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CFL Betting Notes - Week 16


October 5, 2015




Friday, Oct. 9


Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-12 SU, 4-10 ATS) vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-5 SU, 9-4 ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -7
Total: 50


Game Overview


The Roughriders continue to ride out the string in lost season. They come into this game with a 1-5 record ATS on the road this season and they are 3-5 ATS in the eight games they closed as underdogs. Saskatchewan is averaging a respectable 24.4 points a game on offense, but its defense is ranked dead-last in the CFL in points allowed (30.9).


Hamilton needs to hold on in the absence of quarterback Zach Collaros, who was lost for the season with a knee injury. In his place against Calgary last week, Jeff Mathews completed 15 of his 23 attempts for 155 yards and he could not get his team into the end zone through the air. The Tiger-Cats also struggled to move the ball on the ground with just 31 rushing yards on the day.


Betting Trends


Saskatchewan is 6-3 ATS in its last nine road games against the Tiger-Cats and the total has stayed UNDER in four of the last six meetings in Hamilton. The Roughriders lost the first meeting this season 31-21 on July 26 as two-point home favorites.


Saturday, Oct. 10


Edmonton Eskimos (10-4 SU, 8-6 ATS) vs. Calgary Stampeders (11-3 SU, 4-10 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -4 ½
Total: 47


Game Overview


The Eskimos needed a 53-yard field goal with time running out in the fourth quarter to get past Winnipeg last week to clinch a spot in this season’s CFL Playoffs. Quarterback Mike Reilly found his form in that game-winning drive and he ended the day with 298 yards passing and one touchdown throw, but he was also picked-off twice. He did add 36 yards and a score on seven rushing attempts.


Calgary has also clinched a playoff spot with last week’s win and while it has now won eight if its last nine games SU, its record ATS during this same stretch is just 4-5. Credit running back Jon Cornish with much of the Stampeders’ offensive production in the big win against Hamilton. He ran the ball 14 times for 90 yards and he caught seven passes for another 64 yards.


Betting Trends


The season series is split 1-1 both SU and ATS with each team winning at home and the total stayed UNDER in both contests. The Stampeders are 12-1 SU over the last 13 games in this series and they have a 7-1 record ATS in the last eight meetings. The total has gone OVER in four of the six games played in Calgary.


Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-10 SU, 6-7-1 ATS) vs. British Columbia Lions (5-8 SU, 7-6 ATS)
Point-spread: BC -7 ½
Total: 50 ½


Game Overview


Give the Blue Bombers credit for putting up a valiant fight against Edmonton last week, but that SU loss was their seventh in their last eight games. They have been able to cover ATS in three of their last four outings with the total going OVER in their last three games. Matt Nichols put the ball up 39 times in last week’s game and while he did pass for 320 yards and a score, he only completed 56.4 percent of his throws.


BC is hanging tough for the third playoff position in the West, but even with last week’s win the Lions are just 2-5 SU in their last seven games. They have covered in their last three matchups with the total going OVER each time. Jonathon Jennings turned in a solid performance as BC’s starting quarterback against the Roughriders with 364 yards passing and four touchdown throws. Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux also came up big with four catches for 137 yards and two of the four scores.


Betting Trends


The Lions have won seven of the last nine meetings SU and the total has stayed UNDER in 17 of the last 22 games between these two division rivals. Winnipeg won the first meeting this season 23-13 as a three-point home underdog.


Monday, Oct. 12


Toronto Argonauts (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (5-8 SU, 6-6-1 ATS)
Point-spread: OFF
Total: OFF
Game Overview


Toronto will be back in action on Monday to close things out in Week 16. The Argonauts have been able to average a respectable 26 points through their first 12 games of the season, but they have their issues keeping opposing teams out of the end zone behind a defense that is allowing an average of 29 points a game.


The Alouettes are two and a half games in back of Toronto for the third playoff spot in the East, but they are still in good position to make it into the CFL postseason as a crossover team. Montreal has not been nearly as productive on offense with 21.7 points a game, but its defense remains one of the stingiest units in the league with the same scoring average when it comes to points allowed.


