a stunning 34-22-0 ATS - a 60.71-percent success rate that confounded oddsmakers. That highlighted a season-long trend of overall road dominance; home teams won just 48.24 percent of all CFL games last season, while road faves covered at a similar rate (15-10-1, 60 percent) to that of road dogs. Road favorites went 17-9-0 SU, while road underdogs were 24-31-1 - an astounding result given that the league covers four time zones, and teams often play games with less than a week of rest time.

So what were the catalysts for the league’s crazy road underdog ATS trend? Here are three to consider:

West Division Dominance

Rarely has the CFL ever seen such a chasm between the East and West Divisions as it did in 2016, when no East team finished above .500 while four West teams had at least 10 victories.

The West was particularly dominant when it came to games played in East locales; no East team won more than three regular-season home games all season, and the division as a whole went an abysmal 10-25-1 in its own stadiums. This was the single biggest factor in why road underdogs were so successful ATS; simply put, oddsmakers short-changed West teams in East cities, underestimating just how much better the West was.

Winnipeg’s Stunning Resurgence

No team had a bigger positive impact on the overall road underdog trend than the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who transformed from a five-win unit in 2015 to a team that shocked the CFL world with an 11-7 regular season and an unlikely berth in the 2016 playoffs.

The Blue Bombers were road underdogs seven times over the course of the season, and came through with the cover on six occasions. Here’s the breakdown of those games:

Week 2: DID NOT COVER - L 36-22 at Calgary (-10.5)

Week 3: COVERED - W 28-24 at Hamilton (-9)

Week 6: COVERED - W 30-23 at Edmonton (-9.5)

Week 8: COVERED - W 34-17 at Toronto (-4)

Week 10: COVERED - W 32-18 at Montreal (PK)

Week 14: COVERED - L 36-34 at Calgary (-9.5)

Week 17: COVERED - W 35-32 at BC (-5.5)

As you can see, oddsmakers slept on the Blue Bombers away from Winnipeg - and they responded with five outright wins and a narrow loss to the powerhouse Stampeders after a rough first road game in Calgary. Expect the Blue Bombers to get a lot more respect in 2017.

Otta-What Home Field Advantage?

On the flip side, the Ottawa Redblacks sure didn’t look like a Grey Cup champion team during the regular season, particularly in the nation’s capital. Bettors who put their faith in the Redblacks’ ability to win at home are still getting over their thorough scrubbing.

The Redblacks were favored eight times in their nine home games last season, and managed a single cover - a 29-12 win over lowly Toronto in Week 14, with Ottawa favored by 5 1/2. Here is how the rest of the Redblacks’ games as a home fave panned out:

Week 3: DID NOT COVER - T 26-26 vs. Calgary (+1.5)

Week 6: DID NOT COVER - L 23-20 vs. Toronto (+10)

Week 7: DID NOT COVER - W 23-20 vs. Edmonton (+3.5)

Week 9: DID NOT COVER - L 43-19 vs. Montreal (+9)

Week 10: DID NOT COVER - L 29-23 vs. BC (+2.5)

Week 16: DID NOT COVER - L 32-30 vs. Saskatchewan (+6)

Week 18: DID NOT COVER (L 39-36 vs. Hamilton (+3.5)

Outside of that magical win over the Argonauts in Week 14, the Redblacks lost outright five times as a home favorite, settled for a tie in Week 3 and eked out a three-point decision against the visiting Eskimos.

Just as the Blue Bombers should expect more respect from oddsmakers in 2017, the Redblacks will likely find themselves in a home underdog situation more often than they did last season.

**Udog** · 06-22-2017, 08:28 AM

CFL

Thursday, June 22

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Thursday's CFL betting preview and odds: Roughriders at Alouettes
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Saskatchewan Roughriders at Montreal Alouettes (-6.5, 49.5)

The Montreal Alouettes host the Saskatchewan Roughriders to kick off the 2017 CFL season Thursday. The Alouettes cleaned house after a tumultuous 2016 campaign and first-year general manager Kavis Reed has pinned his hopes on veteran quarterback Darian Durant, who spent 10 seasons with Saskatchewan before he was acquired by Montreal in the offseason, to kickstart an an anemic offence that averaged a CFL-low 253 passing yards last season.

