Colleagues and friends are often asking for my CFL picks. So each week I’ll share my thoughts on the upcoming slate of games, and choose winners against the spread. Lining your pockets with some extra money is the end goal, but it’s much easier said than done.
A 3-1 effort in my first picks column last week got yours truly off to a strong start against the spread in 2015. What’s more, it easily could’ve been a perfect 4-0 if not for Calgary conceding a safety at the end of their win over Montreal—bad beat. Anyways, now the challenge is to keep hitting winners at that pace.
There are a couple pick-’em lines and two big favourites on the board in Week 7, so let’s keep it rolling.
Eskimos (4-1) @ Lions (2-3)
Last week: Eskimos won 30–5 at home over Saskatchewan; Lions lost 23–13 in Winnipeg
Edmonton heads to BC having allowed eight points total in their last two games. Chris Jones has his team flying around and making impact plays—his defence leads the CFL with 17 sacks and eight interceptions. Travis Lulay, Andrew Harris and Co. need to sustain drives if the Lions are going to have a chance, but the attacking Edmonton defence will make that a near-impossible task.
The Eskimos will overwhelm BC and get the victory on the Left Coast.
Line: Eskimos -1
Pick: Edmonton
Alouettes (2-3) @ Redblacks (3-2)
Last week: Alouettes lost 25–22 in Calgary; Redblacks had a bye
Since Ottawa knocked out not one but two Montreal quarterbacks (Jonathan Crompton and Dan LeFevour) in the CFL season opener and won the game in the process, the Als have unearthed a promising young signal caller in Rakeem Cato. The 23-year-old Marshall University product has at least 241 passing yards in each of his first four CFL starts, consistently moving Montreal’s offence down the field.
Cato’s emergence has allowed the Alouettes’ D to stay fresh and become an even tougher unit to play against in the process. Montreal ranks second in points per game (18.8), sacks (12) and interceptions (seven), behind Edmonton.
Ottawa’s lack of a consistent running game will give the Als an opportunity to tee off on Henry Burris and force ‘Bad Hank’ to emerge.
Line: Redblacks -1
Pick: Montreal
Riders (0-6) @ Argos (3-2)
Last week: Riders lost 30–5 in Edmonton; Argos lost 34–18 in Hamilton
A nightmare season continues for the Riders, and it won’t get any easier trekking to face an Argos team playing its first actual regular-season home game in 2015.
Toronto endured a long Western trip—28,590 km—to begin the season and managed an impressive 3-1 record on that four-game roadie. But upon returning to Ontario, Hamilton greeted them with a 34–18 defeat. A special-teams gaffe and trouble with a couple third-and-short situations were the main reasons the Argos suffered a loss to their hated rivals in the Hammer.
Expect Trevor Harris, who leads the CFL with 12 touchdown strikes, to shred a Riders secondary that’s given up a league-high 15 touchdown passes.
Line: Argos -9.5
Pick: Toronto
Bombers (3-3) @ Ticats (3-2)
Last week: Bombers won 23–13 at home over BC; Ticats won 34–18 over Toronto
Hamilton put up a CFL season-high 52 points on Winnipeg in Week 2 in a blowout win, but the floodgates didn’t open until after Drew Willy got knocked from the game after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Adrian Tracy.
Willy is the X-factor for the Bombers. When he’s made it through an entire game in 2015 the team is 3-1, but they’re 0-2 in contests that No. 5 has been forced to leave early. Winnipeg has been outscored 70–19 with Willy out of the game, so for the Bombers to have a shot they must keep him healthy.
Hamilton has gone a perfect 8-0 at Tim Hortons Field dating back to its opening. The Ticats average margin of victory at the donut box during their streak has been 10.75 points, and that covers the spread in this one.
Line: Ticats -7
Pick: Hamilton
Dunk’s overall record against the spread: 3-1