Betting Trends


Montreal has the clear edge in this division rivalry for the past several years with a SU 18-7 record in the last 25 meetings and a 17-8 record ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in 11 of the last 12 meetings.

Fever and Lynx prep for Game 3
October 8, 2015


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Tamika Catchings didn't get much sleep after her Indiana Fever lost Game 2 of the WNBA Finals to Minnesota.


It wasn't just because of the foul trouble that saddled her all game. It was the lack of execution she and her teammates had down the stretch in Minnesota's 77-71 win.


''We weren't focused enough in the final few minutes and that's what cost us,'' Catchings said at practice on Thursday. ''The turnovers, the offensive rebounds, we just didn't do what we needed to do to win that game.''


Indiana will try for a better finish when the Fever return home for Game 3 on Friday night. They expect to play better in front of their fans. Game 4 is also in Indiana on Sunday night.


''It's going to be a great atmosphere,'' Catchings said. ''We always have great fans.''


The winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the championship 70 percent of the time since the series went to a best-of-five format in 2005.


Catchings hopes to be on the court for more than the 24 minutes she played in Game 3 because of foul trouble. She won't change the way she plays.


''I've got to play the game the way I know how,'' she said. ''I only know how to play one way. Sometimes you've just got to play through a lot of different situations and throughout my career that's one thing that I've done.''


Her former teammate and rookie head coach Stephanie White stood up for Catchings after the six-point loss Tuesday night saying how her star was being disrespected by the officials.


Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve had made similar comments chiding officials between Games 1 and 2 for allowing Indiana defenders to get physical with Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen.


Neither coach was fined by the WNBA, but both received phone calls from league officials about their comments.


''They said just don't do it again,'' White said. ''I think the biggest message is just to keep it quiet, but I couldn't keep it quiet at that point.''


White said that she told her players when they got back to Indiana to, ''Leave your baggage at baggage claim and let's focus on what we do.''


The series now boils down to a best-of-three with the Fever holding home-court advantage. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the third-seeded team from the East came home facing elimination games.


''We have to have the same mentality as we had before,'' Catchings said. ''Obviously if we lose we're not done, but we have to come with the same effort and focus.''


Reeve said that while Indiana may have the advantage playing the next two games at home, her team has been successful on the road this season. The Lynx were one of three teams in the league to have winning records on the road this year.


''We are comfortable playing on the road as we've shown this season,'' Reeve said.


GETTING COMFY:


Sylvia Fowles came to Minnesota to win a championship. She's a big reason why the Lynx evened the series, putting up 21 points in the win.


''It's a big reason why I came here, to get a title,'' Fowles said. ''It took a little while to get used to playing here, but now I feel I can be a bigger presence.''


Fowles had a laugh when she walked onto the Fever practice court. All of the names and numbers of the Lynx players were up on the wall marquee. The only problem was that 6-foot-5 center's name was missing the `l'.


2012 REWIND:


These two teams played in the finals in 2012, which Indiana won for its lone title. The Fever took the first game that year and then Minnesota won the second one. Game 3 was a rout with Indiana jumping out to an 18-point halftime lead and led by 32 heading into the fourth quarter before the Lynx outscored them by 15 points to make it a little more respectable.


GETTING FIT:


The WNBA held a clinic for 90 kids with Fever players after practice. Catchings was at the defense station showing the youngsters the proper stance and getting them to yell defense. The five-time defensive player of the year had the kids show their best ''mean'' face as they were working on their defense.


RECORD RATINGS:


Game 1 was the most watched opening contest of the league championship series since 1998. Viewership was up 2 percent from last year.

Fuming Fever ready for Game 3
October 7, 2015


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Tamika Catchings was still shaking about 30 minutes after the Indiana Fever dropped a tense Game 2 of the WNBA Finals to the Minnesota Lynx.


The Fever star was limited to 24 minutes because of foul trouble, and the steam was practically spewing out of her ears as she talked about letting her team down and gearing up for Game 3 back in Indiana.


''We told our team we are going to bottle up every sense of frustration, every sense of anger, every sense of knowing what we didn't accomplish tonight,'' Catchings said after the 77-71 loss to the Lynx on Tuesday night evened the best-of-five series at one game apiece. ''Put that in a bottle and let it explode when we get back home.''