"I just told the guys this is a new beginning and to forget about what happened in the past," Durant told reporters. "With the team we have in place there's no reason why we can't make a run at it." Saskatchewan looks to take a step forward after a disappointing first season under Chris Jones. Jones' hiring was hailed as a major coup with the 50-year-old coming off a Grey Cup victory with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015, but the move failed to pay instant dividends as Saskatchewan dropped 10 of its first 11 games and Jones missed the playoffs for the first time in his 15-year CFL coaching career. "I've never been in a situation where I won only five football games in a season so I took that very personally," Jones told reporters. "You've got to figure out exactly what you need to do and where to go from here because there ain't no fixing yesterday."

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

LINE HISTORY: The Alouettes opened as six-point home favorites and by Wednesday evening that number was up to -6.5. The total hit the betting board at 50.5 and was bet down a full point to 49.5. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (2016: 5-13 SU, 9-9 ATS, 8-10 O/U): Former Heisman Trophy winner and Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was released June 17 after missing both preseason games with a torn hamstring. Saskatchewan made a big splash in the free agent market by signing talented but troubled wide receiver Duron Carter, who caught 61 passes for 938 yards and five touchdowns with the Alouettes in 2016. Kevin Glenn, who was named the starting quarterback last week, returns to Montreal where he spent the previous 18 months, and hopes to breathe life into a Roughriders attack, which averaged a CFL-worst 19.4 points per game last season.

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (2016: 7-11 SU, 9-9 ATS, 7-10-1 O/U): Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, who was selected 17th overall in the 2009 NFL draft, worked out for Montreal last week but wasn't offered a roster spot. Fourteen-year veteran Nik Lewis continues to defy time as he led the team in receptions (102) and receiving yards (1,136) in 2016, and needs 53 catches to break the CFL record set by Geroy Simon (1,029). Durant showed no ill effects of the knee injury which forced him to miss the first preseason game against the Toronto Argonauts as he threw for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-5 exhibition victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on June 15.

TRENDS:

* Roughriders are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
* Alouettes are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
* Over is 6-1 in Roughriders last 7 games in Week 1.
* Under is 20-3 in Alouettes last 23 games in June.
* Under is 16-4-1 in the last 21 meetings in Montreal.

CONSENSUS: Consensus action is on the side of the home favorite Montreal Alouettes at a rate of 63 percent. Totals wagers are siding with the Over at 52 percent. View full consensus data for this matchup here.

EXTRA POINTS:

* Montreal has won the last two meetings by an average of 21.5 points.
* Saskatchewan is 3-15 on the road since the start of the 2015 season.
* The Roughriders have won three of their last four season openers.

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**Udog** · 06-23-2017, 09:50 AM

CFL

Friday, June 23

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Friday's CFL betting preview and odds: Stampeders at Redblacks
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Calgary Stampeders at Ottawa Redblacks (+5.5, 55.5)

The Ottawa Redblacks begin defence of their Grey Cup title when they host the Calgary Stampeders in a rematch of the title game Friday. The Redblacks pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Grey Cup history when they shocked the Stampeders 39-33 in overtime after falling short against the Edmonton Eskimos 26-20 in the championship game the previous year, and hope the pieces are in place to make their third straight appearance in the title game.

"You can always be proud of it and remember it but it's important to turn the page," Ottawa coach Rick Campbell told reporters. "Our goal is to be a playoff team and see what kind of damage we can do from there." The Stampeders were unable to parlay a 15-win regular season into a Grey Cup victory and will be eager to begin their quest to return to the championship game. Bo Levi Mitchell won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award after throwing for 5,385 yards and 32 touchdowns, and formed one of the most feared quarterback-running back tandems in the league with Jerome Messam, who won his first career rushing title with 1,198 yards, and the dynamic duo hopes to exact a measure of revenge in the nation's capital. "It took a long time to get over what happened," Messam told reporters. "We have a lot of guys that were here last year and they still have that bad taste in their mouth."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPNews

LINE HISTORY: The Stampeders opened as 2.5-point road chalk and by Thursday evening that number was to 5.5. the total hit the betting board at 55 and has been bumped up a half-point to 55.5.

