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Preview: Blackhawks (0-1) at Predators (0-0)

Date: October 14, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

On the eve of perhaps their most anticipated season in franchise history, the Nashville Predators spent the final days working on the one thing that cost them playoff positioning last season: overtime hockey.

Nashville, which hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night in sold-out Bridgestone Arena, dropped 14 games in overtime or in shootouts last season. The 14 losses were more than every team except Carolina (16) and Philadelphia (14).

Had it won even four or five of those games, it might not have had to travel back-and-forth to the west coast for four weeks to play grueling seven-game series with Anaheim and San Jose.

"We weren't good in the 3-on-3 and we need to be better there," defenseman Mattias Ekholm said to NHL.com. "It's nice to get a foundation for it again, and then maybe put emphasis on it. We need to get better at it, that's just the bottom line."

If the Predators are to create the edge in a stacked Central Division that includes perhaps four of the NHL's top 10 teams, that means winning more of the close games they lost a season ago. Beating Chicago would certainly be a good way to start.

Nashville went 2-3-0 against the Blackhawks last season, splitting the two meetings at home. Of course, that was a different Predators team, one which didn't have the services of defenseman P.K. Subban, who was acquired on June 29 in a blockbuster trade that sent captain Shea Weber to Montreal.

Adding Subban to a defense corps already featuring All-Star Roman Josi, Ekholm and Ryan Ellis has made Nashville one of the preseason favorites in the Western Conference.

Of course, the Blackhawks figure to have something to say about that, even though they opened their season Wednesday night in the United Center with a 5-2 home loss to St. Louis.

With four rookies on its opening-night roster, Chicago was outshot 32-19 by a Blues team skating without top-six forward Jaden Schwartz. The Blackhawks were also troubled by a breakdown in discipline, taking three straight minors late in the second period that led to two power-play goals which turned a 2-1 lead into a 3-2 deficit they never overcame.

St. Louis scored its first three goals with the man advantage and the last two after Chicago emptied the net for an extra attacker.

"We want to make sure we're playing the right way from start to finish," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "There will definitely be some learning going on, and we'll be accepting mistakes from hard work, but that's where you get better."

Chicago will get defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson back after he served a suspension for a charging penalty on St. Louis' Ty Rattie in an exhibition game. It could also get a milestone goal from forward Marian Hossa, who needs one to reach 500 in his career.

But the spotlight figures to be on Nashville, which believes it has the ingredients to play hockey in late May or even early June.

"I think we'll be ready," coach Peter Laviolette said to NHL.com.

NHL roundup: Marchand-Backes-Pastrnak line powers Bruins over Jackets
By The Sports Xchange

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With the normal opening night excitement palpable, the Boston Bruins overcame two, two-goal deficits to top the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night.
Brad Marchand was the Bruins catalyst, dishing out three helpers in the second period before scoring two goals in the third to seal the victory.
Offseason addition David Backes added two goals and an assist and David Pastrnak had two goals and two assists for the Bruins.
Seth Jones had a goal and an assist and Alexander Wennberg and Cam Atkinson scored a goal each for the Blue Jackets.

Rangers 5, Islanders 3
NEW YORK -- Chris Kreider's breakaway goal midway through the third period helped propel the Rangers over the Islanders in the season opener for both at Madison Square Garden.
Brandon Pirri added an insurance goal for the Rangers on a power play with 3:49 remaining to restore the two-goal advantage. J.T. Miller shot a puck into an empty net with 2:23 remaining to make it 5-2.
Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders with 1:35 remaining to cut the lead to 5-3 and cap the scoring.
Michael Grabner and Mats Zuccarello gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead, but Nick Leddy and Cal Clutterbuck answered for the Islanders in the third period.

Canadiens 4, Sabres 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Brendan Gallagher scored twice to lead Montreal over Buffalo in the season opener for both teams.
Making matters worse for the Sabres, Evander Kane left the game late in the second period after sustaining what appeared to be a serious injury.
Torrey Mitchell and Andrew Shaw also scored for the Canadiens, who got 30 saves from Al Montoya.
Matt Moulson scored the lone goal for the Sabres. Buffalo goalie Robin Lehner made 20 saves.