Maya Moore and the Lynx are looking to avenge their loss to the Fever in the 2012 finals, and they responded to their series-opening loss with a desperation and fire that proved just enough to avoid a daunting 0-2 deficit.


''After the horn blew, both teams were still wanting to go,'' said Moore, who had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. ''We're ready to go for Game 3. Wait a couple days and it'll be a grind.''


Game 3 is Friday night.


That's exactly what the first two games have been, and now both coaches are trying to use some gamesmanship to get any little edge that can be gained.


After their Game 1 loss, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve publicly criticized the officials for allowing Indiana's defenders to get so physical with point guard Lindsay Whalen. Reeve wouldn't comment on whether the criticism earned her a fine, but Fever coach Stephanie White believes the remarks did play a role in how Game 2 was called.


Catchings picked up two quick fouls and had five with more than four minutes to go in the third quarter, forcing White to put her leader on the bench for a crucial stretch. The Lynx put together a 17-5 run that turned an eight-point deficit into a four-point lead going into the final period, then outlasted Indiana in tightly played fourth quarter.


''I learned a valuable lesson today,'' White said. ''I learned that it pays to go public with comments about officials. Who would have known?''


White called Game 2 ''a blood bath'' and said Shenise Johnson was ''doubled over'' by a hard screen set in the fourth quarter. The Fever picked up two technical fouls in the fourth quarter and turned the ball over 14 times in the second half, leaving them with the feeling that they kicked away a golden opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in the series.


''We know that we didn't take care of business when it came down the stretch,'' Catchings said.


Sylvia Fowles certainly did. The Lynx center is using her size advantage in the post to average 21.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in the first two games, giving Minnesota a formidable presence in the paint that it has never had before. The Lynx acquired the former All-Star in a midseason trade with Chicago to give them another dimension in physical series like this one and she responded with five offensive rebounds on Tuesday night.


''Sylvia Fowles has been the difference for us,'' Reeve said.


Catchings didn't want to blame the officials for her foul trouble in Game 2. Instead she looked inward, saying she couldn't afford to put her team in that position by leaving them to fight without her. The fact that the Fever were able to keep it close the whole way even while playing long stretches with her on the bench only seemed to embolden the proud veteran.


''As a great player, you should never be sitting on the bench,'' Catchings said. ''You should never put your team in a situation where they have to play without you. So I'm frustrated and you better believe I'll be ready.''

SERIES
SCHEDULE


Game 1
IND @ MIN
IND 75, MIN 69
IND Leads 1-0


Game 2
IND @ MIN
MIN 77, IND 71
Series Tied 1-1

Game 3
MIN @ IND
10/9 @ 8PM ET, ESPN 2


Game 4*
MIN @ IND
10/11 @ 8:30PM ET, ESPN


Game 5*
IND @ MIN
10/14 @ 8PM ET, ESPN 2

Preview: Ticats in battle for first as they host Roughriders


With Jeff Mathews slated to make his second career start under centre, the Roughriders know that this Hamilton team is more than just whoever is at quarterback.


“It doesn’t make a difference who’s at quarterback with this Hamilton team. They have a dynamic defence, they have explosive special teams and on offence they have a lot of talent,” said head coach Bob Dyce. “Whoever’s in there, we expect will provide a great challenge for our defence.”


That Riders defence sits at the bottom of the league, allowing over 400 yards per game. Yet Saskatchewan has remained competitive throughout the year thanks to its second ranked offence but have been on the wrong end of many close games.


That’s a topic that is well-known to the Ticats as well. This season, Hamilton has not won a game that has been decided by four points or less.


For the Ticats, they need to look no further than last week’s windy affair against the Stampeders, a loss that was handed to them off the boot of Rene Paredes on a last-second field goal. That game saw wind gusts approaching 60 kilometres an hour and didn’t provide ideal game conditions for either club.


Head coach Kent Austin won’t use the weather as an excuse, however.


“It should be more of an advantage for us since we’re in it quite a bit. We understand that weather can be an issue. It’s an issue for both teams. We’re not going to ever use that as an excuse so we have to learn to play in it and play well.