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (2016: 16-3-1): DaVaris Daniels is on the verge of becoming one of the league's most prolific receivers after catching 51 passes for 885 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games en route to earning the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award in 2016. Calgary's secondary, which recorded a league-high 80 pass breakups, is banged up as Brandon Smith is out for the foreseeable future while all-stars Tommie Campbell (hamstring) and Jamar Wall (foot) are questionable for the season opener. Andrew Buckley, who tied a CFL record for the most rushing touchdowns by a Canadian quarterback with eight, earned the backup role behind Mitchell and former Iowa Hawkeyes star Ricky Stanzi beat out Mitchell Gale for the third option under centre.

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (2016: 10-9-1): Ottawa begins life without Grey Cup MVP Henry Burris, who retired after the historic victory, but Trevor Harris is a more than capable replacement as he threw for 3,301 yards and 16 touchdowns in 12 appearances last season.The Redblacks raided the Toronto Argonauts by snapping up wide receivers Diontae Spencer and Kenny Shaw, and defensive back A.J. Jefferson after losing Ernest Jackson and Chris Williams, who combined for 165 catches and 20 touchdowns last season, in free agency. Ottawa released 25 players Sunday, including former Toronto wide receiver Tori Gurley and Shakir Bell, who rushed for 1,058 yards in two previous seasons with Edmonton, to meet the league's roster requirements ahead of Week 1.

TRENDS DATING BACK TO 2016:

* RedBlacks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home underdog of 3.5-10.0.

* Over is 6-1 in Stampeders last 7 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.

* Over is 7-1 in RedBlacks last 8 games overall.

* Over is 4-0-1 in the last 5 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The road chalk Calgary Stampeders are getting 57 percent of the action from Covers users and the OVER is getting 51 percent of the totals wagers. View full consensus data for this matchup here.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Calgary has won 14 or more games in four consecutive seasons.

2. The Stampeders have won four of their last five season openers.

3. The Redblacks led the league in passing yards per game (343.9) in 2016.

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**Udog** · 06-24-2017, 08:19 AM

CFL

Saturday, June 24

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Saturday's CFL betting preview and odds: Eskimos at Lions
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Edmonton Eskimos at BC Lions (-3.5, 60)

The BC Lions look to build on a promising 2016 campaign when they open the new season at home against the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday. The Lions won 12 regular-season games under coach Wally Buono and notched a playoff victory for the first time since 2011 after going a combined 16-20 over the previous two years, and hope to take another step forward by beating the Eskimos for the third consecutive time in Vancouver.

"Winning is critical early in the season," Buono told reporters. "If you want to be a contender then you have to play and act like a contender." Edmonton's top brass decided to shake things up after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the West Division. The Eskimos, who won the Grey Cup in 2015, sneaked into playoffs via to the crossover rule, and general manager Ed Hervey paid the price with his job in the offseason, but Edmonton returns a core group of veterans who are hungry to keep pace with Calgary and BC in the West. "I definitely think we're a better team," Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly told reporters. "We're a little more experienced than we were last year and our news guys have done a great job of competing and picking up the systems very quickly."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

LINE HISTORY: The hometown Lions opened as 3-point favourites and that number was bet up mid-week as high as 4.5 Thursday evening since the number has faded down to 3.5. the total hit the betting board at 57.5 and has been bet up 2.5 points to an even 60.

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2016: 11-9 SU, 9-10-1 ATS, 11-9 O/U): Reilly enjoyed a banner year as he led the league in passing yards (5,554) and total touchdowns (37), but will have to make do without explosive playmaker Derel Walker, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after catching 198 passes for 2,699 yards and 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Edmonton must also absorb the loss of special teams ace turned star linebacker Deon Lacey, who signed a futures contract with the Miami Dolphins after recording 103 tackles and three interceptions in 2016. Cory Greenwood was brought in from the Toronto Argonauts during free agency to replace Lacey but tore his ACL on the second day of training camp and will miss the 2017 season.

ABOUT THE LIONS (2016: 13-7 SU, 13-7 ATS, 11-9 O/U): Rookie linebacker Micah Awe looks to fill the void left by Adam Bighill, who signed a three-year futures contract with the New Orleans Saints, after recording 109 tackles with BC in 2016. Jason Arakgi, who is the CFL's all-time leader in special teams tackles, surprised many in the organization by abruptly announcing his retirement following the 42-10 preseason victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 16. Jonathon Jennings seems poised to join the CFL elite at quarterback after throwing for 5,226 yards and 27 touchdowns last season but will have to wait to connect with marquee free agent signing Chris Williams, who is not fully recovered from a torn ACL suffered at the tail end of last year.