Lightning 6, Red Wings 4
TAMPA, Fla. -- Down 2-0 in the first 10 minutes, Tampa Bay rallied back in the final period, getting the go-ahead goal on a power play from Tyler Johnson for an emphatic victory over Detroit at Amalie Arena.
Brian Boyle, Jonathan Drouin, Valtteri Filppula, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn and Cedric Paquette all scored for the Lightning.
Tomas Vanek scored twice, and Frans Nielsen and Danny DeKeyser scored on each for the Red Wings.

Panthers 2, Devils 1 (OT)
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Aleksander Barkov scored the winning goal with 2:12 left in overtime to lead Florida over New Jersey in the season opener for both teams on Thursday night at the BB&T Center.
It was fitting that Barkov, who wears No. 16, had the game-winner as the Panthers honored another No. 16, the late Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins, throughout the night.
Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo had 23 saves in the victory while Cory Schneider of the Devils made 31 stops.
Jonathan Marchessault also scored for Florida, while P.A. Parenteau, who was picked up off the waiver wire this week after being released by the New York Islanders, scored the Devils' lone goal.

Blues 3, Wild 2
ST. LOUIS -- Nail Yakupov scored one goal and assisted on another to lead St. Louis over Minnesota in its home opener.
Magnus Paajarvi and Alex Steen also scored for the Blues.
Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle scored for Minnesota in the coaching debut of Bruce Boudreau.

Jets 5, Hurricanes 4 (OT)
WINNIPEG -- Blake Wheeler broke in on a two-on-one with Mark Scheifele with just over two minutes to go in the extra period and Scheifele tapped home a cross-crease pass for the Winnipeg winner vs. Carolina.
Wheeler, Shawn Matthias, rookie Patrik Laine and Mathieu Perreault also scored for the Jets while Jeff Skinner, Lee Stempniak and Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes.

Penguins 3, Capitals 2 (OT)
PITTSBURGH -- Phil Kessel scored the decisive goal in the shootout, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist to support Marc-Andre Fleury's strong night in net, and Pittsburgh beat Washington.
Andre Burakovsky scored twice for Washington, but Fleury -- starting his 11th consecutive Penguins season opener, made 39 saves -- six alone in the overtime, including several difficult stops that kept the extra period going.
Malkin, Kris Letang and Kessel all beat Braden Holtby to score in the shootout, while Fleury turned aside two of the four Capitals shooters.

Stars 4, Ducks 2
DALLAS -- Newcomer Adam Cracknell had a goal and an assist and Antti Niemi stopped 33 of 35 shots for Dallas in a victory against Anaheim at American Airlines Center.
Antoine Roussel, Lauri Korpikoski and Stephen Johns also scored for the Stars while Andrew Cogliano scored both goals for the Ducks, his ninth career multi-goal game.

Preview: Flyers (0-0) at Kings (0-1)

Date: October 14, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The joyous occasion expected when the Los Angeles Kings kick off their 50th anniversary season in the NHL on Friday night at Staples Center against the Philadelphia Flyers will be somewhat muted with the loss of standout goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Quick was placed on injured reserve Thursday in what the Kings believe is a significant injury to his lower back. Quick was hurt in the first period of Wednesday's 2-1 defeat by the San Jose Sharks. Although results of an MRI weren't available, club officials say Quick is week-to-week, meaning the goalie could miss a large chunk of playing time.

Quick, one of the most durable goalies, led all NHL netminders with more than 4,000 minutes logged and was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season. Without question, his absence leaves a huge void.

"Jonathan's obviously a special player," Kings coach Darryl Sutter told the media after Thursday's practice. "You just don't replace that. It's no different than any other star player in your lineup. You just don't replace it or expect somebody to play the same way or do the same things, but we also know that we're quite capable at that position."

Jeff Zatkoff, who replaced Quick against the Sharks, is scheduled to start against Philadelphia. Zatkoff saved 15 of 16 shots in the setback to San Jose. He was 4-7 in 11 starts last season for the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, recording a postseason win en route to their Stanley Cup title.

The Kings recalled Peter Budaj from Ontario to serve as Zatkoff's backup. Budaj earned a league-high 42 victories and nine shutouts in the AHL last season.

In addition to Quick, the Kings will be without wingers Marian Gaborik and Tanner Pearson. Gaborik will miss at least another month with a broken right foot, while Pearson will serve his fourth and final game of a suspension for an illegal check in an exhibition contest.