“I don’t agree that the weather determined the outcome in the game. There’s a number of plays, any one of which went our way that could’ve won the football game.”


Still, Austin is pleased with how Mathews’ debut start went despite the loss. He understands that it will take some time for his young quarterback to learn on the job. Austin noted that his play did improve as the game went on.


“Especially in the second half, he played a lot better. You got to play to get better. He’s going to have to progress and he’s doing that.”


While the Ticats are in the middle of a battle for top spot in the East that looks like it will go down to the final week of the season, the Roughriders face the prospect of elimination from the playoff race even with a win on Friday. If the Lions beat the Bombers on Saturday night, then the Riders will no longer have a shot at the post-season.


That’s not something that Kevin Glenn has been paying attention to, who was surprised to learn this fact when questioned about it by a reporter.


Player Spotlight


WR Rob Bagg
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The wideout was on a bit of a roll before a down week against the Lions. He will try to get back on track.




QB Jeff Mathews
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
It will be the second career start for Mathews, who is looking to build off last week's narrow loss.


“We try not to even worry about that kind of stuff. We try to worry about our own particular business at hand and that’s winning the game. We can’t worry about what other people are going to do.”


It’s been a season of building character for Glenn, who has been under centre for the Riders for roughly half of the year. While there isn’t much left on the field to play for, Glenn credits this season for helping to build himself as a person off the field.


“You keep coming back because of the competitiveness. That’s just how we’re built. That’s our mindset, we don’t give up. It’s because we’ve been playing this game for so long.”


The rushing leaderboard has two clear leaders – BC’s Andrew Harris and Saskatchewan’s Jerome Messam – and they are separated by just a single yard. Before last week, Messam had briefly overtaken Harris for top spot but lost the title after being limited against the Lions.


Saskatchewan boasts one of the league’s top receiving corps but have been missing one of its biggest names in Chris Getzlaf. The team will welcome him back as the wideout has been activated off of the injured list and will join a group that includes Rob Bagg, Ryan Smith, Weston Dressler and the emerging Naaman Roosevelt.


Glenn is excited to have Getzlaf back in the fold.


“It’s great to have a guy like that. He’s a veteran guy who knows what’s going on. He’s like a low-key, extra quarterback on the field. He’s helping put guys in position, where they need to be, and he understands as a receiver what the quarterback is looking for.”


The last time they met




Last Meeting:
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Hamilton 31, Saskatchewan 21


CJ Gable returned from injury and rushed for 135 yards a the Ticats pulled ahead in the fourth quarter for the win. Brett Smith replaced Kevin Glenn at quarterback in the second half after Glenn hurt his pectoral muscle.


Game Notes:


-Over the last 4 games Weston Dressler has made more than 3 catches only once with totals of 12 receptions for just 94 yards and no TDs. He had 20 catches for 320 yards in his first 3 games of 2015, and only 29 for 270 yards in his last 8 games.


-This will be Glenn's 22nd career start against Hamilton and he has gone 14-7 thus far. That his best career record against any opponent among his 90-87-1 overall record as a starter. Glenn has generated more offence than any QB this year on a per possession basis at 32.3 yards.


-Heading into this week, Messam trailed BC’s Andrew Harris (819) by just one yard in the rushing race. Messam had 42 yards last week and with 30 rushes of 10+ yards is 9 ahead of Harris in that stat category.


-The Tiger-Cats come into this week with their first two-game losing streak of the year. They will be trying to avoid their first three-game home losing streak since September 19, 2008, a span of 64 games.


-The Riders have not yet been eliminated but require help and a 4-game win streak. Mathematically, 16 games involve their playoff fate and 15 must go in their favour. BC must lose all five, Winnipeg must beat BC this week and lose their other games, the Riders must go 4-0, and Montreal must lose 4 of their 5 games.


-Last year Hamilton went 7-2 after the halfway point, this year they are 2-2 after a 6-3 first half.


-The Stampeders made two late field goals to come back from a 13-point deficit and beat Hamilton 23-20. That makes the Ticats 0-4 in games decided by 4 points or less. Since 2011, Hamilton has played 25 games that were diced by 4 points or less and are 7-18 in those contests.


