The 2017 CFL season has been compelling in terms of close games every week – at least until Week 6. Three of the four games were decided by at least 11 points and one was a blowout for the ages. Here’s a glance at the Week 7 games with Sports Interaction’s CFL odds.
Calgary Stampeders at Toronto Argonauts
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET Spread: Calgary -5 Total: 54.5 Pick ATS: Stamps
I’d be embarrassed right now if I had taken Hamilton at +12.5 last week in Calgary. Thankfully that wasn’t the case as the Stampeders trashed the Ticats 60-1. It was 39-1 at the break, the largest halftime advantage in franchise history, before Calgary took its foot off the gas a bit. It was the third-largest margin of victory in CFL history. Bo Levi Mitchell completed 11 of 17 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown before taking a seat in the second half. Calgary had six touchdowns on offence as well as one each on defence and special teams. WR Marken Michel had 190 yards receiving and a TD, while Jerome Messam rushed for three scores and 91 yards.
The Argos lost 38-27 at Saskatchewan in Week 6, blowing a 24-20 fourth-quarter lead. Ricky Ray had another big game in the loss, throwing for 386 yards and three TDs but was sacked five times. Ray became Toronto’s all-time leader in passing yards (16,634) and moved past Matt Dunigan (303) for fifth place on the CFL’s passing touchdown list. Calgary has won four straight games in Toronto. Make it five.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Ottawa Redblacks
When: Friday, 7 p.m. ET Spread: Ottawa -1 Total: 58 Pick ATS: Redblacks
Winnipeg won the only close game of Week 6, 41-40 over visiting Montreal in arguably the comeback of the year. The Blue Bombers trailed 40-28 with under two minutes to play. Matt Nichols hit Ryan Lankford on a 4-yard TD pass with 44 seconds to go and Justin Medlock made the extra point. Winnipeg’s Brandon Alexander recovered the onside kick, and Andrew Harris won it on a 1-yard TD run as time expired. Nichols threw for 358 yards and two scores, while Harris rushed for 41 yards and two TDs on 12 carries.
Defending Grey Cup champion Ottawa is 1-4-1 coming out of its bye week. Every Redblacks game has been decided by five points or fewer and Ottawa has covered the spread in five of the six. The Redblacks have won four of the last five meetings with Winnipeg.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Edmonton Eskimos
When: Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET Spread: Edmonton -14 Total: 55.5 Pick ATS: Ticats
If a team in the NFL lost a game 60-1, its head coach likely would be fired that night. That’s what winless Hamilton will try to regroup from – Coach Kent Austin is still employed — after getting destroyed by Calgary. It was the Ticats’ second-largest margin of defeat in club history. The worst was in 1956 when Hamilton dropped an 82-14 decision to Montreal. Zach Collaros was 14 of 21 for 102 yards before being pulled in the third quarter against the Stamps – he will start here, though. To make matters worse, members of the Ticats brawled at practice on Tuesday.
Edmonton remains the lone unbeaten at 5-0 following a 37-26 win over BC. Mike Reilly threw for 412 yards, threw for two scores and rushed for two. Vidal Hazelton caught a franchise-record 108-yard TD. The Eskimos are off to their best start in six years and haven’t been 6-0 since 1961. Edmonton won at Hamilton 31-28 in Week 5. This seems like a trap game for the Eskimos at -14.
Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Lions
When: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET Spread: BC -6 Total: 56 Pick ATS: Lions
Saskatchewan rallied from a 24-20 fourth-quarter deficit for a 38-27 win over Toronto last week. Kevin Glenn threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns, and Duron Carter caught nine passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Tailback Cameron Marshall gained 110 yards on 18 carries in the first 100-yard rushing performance of his CFL career. BC lost at Edmonton 37-26. Travis Lulay completed 22 of 26 passes for 259 yards and two TDs while also running for a score, but the Lions’ four-game winning streak ended. BC was outgained 465-353.
Starting QB Jonathon Jennings remains out injured but is getting closer. Jeremiah Johnson did catch a TD pass and has a score in all six games – BC’s two losses are to Edmonton. The Lions beat the Roughriders in the most recent meeting 41-18 last season.