The Flyers, who will be making their season debut, are led by center Claude Giroux and right winger Wayne Simmonds. Giroux led the Flyers with 67 points (22 goals, 45 assists) last season, and Simmonds produced 60 points and scored a club-best 32 goals.

The Flyers have high expectations.

"Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup," said Giroux, according to Philly.com. "We know it's a process. We know it's not going to happen overnight. But we're putting in the work, and I think the last three years we've learned a lot. We have a lot of guys that have been here the last three years and every year we keep learning."

Two players who will not play at Los Angeles are defensemen Radko Gudas and Michael Del Zotto. Gudas was suspended six games for interference in a preseason game. Del Zotto sustained a lower body injury in an exhibition contest that will keep him on the shelf four to five weeks.

The Kings will honor their inaugural 1967-68 club, which played the franchise's first game on Oct. 14, 1967 against the Flyers at Long Beach Arena. Fourteen members of the team will be feted in a pregame celebration.

NHL

Friday’s games

Chicago lost its home opener 5-2 to St Louis Wednesday; Blackhawks are 6-3 in last nine games vs Nashville. Home side is 8-2 in last 10 meetings, with visitor winning last two. Over is 3-0-1 in last four meetings in this building.

Edmonton beat Calgary 7-4 Wednesday as they opened their new arena; Oilers are 3-7 in last 10 games with Calgary (3-3 in last six), but lost four of last five visits to Saddledome. Over is 6-3 in last nine series games, 4-1 in this building.

Road team won six of last eight Philly-LA games, with Kings going 5-3 in those games (under 5-0-3). Flyers won four of last five games in Staples Center. LA lost 2-1 at San Jose in its season opener Wednesday.

NHL

Friday’s games

Chicago lost its home opener 5-2 to St Louis Wednesday; Blackhawks are 6-3 in last nine games vs Nashville. Home side is 8-2 in last 10 meetings, with visitor winning last two. Over is 3-0-1 in last four meetings in this building.

Edmonton beat Calgary 7-4 Wednesday as they opened their new arena; Oilers are 3-7 in last 10 games with Calgary (3-3 in last six), but lost four of last five visits to Saddledome. Over is 6-3 in last nine series games, 4-1 in this building.

Road team won six of last eight Philly-LA games, with Kings going 5-3 in those games (under 5-0-3). Flyers won four of last five games in Staples Center. LA lost 2-1 at San Jose in its season opener Wednesday.

Preview: Oilers (1-0) at Flames (0-1)

Date: October 14, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

After taking care of business at their new home on opening night, the Edmonton Oilers will look to keep things rolling down the road in Calgary on Friday.

New captain Connor McDavid scored twice -- including the game-winning goal on a penalty shot -- and added an assist to lead the Oilers to a 7-4 win over the Flames in the first-ever regular season game at Rogers Place.

Although the Oilers skated to victory in front of 18,347 fans, Edmonton coach Todd McLellan said his team will have to play much better in order to win the rematch in Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

"There are some areas, a lot of areas of our game, that we're going to have to improve on," said McLellan. "When you're not playing your best, it's nice to win."

While the Oilers remained in Edmonton to practice on Thursday, the Flames returned home to Calgary to get ready for their home opener.

"They won their home game, so now it's on us," Calgary captain Mark Giordano said after being reunited with defense partner T.J. Brodie at Thursday's practice. "We've got to win ours."

The Flames won four of the past five meetings at the Saddledome between the two Alberta rivals.

After enduring a seven-game losing streak to the Flames from March 22, 2014 to Dec. 27, 2015, the Oilers have been more competitive of late, winning three of the past six matchups.

Not only would McLellan like to see the Oilers remain competitive against the Flames, he'd like to see both teams get themselves in a position to vie for playoff spots.

"The Battle of Alberta's huge, it means a lot to both communities and the province," he said. "It's sizzle has diminished a little, likely because both teams haven't been where they need to be -- in the playoff hunt and a potential matchup in the playoffs. We both have work to do. Calgary has work to do, we have work to do, to rekindle that rivalry. But when the two teams meet, now, it's always a special night."

Forward Troy Brouwer, who signed as a free agent in Calgary in the offseason, said he believes that the Flames have what it takes to bounce back on Friday.

"We would like to be a little bit further ahead than we showed tonight," said Brouwer after Wednesday's game. "It's a work in progress. Tonight was not good enough, by far. But we have the guys in here with the desire to get better, to work harder and make sure that collectively we are moving forward."