TRENDS DATING BACK TO 2016:

* Lions are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Saturday games.

* Over is 5-1 in Lions last 6 home games.

* Over is 5-1 in Lions last 6 games as a home favorite.

* Eskimos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

* Eskimos are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 meetings in BC.

CONSENSUS: The home chalk Lions are getting 62 percent of the action from Covers users and the UNDER is getting 55 percent of the totals wagers. View full consensus data for this matchup here.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The last five meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer.

2. The Lions led the CFL in rushing yards (2,082) and rushing touchdowns (23) in 2016.

3. Edmonton WR Adarius Bowman topped the league in receptions (120) and receiving yards (1,761) last season.

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**Udog** · 06-25-2017, 09:32 AM

CFL

Sunday, June 25

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Sunday's CFL betting preview and odds: Tiger-Cats at Argonauts
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Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Toronto Argonauts (+3.5, 56)

The Toronto Argonauts host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the season opener for both teams Sunday. The new-look Argonauts overhauled their management team by bringing in general manager Jim Popp and former Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman, and the duo who led the Montreal Alouettes to back-to-back Grey Cups in 2009-10 hope to work their magic in Toronto, which missed the playoffs in two of the previous three seasons.

"The only thing I know for sure is that we have a bunch of guys who really love football and who have really worked hard," Trestman told reporters. "That's the platform we're going to work off as we head into the season." The Tiger-Cats look to rebound from a disappointing season by their lofty standards as they finished with a losing record for the first time since going 6-12 in 2012. Hamilton lost six of its last seven games in 2016, including a 24-21 home setback to the Edmonton Eskimos in the East Division Final and hope a healthy Zach Collaros, who missed eight games with injuries in 2016, can lead the Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup after back-to-back appearances in 2013-14. "I'm very grateful for the position I'm in and I try to live up to the expectations I set for myself every day," Collaros told reporters. "It's something to keep working at and all that matters is who's holding the trophy at the end of the year."

TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

LINE HISTORY: The Tiger-Cats opened as 3.5-point road chalk and as of Saturday night it hasn’t moved off the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 54 and has been bet up two full points to 56.

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (2016: 7-12 SU, 6-12-1 ATS, 8-10-1 O/U): Collaros hasn't been able to shake the injury bug as he's missed at least five games in each of the past three seasons and Jeremiah Masoli will be ready to deputize for the former University of Cincinnati quarterback after throwing for 2,695 yards and 15 touchdowns in Collaros' absence last year. Andy Fantuz was named the East Division's Most Outstanding Canadian after catching 101 passes for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns but will begin the season in a front-office role after tearing his ACL in the penultimate game of the 2016 regular season. Hamilton shored up its secondary by snapping up free agent Abdul Kanneh and re-signing all-star Emanuel Davis, but both players are doubtful for the season opener.

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (2016: 5-13 SU, 5-13 ATS, 8-8-2 O/U): Toronto added receivers S.J. Green, Jeff Fuller and Armanti Edwards in an effort to kickstart the passing attack, which ranked second-last at 260.9 yards per game in 2016. Quarterback Drew Willy, who was traded to Winnipeg for all-star T.J. Health and a first round pick midway during the season, was unceremoniously released while veteran offensive lineman Greg Van Roten left the team to try his luck with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. Toronto snapped up all-star linebacker Bear Woods, who was surprisingly released by the Alouettes after recording 126 tackles last year, and hopes his presence can solidify a defence which gave up a league-worst 31.6 points per game last season.

TRENDS DATING BACK TO 2016:

* Argonauts are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games overall.

* Argonauts are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.

* Tiger-Cats are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 meetings.

* Tiger-Cats are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings in Toronto.

* Over is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings in Toronto.

CONSENSUS: The road chalk Tiger-Cats are getting 57 percent of the action from users and the OVER is getting 51 percent of the totals wagers. View full consensus data for this matchup here.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Tiger-Cats have won five of the last six regular-season meetings with the Argonauts.

2. Toronto QB Ricky Ray has missed 24 games over the last two seasons.

3. Hamilton has dropped 11 of its last 12 season openers.

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