-Over the season’s first 11 games, the Tiger-Cats were +22 in the Turnover department. Over their last two games they have gone -7. Despite that, Hamilton leads the CFL by far at +15.

CFL.ca Game Notes: A look at Week 16


TORONTO – While Week 16 already kicked off on Tuesday when the Argonauts beat the REDBLACKS, there is still plenty of action left.


The Ticats look to break a two-game skid at Tim Hortons Field when they host the Roughriders.


In a battle for first place in the West, the Eskimos face the Stampeders in a game that could determine who takes the division crown.


The final playoff spot in the West is still very much up for grabs and the Bombers hope to pull even with the Lions while BC wants to increase its lead over Winnipeg.


Finally, Toronto sees its second game action of the week when they tangle with the Alouettes as they eye first place in the East.


Equipped with the most up-to-date storylines, stats, milestones and trends, enjoy this week’s CFL.ca Game Notes.


Around the League


Scoring and Offence: Week 15 contests averaged 53.0 points per game, the 4th consecutive week that scoring has increased over the previous 4-game set. Scoring was consistent across all four games. Net offence average 733 yards per game, the second highest average of the season to date. Week 16 opened with a 73-point game between Ottawa and Toronto.


Penalties update: Week 15 averaged 22.8 penalties reducing the season average to 24.3 per game, the lowest it has been all year. Over the last 15 CFL games, penalty totals have averaged only 22 per game in what has been a year-long downward trend. In 2015, only 18 teams drawing more penalties than their opponent went on to win; teams that have taken more penalties have a record of just 18-34, a .346 winning percentage. In Week 16’s opening game Toronto and Ottawa drew 37 penalties.


QB Touchdown pass receptions: Quarterback Jonathon Jennings catching a touchdown pass was one of the highlights of Week 15. The event is rare but not that rare as it happened fairly frequently in the 1950s. Here is a list of recent QB TD pass receptions: Dan LeFevour (2013), Kerry Joseph (2006), Romaro Miller (2003), Kevin Feterik (2003), Dave Dickenson (2000).


Calgary and Edmonton in playoffs: The Stampeders and Eskimos each clinched a playoff berth last week, and Calgary
wrapped up at least a home date. Their 11-3 record ensures a playoff spot for the 11th straight season, and for Edmonton for the 4th time in the last 5 years. Calgary’s streak of 11 years in a row is one of only 13 streaks of 11+ years in CFL history.


Montreal playoff streak to 20?: With their loss last week, the Alouettes (5-8) are now two and half games behind Toronto (7-5) but have a huge game head-to-head against the Argos to end Week 16. The Als’ current run of 19 consecutive years in the playoffs is the second-longest in league history and only Edmonton at 34 years in a row (1972-2005) has a longer one.


1-point convert update: The other major rule change was the move out to 32 yards for one-point kicked conversions. Of late, kickers have dropped off yet again. In the last 7 games, CFL kickers have missed six times going just 22-of-28 and at least one has been missed in 16 of the most recent 32 games. For the season, the overall result is now at 212-of-245, 86.5%.


Punt returns up: The rule change for limiting downfield coverage on punts is having its effect as the season goes along. Eight players are averaging 10 or more yards per attempt led by Chad Owens at 15.6 yards per try. The average punt return in 2015 through Week 15 was up a full yard at 10.3 compared to 9.3 in 2014, an increase of 11%.


Most TD passes – 2nd career start: The 4 TD passes thrown by Jennings touched on a record not found in the CFL Record Book but with some digging is available. The record is held by Calgary’s Jeff Garcia at 6 (Sep 4/95) and he is now joined by 8 other players who have thrown 4 or more TDs in career start #2 (5 TD: Quinton Porter & Tobin Rote; 4 TD: Dave Anderson, Nealon Greene, John Hufnagel, Tom Wilkinson, Casey Printers & Jennings).


Two more kick return TDs: Troy Stoudermire of Winnipeg returned a punt 78 yards for a TD for his first of the season joining Brandon Banks who extended his lead in that category with a fourth punt return touchdown. That raised the number of total kick return TDs to 13 in 2015, 12 of which have been punts. That makes the most in one season since 2005 (13).


