Shannon Vizniowski/CFL.ca
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CFL Pick ‘Em isn’t going to be easy this week. There are three evenly matched games that will have fans likely going with hunches or their gut rather than clear statistical advantages.
The week starts off with the Argonauts hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the only game that appears one sided in the standings. The Argos quest for their first win doesn’t get easier with the 5-1 Bombers coming into Toronto.
Then things get interesting as Dane Evans’ first start of the season will happen in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders are coming off back to back impressive wins over BC, while the Tiger-Cats come off beating the previously undefeated Bombers.
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A good defence in Hamilton against an offence that’s gaining confidence in Saskatchewan makes for a tough pick this week. The big swing will be whether or not you believe Dane Evans has what it takes to steer the Tiger-Cats without Jeremiah Masoli.
On Friday Night Football, the Ottawa REDBLACKS will try to stop their skid and end the three-game winning streak of the Montreal Alouettes.
The REDBLACKS nearly knocked off the Stampeders for the second time this year and looked a little more comfortable than two weeks ago. Montreal, meanwhile, is refreshed after a bye week and confidence is high after three-straight wins. With Masoli’s injury, the Alouettes and the REDBLACKS have to see the opportunity to take advantage of a now wide open East Division.
And the week ends on Saturday with a classic battle of the Alberta. The game of the week showcases the 4-2 Eskimos visiting the 4-2 Stampeders.
It’s the first of three meetings between the two rivals over the next seven weeks. Someone has a chance to push the other team down, while keeping themselves in the race for first in the West. We’ll get a much better sense of who is the class of Alberta with both teams have some ups and downs already in 2019.
For more CFL game odds search for LeoVegas.
Winnipeg at Toronto
Thursday | 7:00 p.m. ET
LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Winnipeg (-14.5)
O/U: 48.5 points
Matt Nichols and co. will look to take advantage of a winless Argonauts team this week (The Canadian Press)
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers looked completely off in their loss to Hamilton. Give the Tiger-Cats credit, however, as the defence made life tough on Matt Nichols and company. But you better believe it’ll be a much more focused group out of Winnipeg, who are licking their wounds from their first loss of the season.
Injuries could impact the Bombers on offence with Darvin Adams and Drew Wolitarsky watching practices heading into this week’s game.
The Argonauts come back from Alberta with an 0-6 record and not a lot of hope that they’ll see the season turn around anytime soon. They need a spark from anybody to take control of the game and will really need to set the Bombers on their heels early if they believe they can win.
The problem is Andrew Harris is still healthy and he could have a heavy workload and the Argos were just chewed up by Edmonton’s Shaq Cooper.
PICK: WINNIPEG (99% confidence bonus)
Hamilton at Saskatchewan
Thursday | 9:30 p.m. ET
LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Saskatchewan (-2.5)
O/U: 50.5 points
Can Dane Evans lead the Ticats to a win this week in Regina? (The Canadian Press)
Dane Evans wasn’t too impressive in relief for Jeremiah Masoli last week but with a full week of preparation, we’ll see what the back-up is made up of. He has more than enough playmakers to get the ball to and generate some big plays.
The Tiger-Cats defence has been very good to start the year so they’ll need to be the strength of the team going forward if there is any drop off in offensive production without Masoli.
They head into the unfriendly confines of Mosaic Stadium with a team who is feeling very good about themselves with back to back wins over BC and winners of three of their last four games.
The biggest question is whether the Riders can rebound from a short week with only five days between games. Last time this happened was a few weeks ago when the Stamps beat up on what looked like a worn out Riders team.
The Riders defence is likely licking their chops to face Dane Evans.
PICK: SASKATCHEWAN (33% confidence bonus)
Ottawa at Montreal
Friday | 7:00 p.m. ET
LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Montreal (-7.5)
O/U: 53.5 points
Coming back from a bye week, Vernon Adams and the Alouettes hope to make it four wins in a row (Peter McCabe/CFL.ca)
Don’t let these two streaks fool you going in. The REDBLACKS were better last week and who knows what we’ll see with Montreal coming off their bye week.
Dominique Davis could be back at quarterback for Ottawa, while the Alouettes are riding a three-game win streak.
I feel like the Ottawa REDBLACKS aren’t as bad as their losing streak indicates and I don’t feel like the Alouettes are as good as their three-game win streak shows.
Overall, I think the Alouettes confidence can be the biggest factor in this game. They have started to believe in each other and the scheme and that could pay off huge as they charge up the standings.
PICK: MONTREAL (50% confidence bonus)
Edmonton at Calgary
Saturday | 7:00 p.m. ET
LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Calgary (-1.5)
O/U: 47.5 points
Will Trevor Harris and the Esks come out on the winning side of the first Battle of Alberta of 2019? (The Canadian Press)
It’s rare to see these teams play before the Labour Day home-and-home set but we’ll take it. Both teams sit with a 4-2 record and a few of their stats are pretty close on both sides of the ball.
But if you’re looking for key that could sway the tide. Let’s look at sacks allowed and sacks made. The Eskimos have done an incredible job of protecting Trevor Harris, while the Stamps have allowed the second-most sacks in the league.
On the flip side of that, the Eskimos lead the league in getting after the quarterback. Calgary is in the middle of the pack.
If Trevor Harris gets the time, it’s going to be a long night for Calgary. But the Stamps defence showed extremely well last week against Ottawa and a few weeks ago in Saskatchewan. The Stamps force a lot of turnovers so Harris will have to be very careful with the ball.
PICK: EDMONTON (25% confidence bonus)
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Week 8 lineup:
