Will Johnny Manziel see the field for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night when they visit Edmonton in Week 2 of CFL action? The Eskimos are 6.5-point favourites on the CFL odds board.

CFL Betting Odds

The 7.5-point spread is the largest of Week 2 and the total of 56.5 is the biggest. Edmonton is -275 on the moneyline with Hamilton at +225. The favoured result for the first scoring play at +275 is an Edmonton touchdown; that’s a bit unusual in that it’s usually a field goal. The Eskimos winning by 7-12 points is the favoured exact result. Hamilton by that score is +1000.

Of course, the Tiger-Cats have a former big-name NFL player on the roster in quarterback Johnny Manziel, although he did little in the NFL and made his name as a Heisman winner at Texas A&M. Manziel didn’t see the field in Hamilton’s 28-14 Week 1 loss in Calgary.

Could Edmonton be adding an even bigger-name former NFL player soon? Receiver Terrell Owens will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this summer, but he has been added to the Eskimos’ negotiation list. Owens continues to yammer how he could still play at a high level despite not seeing an NFL field since 2010; he briefly played for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League in 2012. Last weekend, Owens made some news by running a 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds – pretty stunning for a 44-year-old.

Hamilton has covered its past five trips to Edmonton. The Ti-Cats lost there in Week 7 last year 33-28. Eskimos QB Mike Reilly scored a pair of touchdowns and passed for two more. The total has gone over in five of the past six meetings in Edmonton.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Hamilton closed as a 9-point underdog last week at Calgary, and we projected the Tiger-Cats to lose 35-20. Close, as it was 28-14. Hamilton led 11-9 at the half and neither team scored in the third quarter before Calgary broke it open in the fourth. Jeremiah Masoli kept Manziel on the bench by throwing for 344 yards and rushing for a score, although he did have a crucial late interception. Lirim Hajrullahu kicked field goals from 41 and 43 yards for the Tiger-Cats, who have lost 13 in a row to Calgary. This week, the Ti-Cats signed former New Orleans Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux. He was a CFL All-Star in 2014 when Breaux had 33 tackles with five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception for Hamilton. Breaux was great for the Saints in 2015, but injuries have wrecked his past two seasons.

Edmonton Eskimos

Edmonton was a six-point favourite last week at Winnipeg and won 33-30 in a game delayed by weather. Sean Whyte hit a 44-yard field goal with eight seconds left. Reilly had a huge game, throwing for 408 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two scores. He tied the game at 30-all with 1:22 left on a one-yard TD rush and then a two-point conversion pass to Nate Behar. Reilly and receiver Derel Walker were named CFL Players of the Week. Walker caught eight passes for 176 yards, including a 101-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Three starters were hurt, however, and could be headed for the six-game list: Left tackle Tommie Draheim, linebacker Adam Konar and defensive tackle Mike Moore.

Tiger-Cats vs. Eskimos Prediction