Surviving Turnovers: This season it seems that CFL clubs are finding ways to win in games where they commit more giveaways. Last season only 12 games were won by clubs making more than the opposition, only 17% of the games overall (12-59 .169). In 2015, 12 clubs have already won when giving the ball away more than their opponent (12-39. 235), and this is led by Calgary and Ottawa. Calgary has won 4 times and Ottawa 3 times with more turnovers, and this was the case in each of their Week #15 wins.


Defensive TDs and blocked kicks: There was just one made last week but it raised the total to 31 in 2015, one less than all of last year. In 2015 the blocked kick total is now up to 13 with Hamilton and Saskatchewan at 4 apiece. The Riders blocked two kicks in their game at BC Place last week (Knox: convert and Monroe: punt). It was the first time in over 6 years that a club had blocked two kicks in the same game (BC had two on July 3, 2009).


EDM Going for 5: The Eskimos come into this game riding a 4-game win streak. Their most recent 5-game winning streak in one season was a 5-game run to start 2011. This current 4-game win streak is the longest they have been on heading into a meeting with Calgary since September 6, 2002.


Fastest to 100 wins: Coach John Hufnagel comes into this game with a record of 99-40-1 and this marks Game #141 in his CFL head coaching career.


Edmonton Sacks: The Eskimos are #3 in the CFL with 37 sacks but were blanked last week by Winnipeg. That made it 3 times in their last 7 games without a QB sack for Edmonton and only 10 in total over that span. Odell Willis has gone 5 games without a sack overall and his last one against Calgary came on Jul 24/14. The most recent sack by Marcus Howard came on Aug 13/15.


Opponents Under 20 points: The Eskimos have held 9 opponents to 19 points or less already this season and are 8-1 in those games. The last season when Edmonton did that more than 9 times was in 1995 when 13 opponents failed to hit 20 points.


Player Highlights


Brett Smith: Last week’s #2 Riders QB came off the bench last week at BC and led three late drives. He engineered a TD drive and 111 yards of offence in the final 12:509 of the game. His record as a starter in 2015 is 1-5.


Weston Dressler: Over the last 4 games he has made more than 3 catches only once with totals of 12 receptions for just 94 yards and no TDs. He had 20 catches for 320 yards in his first 3 games of 2015, and only 29 for 270 yards in his last 8 games.


Kevin Glenn: If Glenn starts this game for Saskatchewan it will be his 22nd career start against Hamilton and he has gone 14-7 thus far. That his best career record against any opponent among his 90-87-1 overall record as a starter. Glenn has generated more offence than any CFL QB this year on a per possession basis at 32.3 yards.


Jerome Messam: Heading into this week, he trailed BC’s Andrew Harris (819) by just one yard in the rushing race. Messam had 42 yards last week and with 30 rushes of 10+ yards is 9 ahead of Harris in that stat category.


Justin Medlock: Ranks #2 this season at 88.2% on 30-of-34 FG attempts, but in his career he is the #1 all-time leader at 87.2% (min, 140 attempts). From 40 yards and in during 2015 he is a perfect 19-of-19. He leads the CFL in scoring with 137 points.


Ray Early: Has climbed up to #3 in the CFL at 45.1 yards per punt and #2 in net punting at 37.6 yards. He has 23 punts of 50+ yards this year.


Namaan Roosevelt: The first-year CFL receiver has made the most of his catches in the last 3 games. He has 8 receptions in this 3 games but they have gone 231 yards (28.9 yard average) and two TDs. Roosevelt has made one 30+ yard reception in each of his last three games.


Deron Mayo: Has made 14 tackles in his last two games and risen to #6 in the CFL with 65 defensive stops, two short of his career-high of 67 set last year.


Bo Levi Mitchell: Calgary is now 26-5 when Bo Levi Mitchell starts at QB after last week’s win over Hamilton. Mitchell is tied with Tracy Ham at 25-5 over his first 30
career starts. This season he is 11-3 and 5-1 vs Edmonton across his CFL career.


Freddie Bishop III: Has now extended his current streak to at least one QB sack in the last 6 games. Teammate Charleston Hughes is tied with Bishop at #3 in the CFL with 9 in total but has not had a sack in the last 4 games.


