Week 6 kicks off in the CFL on Thursday with what Sports Interaction oddsmakers expect to be a bit of a blowout as Hamilton is a double-digit home favourite over Saskatchewan.

Betting Analysis

Early betting at Sports Interaction has a lean on the Roughriders getting 11 points in Thursday’s game with the betting on the total of 51.5 essentially split on the over and under. The under has been a good bet in this series in recent years with seven of the last nine staying below the total and four of the past five in Hamilton doing so.

In the race to 10 points, Saskatchewan is +190 and Hamilton -270. The Tiger-Cats are -222 to score first, with a touchdown at +235 and field goal +270. The Roughriders are +155 to get the first score, with a touchdown at +450. On the winning margin prop, the two leaders are Hamilton by 13-18 points and 7-12 points, both at +400. Saskatchewan’s shortest number is 1-6 points at +700.

Both clubs come off a bye week. The Tiger-Cats are 1-5 against the spread in their past six following one and the Roughriders are 5-2 in their past seven after a week off.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

These clubs played in Week 4 and the Roughriders prevailed 18-13 as 6-point underdogs. The total was well under the 51. That is tied for the second-lowest scoring of any game in the CFL this season. The only one with fewer points was last week’s 27-3 Calgary victory in Ottawa. Marcus Thigpen scored the winning 34-yard touchdown run with 1:50 to go in the first meeting. He only had 14 yards on his other four carries. Brandon Bridge was 11-for-13 for 101 yards. The Riders had just 298 yards of offence. They are last in the CFL in passing yards with 821 and only Toronto has thrown fewer TD passes than Saskatchewan’s three.

The Riders have covered just one of their past five after a win. Coach Chris Jones has been rotating rookie QB David Watford in for at least one series per quarter but will stick with Bridge as his starter Thursday. The Canadian is 2-0 in his career as a starter against Hamilton. Bridge has been starting because Zach Collaros is on the six-game injury list.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

In the first meeting with Saskatchewan, Ticats QB Jeremiah Masoli tied the league record with his ninth straight 300-yard passing game, throwing for 333, but he couldn’t get his team into the end zone. Obviously, he can set the CFL mark here (tied with Sam Etcheverry and Kent Austin). Brandon Banks caught seven passes for 113 yards.

Hamilton had had 429 yards but turned it over once each via interception, fumble and on downs. Masoli is second in the league in passing yards with 1,378 and Banks is third in receiving yards with 360. Hamilton has covered six straight games following a loss. The Ticats did lose at home to the Riders last year 27-19.

Roughriders vs. Tiger-Cats Prediction