After Thursday's practice, new Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan said that the Flames have to put Wednesday's disappointing loss behind them heading into the back half of the home-and-home series.

"Now that we're past it, we're just going to look ahead at our game and what we need to do on Friday to return the favor," he said. "We didn't execute our game plan. There were lots of turnovers, which feeds their attack, which is high end. They like a lot of chances off the rush and a lot of them we fed them. We need to clean that up."

Oilers defenseman Brandon Davidson, who left Wednesday's game after a second-period collision with Calgary's Matthew Tkachuk, was placed on injured reserve on Thursday with an upper-body injury that McLellan stressed wasn't a head injury or a concussion. Also on Thursday, the Oilers recalled defenseman Eric Gryba from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.

Preview: Lynx (28-6) at Sparks (26-8)

Date: October 14, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- Los Angeles Sparks coach Brian Agler had just finished with a split in the first two games of the WNBA Finals in Minnesota and was asked about his feeling heading back home for two games.

The home-court advantage in the series had seemingly flipped in Los Angeles' favor when the Sparks took Game 1 with a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot by 12-year veteran Alana Beard. Following the Game 2 loss, Agler didn't seem at ease despite heading to Los Angeles with a split.

"You know, I'm glad we won a game," Agler said, almost tentative of his team's chances against the defending champion Lynx. "You're sitting back and saying, 'Well, that team has got to win on the road. That's going to be very important,' and it is, there's no question about it. But from my seat now, I don't really look at it that way. I just sort of focus on the next game...

"Our focus right now is to win one more game. That's what we want to do. We want to win one more game, and then we'll see where we stand and we'll go from there."

Minnesota won Game 2 on Tuesday night, 79-60, finally pulling away in what had been a close series until the second quarter on Tuesday. Game 3 is Friday at the Galen Center.

Agler's hesitancy is fitting a series against the Lynx, who are seeking their fourth championship in six years. Last year, Minnesota lost the first game on its home court before beating Indiana in five games. The Lynx won Game 2 at home before going on the road and taking back the home-court advantage with a Game 3 win in Indiana.

"We have a lot of confidence," Minnesota guard Seimone Augustus said after 14 points in Tuesday's victory. "Like you said, we were in this position before, last year. And, I mean, the thing for us is we know what we needed to do."

The Lynx have been in a similar position not only in recovering from a blown Game 1. Minnesota's core has been around during their championship runs.

Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson have been key players on each of the championship teams. Even relative newcomer Sylvia Fowles has played nine WNBA seasons and was on last year's title team, winning the Finals MVP.

Los Angeles features one player with Finals experience in seldom-used center Ann Wauters.

The inexperience might have shown on Tuesday when the Sparks' couldn't counter the Lynx big runs.

"Everybody just kind of has to do a better job of helping one another," Los Angeles guard Kristi Toliver said. "Sometimes it's hard in an environment like this, and it just feels like everything is going a mile a minute. You kind of just have to take a pause sometimes, and I think (Tuesday) we didn't take that pause."

Los Angeles led the league during the regular season by shooting 48.7 percent from the floor. On Tuesday, the Sparks shot just 32.9 percent (23 of 70). League MVP Nneka Ogwumike took just six shots, making five in a 14-point performance.

Meanwhile, the Lynx controlled the boards with a 46-32 rebounding advantage.

"I think there's only one statistic that maybe there's a separator between the two teams, and it's rebounding," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. "So, we might as well try to use it to our advantage, and it gives you the extra possessions. We got some good hustle plays."

Moore, who was third in MVP voting behind Ogwumike and New York's Tina Charles, was the star of Game 2. Moore scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the game, and keyed a 17-3 lead in the second quarter as the Lynx took control of the game and changed the outlook of the series.

"It's a series," Toliver said. "I said after Game 3 when we lost in Chicago (in the semifinals) that we weren't going to sweep them, and we're not going to sweep now in the Finals. We're still a confident group. We still feel good.

"We came here to do what we wanted to do, and that was to get one (win). We feel pretty good about that, and now we need to take care of business at home."

CFL Betting Notes - Week 17
By David Schwab

While it still might be a case of too little, too late Saskatchewan posted its third-straight win on Friday by beating Ottawa 32-20 in overtime as a 6 ½-point road favorite.

