After a wild weekend of Labour Day action, the CFL season has taken a turn. The Edmonton Eskimos were the top dog for the first third of the season but they’ve suddenly hit a wall. After starting the year 7-0 and looking almost unbeatable at times, they can’t seem to figure out how to get back in the win column. They’ve now lost three straight, which includes a 39-18 beat down at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders last week. Worse yet, they are going to have to face their rivals from Alberta one more time this week. The Eskimos have given up 126 points in their last three games after allowing just 169 in their first seven. They need to get a win to change their momentum.
In the East, not much has changed as all four teams are quite brutal. The Ottawa RedBlacks lead the East Division with a paltry record of 4-6-1. That tells you right there that all four teams in the East are below .500; not a single team in the West is below that mark.
We’ve got four games on the schedule for this week as the Toronto Argonauts get a bye week, and we’ll see two rematches from Labour Day. Here is a preview of this week’s games along with picks for each contest.
Montreal Alouettes @ British Columbia Lions
Odds: Lions -7.5
The 3-7-0 Alouettes were thumped 32-4 at home by Ottawa and now head on the road to take on the 5-5-0 Lions, who were on a bye. Montreal couldn’t get anything going against the RedBlacks and they’ve struggled badly against the Lions in terms of betting, going 3-14 ATS in their last 17 meetings with the Lions. British Columbia is badly in need of a win as they’re in last place in the wild West division, but, fun fact: they would be in first place in the East with that mark. The Lions are also 7-3 ATS in their last 10 against losing teams. Take them to cover in this spot.
Pick: Lions -7.5
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Odds: Blue Bombers -3
The 5-4-0 Roughriders defeated the 7-3-0 Blue Bombers 38-24 at home, and the bitter rivals have now split a pair of meetings this season. They have split their last 10 meetings SU with the Roughriders winning six of them ATS, so things tend to be close between the Blue Bombers and Roughriders, both of whom are in the thick of things in the West. One thing that you should know is that seven of the last nine meetings have been over the posted total, so the first meeting of the season between the two in Winnipeg (both games have been in Saskatchewan so far) should be high-scoring. Lean toward the red-hot Roughriders. They should get their second road win of the season.
Pick: Roughriders +3
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Ottawa RedBlacks
Odds: RedBlacks -12.5
The 1-8-0 Tiger-Cats finally won their first game of the season by a score of 24-22 over Toronto at home, while the RedBlacks had their way with Montreal, also at home. It should be no surprise that the RedBlacks are double-digit favorites over the Tiger-Cats, who almost threw that win away a few times, but fortunately, Toronto isn’t very good either. The Tiger-Cats may have put a lot of effort into getting that win, and now have to travel to take on an Otttawa team that is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games.
Pick: RedBlacks -12.5
Calgary Stampeders @ Edmonton Eskimos
Odds: Stampeders -6
The 8-1-1 Stampeders showed the 7-3-0 Eskimos who is the boss in the West with a dominant 39-18 win at home, and now the Eskimos have a lot of work to do to stop this current slide. However, it might not be a slide, but a return to reality as their seven-game winning streak to start the season was a blip and this is who Edmonton really is. Meanwhile, Calgary came into this season as the favorites to win the Grey Cup and they’re playing like it. The Stampeders are also 10-3 ATS in their last 13 meetings with the Eskimos and there are few things they like more than to stick it to their biggest rivals.
Pick: Stampeders -6.5
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