Mike Reilly: Ranks as the #3 rusher among CFL QBs this year and he has only played 6 games. Since returning from injury he has 171 yards rushing in 5 games on 32 attempts with 7 of 10+ yards. Last week Reilly threw for 298 yards (his second-highest total of 2015) but also has thrown 3 interceptions over the last two games.


Looking Ahead


Two-game skid: The Tiger-Cats come into this week with their first two-game losing streak of the year. They will be trying to avoid their first three-game home losing streak since September 19, 2008, a span of 64 games.


The Week After (2-4): The Ticats lost last week in the game after losing their #1 QB. That is the sixth such game across the CFL where a club lost their #1 – Edmonton and Montreal won the next week, while BC, Hamilton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg lost. Last week’s start by Jeff Mathews broke a run of 23 straight starts by Zach Collaros (Hamilton went 16-7).


For Saskatchewan to be in the playoffs: The Riders have not yet been eliminated but require help and a 4-game win streak. Mathematically, 16 games involve their playoff fate and 15 must go in their favour. BC must lose all five, Winnipeg must beat BC this week and lose their other games, the Riders must go 4-0, and Montreal must lose 4 of their 5 games.


Second half of the season: Last year Hamilton went 7-2 after the halfway point, this year they are 2-2 after a 6-3 first half.


Hamilton starting RB: The Ticats have now started four different players at running back beginning with Ray Holley and moving on to C.J. Gable, Nic Grigsby and last week Michael Ford in his return to the club. Overall, Hamilton has started 44 different players in 2015 including 8 offensive linemen.


Hamilton 0-4 in close games: The Stampeders made two late field goals to come back from a 13-point deficit and beat Hamilton 23-20. That makes the Ticats 0-4 in games decided by 4 points or less. Since 2011, Hamilton has played 25 games that were diced by 4 points or less and are 7-18 in those contests.


Blocked kicks: The Riders blocked two kicks in their game at BC Place last week (Knox: convert and Monroe: punt). It was the first time in over 6 years that a club had blocked two kicks in the same game (BC had two on July 3, 2009).


Hamilton Turnovers: Over the season’s first 11 games, the Tiger-Cats were +22 in the Turnover department. Over their last two games they have gone -7. Despite that, Hamilton leads the CFL by far at +15.


Riders close games: Saskatchewan is 0-7 in games decided by 4 points or less in 2015. Last year they had just two of these close type of games and won both.


Fantasy Notes


QB: Trevor Harris (39.6%), Henry Burris (14.5%), Bo Levi Mitchell (14.0%), Zach Collaros (7.5%), Kevin Glenn (4.4%)


RB: Brandon Whitaker (20.6%), Jeremiah Johnson (20.5%), Jerome Messam (15.9%), Anthony Coombs (5.6%), Cameron Marshall (5.3%)


REC: Tori Gurley (30.9%), Kevin Elliott (19.6%), Eric Rogers (13.6%), Kenny Stafford (9.5%), Ernest Jackson (9.1%)


Flex: Chad Owens (5.8%), Jeremiah Johnson (5.7%), Tori Gurley (7.05.7%), Kevin Elliott (4.3%), Terrell Sinkfield (4.2%)


Kicker: Justin Palardy (27.8%), Boris Bede (18.2%), Rene Paredes (13.6%), Paul McCallum (11.5%), Justin Medlock (7.9%)


Defence/ST: Toronto (31.0%), Hamilton (15.5%), Calgary (15.1%), Saskatchewan (9.9%), Edmonton (8.7%)