In Saturday’s CFL action, Winnipeg won a crucial West Division showdown by beating British Columbia 37-35 as a slight 1 ½-point favorite at home.

There were two games on Monday’s CFL holiday slate starting with Edmonton doubling up Montreal 40-20 as a three-point road favorite.

In the other matchup, Calgary continued its winning ways with a routine 48-20 romp over Toronto as a 9 ½-point road favorite to extend its current SU winning streak to 12 games.

Friday, Oct. 14

Ottawa RedBlacks (6-7-1 SU, 5-9 ATS) vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-8 SU, 5-9 ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -2
Total: 53

Game Overview

Ottawa has now lost five of its last seven games both straight-up and against the spread heading into the first game of this crucial East Division home-and-home series. Defensively, the RedBlacks have given up an average of 33 points over their last four games as opposed to a season average of 27.6 points allowed. In last week’s stunning loss to Saskatchewan, Ottawa turned to veteran quarterback Henry Burris for a spark and it is unclear as to whether or not Trevor Harris will remain the starter for Friday night.

The Tiger-Cats stumbled into last week’s bye with a troubling 1-3 SU record in their previous four games while going a costly 0-4 ATS. Their main issue during this recent slide has been putting points on the board with an average of just 19 points over their last four contests. The total has stayed UNDER in their last three games. Last time out against Calgary in Week 15, both Zach Collaros and Jeramiah Masoli saw action at quarterback after Collaros was injured in the first half. He is listed as out for Friday night.

Betting Trends

The RedBlacks have won the last three meetings SU and they have a 4-1 edge ATS in the last five games between these division rivals. The total has gone OVER in three of the last four meetings.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-6 SU, 8-6-1 ATS) vs. BC Lions (9-6 SU, 10-4 ATS)
Point-spread: BC -5 ½
Total: 54 ½

Game Overview

This will be the second game in this West Division home-and-home showdown with Winnipeg gaining the early edge. Matt Nichols put the ball up 32 times in last week’s win against BC and his top two targets were Weston Dressler and Andrew Harris with a combined 10 catches for 115 yards and a score. The Blue Bombers gave up a total of 422 passing yards in that game along with another 91 yards on the ground.

While Jonathon Jennings had a career day throwing the ball in the first meeting, he also tossed a pair of interceptions that did not help BC’s cause. The Lions got a huge effort from wide receivers’ Bryan Burnham and Emmanuel Arceneaux in last week’s losing effort. Burnham caught nine balls for 208 yards and Arceneaux added 10 receptions for 150 yards, but neither player made their way into the end zone against the Blue Bombers.

Betting Trends

Winnipeg has now won four of the last six meetings SU with a 4-1-1 record ATS. The total went OVER last week’s 54-point closing line and it has gone OVER in three of the last four meetings.

Preview: Ottawa Redblacks at Hamilton Tiger Cats
Friday, October 14, 2016 7:00 PM

Steeltown showdown opens East Division deciding set

Say what you will about Friday’s Steeltown showdown between the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, it’s a big game anyway you slice it.

A rematch of last year’s East Division final. A chance for the REDBLACKS to get back on track after a heartbreaking overtime loss last week. A chance for Hamilton to hold off Ottawa’s push for a playoff spot and vault themselves into the division lead.

It may be all of those things, but mostly it’s Game 15 of 18 for both teams. The East playoff picture likely won’t be set until the bitter end and everyone knows that, regardless of opponent, a win is critically important, regardless of storylines.

While Ottawa’s lineup will be similar to the one that lost in overtime to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at TD Place last week, the one big difference will be the man under centre, as Henry Burris will get the ball for Friday’s showdown. Burris, the reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player, came into last week’s game late and provided an immediate spark as he drove his team to overtime but came up just short.

“I’m definitely confident, I’m a confident guy and I feel when I get out there I can do some things to help my team out,” Burris said. “It’s an opportunity for me to go out and execute. I know it’s a big game and everything but for me I focus more on the fact that if we go out and execute and do our jobs, everything is going to take care of itself.”

The Tiger-Cats return to action after losing back-to-back games but are led by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who has won both previous games he’s played against Ottawa (Burris is 13-9 all-time against Hamilton). The 28-year-old has completed 178 of 259 passes this year for 2,058 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

In terms of getting after Masoli, the REDBLACKS will have another weapon back in the lineup Friday as defensive lineman Arnaud Gascon-Nadon will return from an extended stay on the injured list. Though he’s only suited up for five games this season, the Montrealer is tied for fourth on his team with three sacks.

A former Tiger-Cat who signed with Ottawa in the off-season, Gascon-Nadon knows what the REDBLACKS can expect.

“I know they’re going to lay it out there and they’ll have a great game plan, guys are going to come out and play, we just have to match that,” he said. “I think we’re all frustrated that we could have won so many of those tights game. We’ve just got to find a way now to the end of the year to have that right mindset at the end of the game and clinch these wins.”

With all of the CFL’s East Division teams still in the running for a playoff spot, the REDBLACKS want to lock up their post-season plans as soon as possible. A win Friday against Hamilton, coupled with Toronto and Montreal losses in their respective games, would do just that.

The REDBLACKS return home next week for the second half of this home-and-home series against Hamilton, with the Tiger-Cats visiting TD Place on October 21.

Preview: Ottawa Redblacks at Hamilton Tiger Cats
By Randy Chambers
Pick, Odds, Prediction
Friday, October 14, 2016 at 7:00 PM (Tim Hortons Field)
The Line: Tiger-Cats -2.5 -- Over/Under: 52.5
TV: TSN


The Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats meet Friday night in a CFL showdown at Tim Hortons Field on TSN.

The Ottawa Redblacks could use a feel good win after losing five of their last seven games. The Ottawa Redblacks have lost three of their last four road games. Trevor Harris is completing 73.6 percent of his passes for 3,301 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. Harris has three touchdown passes in his last three games. Chris Williams and Greg Ellingson have combined for more than 2,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns while Ernest Jackson has 67 receptions. The Ottawa Redblacks ground game is averaging 87.7 yards per contest, and Travon Van leads the way with 317 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Ottawa is allowing 27.6 points and 381.4 yards per game. Damaso Munoz leads the Ottawa Redblacks with 62 tackles, Zack Evans has six sacks and Mitchell White has two interceptions.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats also need a nice victory after losing six of their last nine games. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have won three of their last four home games. Zach Collaros is completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 2,531 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Collaros and Jeremiah Masoli have combined for 26 touchdown passes. Andy Fantuz and Luke Tasker have combined for more than 1,700 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while Chad Owens has 58 receptions. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats ground game is averaging 64 yards per contest, and C.J. Gable leads the way with 500 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Hamilton is allowing 26.8 points and 363.6 yards per game. Simoni Lawrence leads the Tiger-Cats with 74 tackles, John Chick has 10 sacks and Emanuel Davis has five interceptions.

The RedBlacks are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 road games and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Tiger-Cats are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 Friday games and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall. The RedBlacks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings and the under is 3-0-1 in Tiger-Cats last 4 games overall.

Both of these teams need a victory and you could really make a case for either side given the way both clubs are playing. However, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have played their best ball at home while the Redblacks continue to struggle on the road. The home team has also won four of the six meetings between Ottawa and Hamilton. So, in a toss-up game, I'm going to side with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on their home field.


RANDY'S PICK
Hamilton Tiger-Cats -2.5

Preview: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at B.C. Lions
By Randy Chambers
Pick, Odds, Prediction
Friday, October 14, 2016 at 10:00 pm (BC Place)
The Line: Lions -5 -- Over/Under: 54.5
TV: TSN

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and BC Lions play a week 17 CFL matchup Friday night at the BC Place.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to stay hot in the West after winning eight of their last 10 games. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won four of their last five road games. Matt Nichols is completing 68.7 percent of his passes for 2,777 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. Nichols has six touchdown passes in his last three games. Weston Dressler and Clarence Denmark have combined for more than 1,400 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while Darvin Adams has 36 receptions. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers ground game is averaging 84.3 yards per contest, and Andrew Harris leads the way with 743 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Winnipeg is allowing 25.3 points and 429.5 yards per game. Kevin Fogg leads the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with 72 tackles, Jamaal Westerman has seven sacks and Maurice Leggett has seven interceptions.

The BC Lions also look to stay hot after winning six of their last nine games. The BC Lions have not lost back-to-back games all season long. Jonathon Jennings is completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 4,078 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Jennings has five passing touchdowns in his last three games. Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham have combined for more than 2,200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while Shawn Gore has 55 receptions. The BC Lions ground game is averaging 106.2 yards per contest, and Jeremiah Johnson leads the way with 509 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, BC is allowing 26.4 points and 377.4 yards per game. Solomon Elimimian leads the Lions with 105 tackles, Alex Bazzie has 10 sacks and Anthony Gaitor has two interceptions.

The Blue Bombers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Lions are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Blue Bombers are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 meetings in BC and 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings overall.

Winnipeg has won the last three meetings against BC, including a two-point victory just last week at home, so there's value with the points and the Blue Bombers. However, the BC Lions have won six of the last 10 meetings against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers overall. The BC Lions also haven't lost two straight games all season long and have been one of the better covering teams over the course of the last 10 games or so. I'm going to side with the home team in BC to get its bounce back victory.

RANDY'S PICK
BC Lions -5

Preview: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at B.C. Lions
By Matt Baker
Friday, October 14, 2016 at 10:00 PM (BC Place Stadium)

One more time: Lions And Bombers Battle for 2nd In West

our BC Lions (9-5) are aiming for a little payback when they entertain Andrew Harris and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-6) on Friday night at BC Place Stadium. Wally Buono has his troops focussed and ready to erase a 37-35 loss in the Manitoba capital last week, a result that further tightened the race for second in the West and a home playoff game on November 13th. There was little time for celebration after losses by Toronto and Montreal put the Lions into the playoffs for a 20th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the CFL. “What we’re chasing right now is a win on Friday night and putting us in a position to host a playoff game,” Buono said. The first objective has been achieved and the next objective is winning Friday night.”

Despite trailing by 21 points early in the second quarter, the Lions were in a position to win before Chris Rainey was stopped short on a third and one inside the Bombers’ five-yard line with under a minute to play. The Lions ended the day by converting just twice on five attempts in the red zone. “What you do in the red zone usually means whether you win or lose,” Buono said. “When you play a good team, and the next four games are all going to be this way, you’ve got to put points on the board when you’re down there.”

The math is simple: A win on Friday by three points or more, followed by a victory of any kind over Edmonton at home on October 22nd would clinch the Lions’ first home playoff game since 2012. The Eskimos (8-7) have a bye before they prep for next Saturday’s showdown here.

Here are some other storylines for Friday’s re-match:
Burnham: The Sequel

The collective grown you hear from Manitoba is probably coming from the Bombers’ film sessions where acrobatic plays by Bryan Burnham are being shown on a loop. Burnham further established himself as one of the league’s up and coming game breakers last week, hauling in nine catches for 208 yards and earning CFL Player of the Week honours as a result. His total was the second-highest single game mark in the league this season and first 200-yard performance by a Leos’ receiver since Geroy Simon in 2007. That being said, Burnham is taking nothing for granted going into round two against the Bombers defence. “I don’t know how much of an advantage it is because it’s the same thing for them,” Burnham said of facing the same foe back to back. “All that matters is how we prepare for this week. We still have to prepare like it’s a new team.” Shawn Gore makes his return to the lineup after going through concussion protocol all week, meaning the potential for a more balanced offensive attack is there as well. Burnham and Manny Arceneaux combined for 19 of 28 completions by Jonathon Jennings. “It’ll be nice to be able to spread the ball around a little bit more,” Burnham added. “Hopefully everyone gets to touch it.”

Harris Returns To BC Place

Harris’s return from an ankle injury provided the Blue Bombers with a much-needed spark last week as the former Lion had 66 yards rushing on 12 carries and also opened the scoring with a touchdown reception on the game’s opening drive. Now he looks to put on a show in front of the fans that cheered him on from 2010 to 2015. Harris told TSN 1040 there is no bitterness toward his former squad: “I’m not bitter at all. It’s part of this business. Sometimes you move on, sometimes you stay. So many different things can happen in a professional football player’s career. It ended on relatively good terms and the fact when I see my old teammates and coaches there’s still smiles, there’s still love there. It was a move for my family and nothing more than that. Coming back to BC Place, I’m excited. It’s a place where I became the player I am today. A lot of great friends have been messaging me, saying they’re looking forward to seeing me again.” During his time in the den, Harris rushed for 4,259 yards, which is good enough for 7th all-time in franchise history. He is third in the CFL in rushing this season, trailing only Jerome Messam and Brandon Whitaker.

Injury/Lineup Notes

In addition to Gore’s return, right tackle Antonio Johnson is also back after rolling an ankle in practice last week. Jeremiah Johnson will dress as the featured tailback in place of Anthony Allen as the two-headed monster approach continues into mid-October. If you combined the total of rushing yards by Johnson and Allen, it is good enough for second in the league this season. On defence, Mic’hael Brooks tweaked his knee on the opening play from scrimmage last week and will be inactive. Former Bomber Bryant Turner Jr. takes his starting spot at defensive tackle. For the Bombers, wide receiver Tori Gurley will dress for the first time since his signing late last week. The former Argonaut scored a go- ahead touchdown at BC Place on July 7th to help hand the Lions their first loss of 2016.
Quotable

“I believe I have a strong knack for the end zone and with the guys we have up front we most definitely can get a couple of yards up field, make guys miss and try to make things a longer run than expected.We just want to come out hard, come out guns a blazin’ and finish this thing off.” Johnson on returning as the featured tailback.

Three Keys To Victory

1. Convert in the red zone: You knew this would be part of the equation. Buono’s words above are the difference between a win and a loss. If they convert just once more last week, the result is very likely a different story. Lesson learned.

2. Utilize Jeremiah: The last time Johnson returned at running back, the results were monumental: 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a September 9th win over Montreal. They must take advantage of the fresh legs again.

3. Limit the big plays: Trickery was a big reason Winnipeg came out firing on all cylinders last week. The fake punt conversion was a 20-yard run by Weston Dressler and the eventual winning touchdown by Clarence Denmark was a 22-yard catch where he was left wide open. The defence knows it has to prevent those.


Extra Yardage:

Friday is Purolator Tackle Hunger night at BC Place. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations to help support the Vancouver and Surrey Food Bank. Fans that bring donations can also get their picture taken with the Grey Cup!

Since arriving in 2003, Buono has never lost back-to-back regular season games against the same squad as Lions head coach. In fact, going into last week he was 20-6 overall in those games, sweeping on seven occasions and splitting six times. Now would not be the ideal time to reverse that trend.

Despite not throwing for a touchdown last week, Jennings’ 422 passing yards were just seven shy of his career high set in a July 16th win at Saskatchewan. Not having to deal with the prairie elements should help his cause in Friday’s rematch.

The Blue Bombers have also clinched their spot in the playoffs and will take part for the first time since losing the 2011 Grey Cup at BC Place. Harris was a force for the Lions in that championship game, rushing for a game-high 65 yards, a touchdown and earning Most Outstanding Canadian honours.

You can listen to Friday’s contest on TSN 1040 with Scott Rintoul and Giulio Caravatta.

Viewers can watch on TSN 1 and those south of the border can tune in on ESPN 3.

ACC Report - Week 7
By Joe Williams

2016 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 3-3 0-3 2-3-1 2-4
Clemson 6-0 3-0 4-2 2-4
Duke 3-3 0-2 3-3 1-5
Florida State 4-2 1-2 3-2 3-2
Georgia Tech 3-3 1-3 2-2-1 2-2-1
Louisville 4-1 2-1 3-1-1 5-0
Miami (Fla.) 4-1 1-1 4-1 3-2
North Carolina 4-2 2-1 3-3 3-3
North Carolina State 4-1 1-0 4-1 3-1-1
Pittsburgh 4-2 1-1 1-5 5-1
Syracuse 2-4 0-2 2-4 2-4
Virginia 2-3 1-0 3-1-1 1-3-1
Virginia Tech 4-1 2-0 3-2 3-2
Wake Forest 5-1 2-1 3-3 3-3


Duke at Louisville (Fri. - ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)
Duke has been rather erratic this season, winning on the road at Notre Dame, taking care of Army in the rain and slop last weekend, but also losing games to Northwestern and Wake Forest. You never know which team is going to show up. They head to Louisville Friday night in a game which opened at 32, and now has Louisville favored by 35 1/2 as of Wednesday morning. The Blue Devils are 8-3 ATS in their past 11 road games, but they're 1-5 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning record and 1-6 ATS in their past seven inside the ACC. Louisville is 5-1-1 ATS in the past seven overall, and 4-1 ATS in their past five at home. They're coming off a bye following their loss at Clemson two weeks ago. The Cardinals are 0-4 ATS in their past four in the month of October, and 6-13 ATS in their past 19 on Fridays. They're also 2-5 ATS in their past seven coming off a bye.