It is already Week Six so we are about a third of the way though the CFL season. With Saskatchewan’s surprise win last week, every team now has at least one victory while no team is perfect in the loss column either. When you look at the standings, it is pretty much what was expected with Montreal lagging in the East and Winnipeg and Saskatchewan doing so in the West. There is still a lot of time left for one of those laggards to catch fire, but that does not look very likely. Quarterback injuries are rife around the league, so it’s going to be an interesting week of action. Here is a look at the CFL betting rundown for Week 6.
Thursday July 28
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos
CFL Betting Odds: Edmonton -9.5
Both of these teams lost at home last week. It was no surprise that Winnipeg fell, but the Eskimos were favored against Hamilton. They fell apart in the fourth quarter, giving up 17 unanswered points to lose by six. Pardon the NFL reference, but they made Ti-Cats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli look like vintage Joe Montana, something that is very difficult to do. Their defense will look forward to facing Bombers quarterbacks Matt Nichols, who passed for only 88 yards in his last outing. Like so many league quarterbacks, he is on the injury report, but is expected to play. We’re looking for the Eskimos to get well in this one. They shouldn’t get embarrassed at home two weeks in a row.
Pick: Edmonton -9.5
Friday July 29
Saskatchewan Roughriders @. Montreal Alouettes
CFL Betting Odds: Alouettes -2.5
The Roughriders got their first win last week thanks to a last minute field goal against Ottawa. The story of the game was quarterback Mitchell Gale. They only added him to the roster a few weeks back and he was fantastic starting in place of injured Darian Durant. He picked up 354 yards passing in his first career start. It looks like he will get a chance to start again with Durant’s status currently uncertain. The same goes for Montreal quarterback Kevin Glenn. He played most of the game against Toronto on Monday, but the quick turnaround does not give his leg a lot of time to heal. If he can’t go, it will be Rakeem Cato. We like the Roughriders to get the cover in this sport.
Pick: Saskatchewan +2.5
BC Lions @ Calgary Stampeders
CFL Betting Odds: Calgary -5
Early on, these look like the two best teams in the league. BC was off last week, but they have the most wins in the West thanks to a 3-1 record. These teams met in the first week of the season with BC winning by two at home. The Stamps can jump into first place if they return the favor this week. The Calgary offense, featuring the CFL’s leading rusher Jerome Messam, can be pretty potent, but the BC defense is the stingiest in the league. They are giving up less than 20 points per game. Calgary is second in points allowed, so another low scoring game may be in the offing. It was 20-18 for BC in the opener. Go with the under in this spot.
Pick: Under
Sunday July 31
Toronto Argonauts @ Ottawa RedBlacks
CFL Betting Odds: RedBlacks -9.5
Ottawa had a tough week last week. Not only did they lose to Saskatchewan on a late field goal – as heavy favorites – but they lost their league leading quarterback Trevor Harris to injury in the process. His status is unknown at the moment which is one of the reasons why there is no line yet on the game. That’s significant because the RedBlacks are also missing Henry Burris. However, on Wednesday, it was reported that Burris came off the injured list and is back at practice. That’s huge news for them.
The Argos are in a similar situation with quarterback Ricky Ray, but at least they are coming off a solid win, their first at home since moving to BMO Field. Still, with Ray out for three-to-six week and backup Cody Fajardo is a big step down. He does not have much experience in the league. Go with the RedBlacks.
Pick: RedBlacks -9.5
