CFL betting, week 10: Best bets & picks on point spreads, over/unders

16 August 2018

As a hobby, our editor co-hosts a podcast on CFL football – not to mention engages in CFL betting whenever possible, i.e. weekly from June to end of November. Both of these involve speculating on next week’s lines, so here’s what Os came up with (brief, due to time constraints) to chase his push of 2-2 overall last time out.

Ottawa RedBlacks +6½ at Winnipeg Blue Bombers, over/under 53½ points. Believe in the Bombers: They're averaging 33.5 points per game, clearly getting it done on offense, while the defense is ruling the big-play board (they’re tops in the CFL in quarterback sacks and interceptions). 

On the other side, the 2018 Redblacks are getting a reputation for playing down to the level of competition, e.g. running up 601 yards of total offense yet still needing a last-minute touchdown against the league’s worst team. Here’s to thinking, however, that Ottawa can hardly keep up with the Big Blue Machine and that Trevor Harris will throw more than one pick. Take the Winnipeg Blue Bombers -6½ vs Ottawa and consider taking the over on the O/U of 53½ points. 

BC Lions -2½ at Toronto Argonauts, over/under 50.5 points. I’ll call this the “upset” special of the week. I’ve been a BC truther since the Lions blew consecutive games SU and ATS in weeks 6 and 8. Naturally, NFLbets went against biochemistry and BC last week, giving the Lions 3½ against the Edmonton Eskimos. 

Grrrrrr.

So here’s the truth on the BC Lions: They’re 3-0 at home SU and ATS, 0-4 SU and ATS away – note, too, that BC’s wins have all come in night games. So what if the Argonauts are starting a third-string quarterback? In this case, it’s the lion that’s wearing no clothes.

NFLbets believes taking the Toronto Argonauts SU at +125 against BC is a decent bet, and we’d more strenuously advise taking the Argos +2½ points.

Montreal Alouettes +16½ at Edmonton Eskimos, over/under 52½ points. Antonio Pipkin was released by the Alouettes in mid-June. Pipkin played for four years in college ball with the Tiffin University Dragons. Tiffin U. is an Ohio school of 1,600 undergraduates and plays Division II football. Why do you need to know all this? Because Antonio Pipkin of Tiffin U. is the Alouettes’ starting QB for this game in lieu of the maybe-concussed Johnny “Johnny Canadian Football” Manziel, Montreal’s fifth starting QB in the 2018 season. 

Add in the fact that three weeks ago, these teams played when Vernon Adams was getting his turn in the rotation at QB; Mike Reilly went for four TDs, Kwaku Boateng went for three sacks and his teammates contributed three more, and the Eskimos won by 21. 16½ points is still a tough bet to make even in these circumstances, particularly when the Eskimos’ offense has been underperforming a bit lately. Simpler to just take the under on the O/U of 52½ points.

Calgary Stampeders -7 at Saskatchewan Roughriders, over/under 48 points. Yes, this game is in Regina, but these Stampeders are just too good. Calgary’s already dominated the Riders once here this season, winning 34-22 (it wasn’t that close) in week 7. With Riders head coach Chris Jones certain to have at least a handful of unhappy players in the wake of the ineffable release of Duron Carter during the bye week, NFLbets can’t imagine a better result for the Green-and-White this time out. Take the Calgary Stampeders -7 at Saskatchewan.

NFLbets’ best bets for CFL betting in week 10:
•  Winnipeg Blue Bombers -6½ vs Ottawa RedBlacks;
•  Toronto Argonauts +2½ vs BC Lions;
•  Montreal Alouettes at Edmonton Eskimos under 52½ points.; and
•  Calgary Stampeders -7 at Saskatchewan Roughriders.

NFLbets’ recommendations for CFL betting in week 10:
•  Ottawa vs Winnipeg over 53½ points; and
•  Toronto SU vs BC Lions.