Here is this week’s CFL betting preview for the East and West Division Finals on Sunday.
East Final
Edmonton Eskimos @
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Spread: N/A - Total: N/A
The Edmonton Eskimos will look to make CFL history as they take on the 15-win Hamilton Tiger-Cats in an attempt to become the first team to cross over to the opposite division of the playoffs and make it to the Grey Cup. Edmonton and QB Trevor Harris got off to a red-hot start in a 37-29 semifinal victory last week against the Montreal Alouettes. He completed 22 straight passes to start the game en route to a
36-for-39, 421-yard passing effort. The Edmonton defense struggled with Vernon Adams and the Alouettes at times but got some timely stops and forced three interceptions. It will get much tougher for Edmonton against a Hamilton team that had the best record in the CFL, including a perfect 9-0 SU, 6-2-1 ATS record at Tim Hortons Field. Hamilton’s offense didn’t falter one bit with Dane Evans at QB and since taking over for Jeremiah Masoli. The Ticats have a terrific receiving corps and an upgraded ground attack with the emergence of RBs Tyrell Sutton and Cameron Marshall. Edmonton’s offense will be a solid test, but the Ticats have an elite defense and were better on that side of the football than the Alouettes by 65 yards. Hamilton was 2-0 SU and ATS against Edmonton in the regular season, and both games flew Over the total, even though Harris didn’t play in either game due to injury. I will look to bet the Over, as I think Edmonton’s offense is playing with enough confidence to make some plays, while the Ticats should score in bunches against a suspect Eskimos defense. Weather should be solid for a November day in Canada, with clear skies and light wind forecast.
West Final
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Spread: N/A - Total: N/A
We cashed a Best Bet winner on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week as they rolled over the defending champion Calgary Stampeders 35-14 in the West Semifinal as 6-point underdogs. They advanced to take on Saskatchewan in the West Final. Winnipeg coach Mike O’Shea employed a two-QB system and it worked to perfection, with Zach Collaros the better passer and Chris Streveler the better runner picking apart the Calgary defense in the second half. Winnipeg rolled up a 27-0 second-half edge and pulled away for the win. The Winnipeg defense got pressure on Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell and picked him off three times. The Blue Bombers will look to duplicate that performance in the toughest place for a road team in the CFL as they visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Saskatchewan overtook Winnipeg and Calgary for first place in the West in the final month of the season, so it will host. QB Cody Fajardo completed 71% of his passes with an 18-8 TD-INT ratio this season, and the Roughriders defense is No. 1 or No. 2 in all major CFL statistical categories. The one problem for Saskatchewan is that the Blue Bombers were 2-1 SU and ATS in the head-to-head regular-season meetings, though the Roughriders won the most recent meeting 21-6 in early October. But they haven’t faced Winnipeg since Collaros arrived to form an in-sync duo with Streveler. Winnipeg is 7-1 ATS as the underdog this season. The Blue Bombers will be a dog here, and I’m willing to back them once again.
Best Bet
Winnipeg (893)