2015 Regular Season Standings


West Division

GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV STREAK


x - Calgary 14 11 3 0 22 370 290 7 - 0 - 0 4 - 3 - 0 6 - 1 - 0 W3

x - Edmonton 14 10 4 0 20 350 261 6 - 1 - 0 4 - 3 - 0 5 - 2 - 0 W4

BC 13 5 8 0 10 314 365 3 - 3 - 0 2 - 5 - 0 4 - 3 - 0 W1


Winnipeg 14 4 10 0 8 269 401 3 - 5 - 0 1 - 5 - 0 3 - 6 - 0 L3


Saskatchewan 14 2 12 0 4 342 432 2 - 6 - 0 0 - 6 - 0 1 - 7 - 0 L1



East Division

GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV STREAK


Hamilton 13 8 5 0 16 430 269 4 - 3 - 0 4 - 2 - 0 3 - 2 - 0 L2


Toronto 13 8 5 0 16 350 383 4 - 1 - 0 4 - 4 - 0 3 - 3 - 0 W2


Ottawa 14 8 6 0 16 354 376 5 - 2 - 0 3 - 4 - 0 3 - 3 - 0 L1


Montreal 13 5 8 0 10 280 282 3 - 3 - 0 2 - 5 - 0 2 - 3 - 0 L2




Legend
y - Clinched Division


x - Clinched Playoff Berth

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack


-- Colts 27, Texans 20-- Gutty effort by 40-year old QB Hasselbeck, who was sick for much of the week before this game.


-- NFL teams coming off a bye are 386-376 vs spread; under is 403-372, so no real trends have emerged as far as post-bye teams go.


-- Washington 17, USC 12-- Natives in Trojan Nation are officially restless.


-- Minnesota 5, Colorado 4-- Avalanche led 4-1, then gave up four goals in 5:07 as the Wild won its opener. Colorado coach Patrick Roy was not happy. Not at all.


-- Not only are road teams 4-0 in baseball playoffs, home team hasn't led in any of the games yet.


-- Restaurant recommendation: Fellini's in the Stratosphere-- this is a very good place to eat. I had chicken parm; their bread is as good as I've ever had.


**********


Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Things I'm looking for this weekend.......


13) NLDS series start today; road teams are 4-0 so far in playoffs, under is 3-0-1. Shadows shouldn't be a problem in LA; at 5:10 Thursday, shadows were already in the outfield, so the hitters should be able to see just fine.


12) There are only three 4:00 games Sunday; NFL was banking on NE-Dallas game to entertain America for three hours, but with Romo out, can Cowboys compete?


11) Georgia got squashed at home last week by Alabama; Tennessee lost last two games, both at home. Loser of this game is going to take some serious heat.


10) Seattle hasn't allowed a TD since Kam Chancellor came back; Cincinnati's offense is underrated because national media doesn't care about the Bengals. Interesting matchup; this would've been a good 4:25 Sunday game


9) Northwestern has been tormented by Michigan in last three meetings; a 10-9 loss and two OT losses. Wildcats are 5-0; can they score on Michigan's stout defense?


8) Buffalo is 2-2, but losses were to Brady/Eli Manning, both multiple Super Bowl winners; this is a game Bills have to have if they are payoff contenders.


7) Clemson had an emotional win last week; now skidding Georgia Tech comes to town and this is a dangerous game for the Tigers.


6) If Texas loses to Oklahoma Saturday and the Eagles get upset by New Orleans Sunday, the Chip Kelly-to-Texas rumors are going to gain momentum. Philly is at its best when Bradford throws long; maybe they should do it more often.


5) Rams seem to play with more spunk against divisional rivals; Todd Gurley gave the offense a huge boost last week in Arizona; can he do it again this week at Lambeau Field, where Aaron Rodgers is usually close to being perfect?


4) Navy is 10-1 vs spread in its last 11 visits to Notre Dame; Irish are licking their wounds after the Clemson loss. Navy is 24-9 as an underdog since 2005.


3) 4-0 Falcons are turning into a juggernaut; OC Kyle Shanahan once got fired by the Redskins, along with his dad. Think this game is personal to him?


2) Who thought Cal-Utah would be a huge Pac-12 game? Well, it is.


1) Why is Tampa Bay favored over anyone? Only reason I'm not taking Jaguars this week is that it is their third week in row on road, usually a very bad spot for visiting NFL teams.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9


Game Score Status Pick Amount


Saskatchewan - 7:30 PM ET Saskatchewan +7.5 500 *****


Hamilton - Over 50 500 DOUBLE PLAY




WNBA


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9


Game Score Status Pick Amount


Minnesota - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota +2 500 DOUBLE PLAY


Indiana - Over 145.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY