Saturday Slaughter - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play British Columbia Lions (-) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7:30 ET Saturday - The Lions lost their home opener to Edmonton in a tight defeat. As a result, they viewed this road trip east as an early-season opportunity to 'right the ship". They've done just that with back to back wins at Toronto and Montreal. Both victories came by 7 points or more for British Columbia and I look for BC to get the job done again by at least that margin at Hamilton on Saturday. The Tiger-Cats are not only winless on the season, both losses came by a 17 point margin. The Ti-Cats had an opportunity last week, off of a bye week, to "right the ship" at Saskatchewan. Hamilton failed against a much weaker non-divisional foe than the one they are facing this week and that is bad news for Tiger-Cats fans as there is already significant concern with the Terrence Tolliver injury and a banged up secondary. With Hamilton's All-Star corners hurting, they will struggle to stop BC's aerial attack. That's because the Lions ground game is also a legitimate threat. British Columbia is averaging 95 yards per game on the ground and the Hamilton defense must respect the ground game and that makes BC's passing game even more dangerous! As for the Hamilton ground game, the Ti-Cats have averaged only 21.5 rushing yards per game and this gives a huge edge to a Lions defense that is at the top of the league with only 20.3 points allowed per game. The West has been stronger than the East in recent seasons and BC has exemplified that with a 12-6 mark (both SU and ATS) versus East Division teams. Also, the Lions are 10-6 ATS in Saturday games while Hamilton is 3-7 (both SU and ATS) in Saturday games. Look for these trends to continue this weekend. I know the Tiger-Cats are desperate as they are the only team in the league without a single point in the standings BUT the Lions are just too superior all over the field and the Ti-Cats injuries have exasperated their current situation. 10* BC Lions minus the short number Saturday evening.

Friday Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Eskimos vs Ottawa Redblacks @ 10 ET Friday - The Eskimos are coming off of a bye week and they have a long-term mark of 9-5 to the over when they are playing with 2 or more weeks of rest. Edmonton's offense was one of the tops in the league last season. Though they've scored a little less this season one of their games was a tough road match-up. Although the Eskimos other game was a home match-up it was against a defensive-minded team as they hosted Montreal. Look for Edmonton to have a breakout game at home off of their bye week as they now host an Ottawa team that, just like them, is happy to air it out. The Redblacks are already 2-0 to the over this season (and 10-4 to the over the last 3 seasons combined) in games where they are a road dog in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Ottawa is still winless on the season so they'll go hard here but their defense has been a concern with 33.3 points allowed per game so far this year. In other words, look for a shootout in this one. In fact, the last two meetings between these teams in Edmonton have totaled 63 and 82 points, respectively. Overall, only 2 of the last 8 meetings between these teams in Alberta have seen the game stay under the total! As a home fave of 3.5 to 6 points, the Eskimos are 6-2 to the over. I am expecting the over to improve to 11-3 in Ottawa's last 14 Friday games! Don't let the big number on this game scare you as indeed it does have "shootout" written all "over" it! 10* OVER the total in Edmonton in late night action Friday.

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 10 ET - The Roughriders are off of back to back tough losses. They lost in Week 1 by a single point and then lost in overtime in Week 2. After the heartbreak last Saturday followed that tough loss the prior week, it will be tough for Saskatchewan to bounce back here. Making the task even tougher is the fact that they're hosting a Hamilton team that has had two weeks to prepare for this game. The Tiger-Cats lost in Week 1 by 17 points at Toronto so they will not be in a good mood here! Hamilton watched the Argonauts make some huge catches (even on a number of poorly thrown balls) and, basically, everything seemed to go the Argos way in that Week 1 match-up. That said, the Ti-Cats are fired up and they can't wait to get back on the field after the early season bye week! Hamilton, the past 2 seasons, went 5-2 SU and ATS when off of a loss against a division rival. Also, the Ti-Cats straight-up road record (4-5) was better than Saskatchewan's straight-up home record (3-6) last season. Additionally, the past three seasons combined, the Roughriders are 2-10 SU and ATS as a favorite! July has been a horrible month for Saskatchewan (1-9 SU) while the Tiger-Cats actually have a winning record (both SU and ATS) in July games the past two seasons combined. Two of the weaker teams in the CFL matched up here but the scheduling situation and emotional status of these two teams right now means the value is clearly with the dog in this one! 10* HAMILTON

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Thursday 10* Top Play BC Lions (-) @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - As I wrote in Friday's Game of the Month write-up, the Lions would be hungry last week after BC lost a tight one at home to Edmonton in the opening week. The Lions are now a stellar 10-2 ATS the last 2+ seasons when they are off of a loss to a division rival. BC is a good team. Montreal is certainly still a question mark. The Alouettes barely got by Saskatchewan in Week 1 and then lost at Edmonton last week. The Als just don't have the offensive and, long-term, BC is known for their offensive production! Already this season BC has scored at least 27 points in each of their two games while Montreal has yet to crack the 20-point barrier. I am well aware of the fact that the dogs are 8-0 ATS this season in CFL but there is a reason that, despite that fact, this line has risen from -2.5 to -3.5 on BC in this game. The Lions are the much better team and their viewing this Eastern road trip (Toronto last week and Hamilton next week) as an opportunity to get back on track after that tough, disappointing loss in their home opener. The superior (and fully focused) team is the play here and the Lions have won 3 straight meetings with the Alouettes and all 3 wins came by a margin of at least 9 points. The Lions are on an 11-6 ATS run in non-conference games while Montreal is on a 6-13 ATS run in home games. More of the same here. 10* BC LIONS minus the points early Thursday evening

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 9 ET - Amazingly the underdogs are a perfect 7-0 ATS so far this CFL season after yesterday's results saw two more underdogs cash in. Looking at this Saturday night match-up I like the fact that the Blue Bombers opened up as a favorite but are now the underdog here. Winnipeg has revamped their offense coming into this season and they had a bye in week one action. While the Blue Bombers are excited about unveiling their new, more dangerous attack on offense, the Roughriders are already the team feeling pressure in this one. Keep in mind, Saskatchewan only won five games last season. Now they got this season off to a familiar start with a loss and it was a frustrating one coming by a single point at Montreal last week. The Roughriders offense did not look good and, as for their defensive production, yes they held the Alouettes to just 17 points but Montreal only scored 19 points last night. The point is that the Riders benefited from facing an Alouettes offense that is having some issues early this season. I really like what Winnipeg has done to bolster both their ground game and aerial attack coming into this season and we're getting great line value here as the Blue Bombers have all the positive energy having waited extra time for the season opener. Conversely, the Roughriders feel the added pressure of already being 0-1 and now playing in Saskatchewan with the pressure of trying not to suffer a home loss and drop to a quick 0-2 on the season. The Riders will be playing not to lose while Winnipeg will be playing to win and you know how these types of situations tend to play out! Also, the Blue Bombers have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Look for another underdog W in this one as the dogs improve to 8-0 this CFL season! 10* WINNIPEG plus the points Saturday night

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Friday 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 7 ET - The Argonauts had the biggest win in Week 1 as they demolished Hamilton by 17 points. In that game truly everything seemed to fall into place for Toronto. Now they face a fired up BC team that lost a tight one at home to Edmonton. The Lions have gone a stellar 9-2 ATS the last two seasons when they are off of a loss to a division rival. BC is a good team. Toronto is still a question mark. I know the Argos had a great week one performance but there has already been an over-reaction to that by the betting markets as this line went from a pick'em to a -3 on Toronto. We're getting tremendous line value on the Lions, off of a loss, and getting +3 in this one. Long-term, BC is known for their offensive production and the Argos caught the Tiger-Cats off-guard in Week 1. The Lions are well aware of how that game went and the Argonauts won't catch hungry BC asleep coming into this game. Toronto is 1-5 SU and ATS when off of a win against a division rival. Also, the Argos, even with last week's win included, are still just 4-13 ATS in home games the past 2+ seasons. Lastly, the Lions also have the rest edge here as they played on Saturday last week while the Argos played on Sunday. Now playing on Friday, it's an extra short week for Toronto here. The road team is also 4-0 SU and ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams. More of the same here. 10* BC LIONS plus the points early Friday evening

Game of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 4 ET - The Tiger-Cats are the much better team and, after their long winning streak versus the Argonauts ended in Toronto in September last season, payback is in order here. The Argos have issues on both sides of the ball as their concern on offense is a question about the level of receiving talent on hand for the passing game. On the other side of the ball Toronto was the worst defense in the league last season so that unit has a long way to go to get to where it should be. Even though Toronto is at home for this one, they went just 2-7 at home last season. The Argos, like much the rest of the East Division last season, was better on the road than at home. That's why there is no questioning the fact that Hamilton is a sizable road favorite here. It is absolutely justified as they seek revenge for the September loss that ended their 6-0 run (both SU and ATS) in their rivalry series with the Argos. The Ti-Cats are a long-term 14-8 ATS in road games with a posted total of 56 or more. The Argonauts are on a 3-13 ATS run in home games and a 5-12 ATS run in divisional games. The Ti-Cats are the better team on both sides of the ball and the revenge factor is what 'sweetens the deal" on this one and has me going to my top play rating here. 10* HAMILTON TIGER-CATS minus the points Sunday afternoon

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7:30 ET - This is the Grey Cup rematch. Of course last year's Grey Cup easily flew over the total and I look for a repeat here. The over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and I really like all the additions that Ottawa made in terms of talented receivers being added to the mix but their defense is still a major question mark. Keep in mind the Redblacks defense was their weakness last season and I expect the revenge-minded Stampeders to fully exploit that weakness here. Calgary has the best offense in the CFL and they're ready to air it out but so too is Harris for Ottawa as Trevor Harris looks to redeem himself after losing the starting job last season. Not only is Harris ready to "put his foot on the gas in this one", Calgary is more than happy to air it out and they put up insane numbers through the air against the Redblacks in last year's match-ups. I look for more of the same here as the PERFECT trend of overs continues in this series. The Redblacks D simply won't be able to stop a determined Stampeders team but Ottawa can also score big, especially with the plethora of receiving talent they have now. The over is 14-8 the past two seasons when the Redblacks are an underdog. Also, Ottawa has gone 11-6 to the over long-time when they are a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. Look for more of the same with the Redblacks on Friday night as offense takes center stage in the rematch. Two QBs involved here with plenty to probe. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Grey Cup Best Bet - Rickenbach CFL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7 ET - Not going to go into great length here. Calgary's offense is tough to stop and was firing on all cylinders in last week's annihilation of the BC Lions. The Stampeders put up 42 points in that game and have one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. However, I do expect the Redblacks to "hang around" in this game as they were in the Grey Cup last year and lost which is an experience that will serve them well here. However, the Ottawa defense is not going to stop the Stampeders and that means the Redblacks offense is going to have to keep them in this game. They should be able to do just that. Ottawa put up 35 points last week in a revenge game (against Edmonton) from last year's Grey Cup battle. Off of that revenging win, the defense may fall a little flat here for the Redblacks and I see this one being a game featuring plenty of scoring opportunities as a result. The over is 6-1 in Ottawa's games this season where they are an underdog. Also, the over is 5-1 (compared to the closing number) in 5 of the last 6 meetings between the Redblacks and Stampeders. 10* Top Play OVER the total in the Grey Cup on Sunday evening!

CFL Finals VALUE Smash - Rickenbach CFL Game #480 - 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) vs BC Lions @ 4:30 ET - With barely getting by Winnipeg last week, the Lions showed they're likely to be in trouble this week against the rested Stampeders. Calgary is coming off of an absolutely dominating CFL season and the fact that this line opened up at 8.5 and then dropped to 7 has me liking this play even more. Yes, the points are significant here but the edges are off the charts as you don't dominate the way Calgary did in the regular season by accident. This Stampeders team is firing on all cylinders and they beat the Lions 37 to 9 in their most recent meeting and that was in British Columbia! The Stampeders are 6-0 SU and 5-0 ATS when off of a bye week! The Lions are 4-9 SU (and 3-10 ATS) when they are off of two or more consecutive wins. Also, BC is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 November games. This one gets ugly in a hurry! 10* CALGARY Sunday afternoon

CFL Top Play - Rickenbach CFL Game #280 Sunday - 10* Top Play BC Lions (-) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 4:30 ET - Just like in the NFL when divisional foes end up matching up in the post-season following a regular season sweep, it is so difficult to beat a team 3 times in the same season. BC has revenge on their minds in a big way here because they not only lost both regular season match-ups this season, they also lost both of them last season as well. However, what could be any sweeter than playoff revenge? The fact is that the Lions have lost these recent match-ups because of turnovers. Statistically, BC has fared just fine against the Blue Bombers but they've lost the turnover count by a ridiculous count as Winnipeg has just 2 turnovers compared to 15 for the Lions in the last 4 games. Even with this very unusual turnover ratio, the last 3 wins for the Blue Bombers have ALL come by 3 points or less. Of course Winnipeg should have won huge given those turnover numbers. You see my point? BC is the superior team and they'll take care of the football Sunday and they'll get the sweetest revenge of all - playoff revenge - as they send the Blue Bombers packing. When the Lions are off of a divisional game this season they are 9-1 ATS. When Winnipeg is playing a team with a winning record, they have lost 18 of 23 games the past three seasons combined. 10* BC Lions Sunday afternoon

Contrarian TOP PLAY - Rickenbach CFL Game #476 Friday - 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks (+) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 7 ET - This is truly a contrarian play. Everyone is backing the Blue Bombers here because they "need to win" in hopes of getting a home playoff game. This line has already moved 4 points from a pick'em on Winnipeg to now being a 4.5 point favorite as of early Friday morning. The Blue Bombers just lost badly to the Redblacks at home last week and Winnipeg didn't even get into the end zone until the final seconds of the game. However, even though Ottawa is resting starting QB Henry Burris for this game (and some banged up regulars may rest too), the Redblacks aren't going to just "lay down" for this game. They want to win. They have earned the home field game for the post-season which is coming their way in two weeks but they also haven't won a home game since late September. In their two October home games they lost each one in OT. The Redblacks have the better defense in this match-up. They had an excellent game plan against the Blue Bombers which they used to get the W in Winnipeg last week and Ottawa wants to chalk up a W on their home field to go into the post-season with positive momentum and with finally notching a home W after some recent tight losses there. Grab the underdog value as Winnipeg is only 7-7 SU as a favorite the past three seasons and they've only gone 4-10 ATS in those 14 games! The Redblacks are on a 6-1 ATS run in November games! 10* OTTAWA Friday

East-West Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFL Game #275 Friday - 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos (+) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7 ET - Situations don't get much stronger than this. Back on July 23rd, the Eskimos were up 24-6 at halftime in Edmonton against the Tiger-Cats. The final score in that game was a Hamilton win by a count of 37-31. Rest assured, the Eskimos haven't forgotten that game. Also, this game is big in the playoff picture and, while Edmonton is 4-4 on the road and 4-4 at home as well as 5-5 in the division and 3-3 outside of the division the key factoid on the disparity in these teams is in looking at Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats are 5-2 in the division but 2-7 outside of the division. Hamilton's 2 wins against West teams included that come-from-behind upset at Edmonton. The Eskimos get payback today. Even though Edmonton is off of a tough loss at BC, the Eskimos had a bye week the prior week so they will have their legs underneath them here as they look to bounce back from that loss. As for Hamilton, not only are they are off of a huge come-from-behind OT win over Ottawa last week, it was their 2nd straight ultra-tight battle with the Redblacks. The Ti-Cats may not have a lot left in the tank and, on deck, they have a divisional battle with Montreal while the Eskimos have another non-divisional match-up on deck. The situation clearly favors the road dog. 10* EDMONTON ESKIMOS

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #479 Friday - 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Ottawa Redblacks @ 7 ET - With all the strong records out West, the teams in the East are still battling it out for a playoff spot even though their records certainly do not impress. That said, this is a huge game as it is the back-end of a home-and-home set between these two divisional rivals and there are some key tangibles that have me backing the road dog in this one. Hamilton was in a similar spot with Ottawa last season and the Redblacks took both regular season meetings late in the year which helped them earn home field edge for their playoff match-up. The result was a 3rd straight win for the Redblacks over the Ti-Cats and that post-season defeat (and 0-3 finish versus Ottawa) certainly resonates loudly with Hamilton to this day. That makes this a huge revenge spot for the Tiger-Cats after, not only what happened last season but also, a tight one point home loss to Ottawa last week. The Tiger-Cats got off to a slow start in that game and made some mistakes and that definitely hurt them as their rally fell just short in the one point loss to the Redblacks. Jeremiah Masoli is still in at QB for the injured Zach Collaros and he knows he made some costly mistakes with a pair of picks last week but Masoli went 3-3 as the starter earlier this season and last week's loss won't totally derail him. Look for he and he and the Tiger-Cats to bounce back this week as they also got some newly signed players into action last week to help out at key positions after a few injuries narrowed the roster a bit. They'll be even better this week thanks to getting some reps in last week's the game. Even with last week's win, the Redblacks have won just 4 of their last 11 games. Hamilton is about a 3.5 point dog here and the Tiger-Cats are 7-1 SU when off of a loss against a division rival.  That said, I am expecting the outright upset here but certainly going to grab the available points. Ottawa is 0-4 ATS this season when off of a win against a division rival. 10* HAMILTON Friday

Game of the Week Friday - Rickenbach CFL Game #280 - 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-) vs Ottawa Redblacks @ 7 ET - With all the strong records out West, the teams in the East are still battling it out for a playoff spot even though their records certainly do not impress. That said, this is a huge game as it is the first of a home-and-home set between these two divisional rivals and there are some key tangibles that have me backing the home team here. Hamilton was in a similar spot with Ottawa last season and the Redblacks took both regular season meetings late in the year which helped them earn home field edge for their playoff match-up. The result was a 3rd straight win for the Redblacks over the Ti-Cats and that post-season defeat (and 0-3 finish versus Ottawa) certainly resonates loudly with Hamilton to this day. That makes this a huge revenge spot for the Tiger-Cats and they are off of their bye week. This is why, even though they have some injury issues, Hamilton is the play here as Jeremiah Masoli steps in at QB for the injured Zach Collaros. Masoli went 3-3 as the starter earlier this season and the extra week helped he and the Tiger-Cats get fully prepared for this game as they also signed some players to help out at key positions after a few injuries narrowed the roster a bit. The Redblacks certainly are not without their own injury issues including star wideout Chris Williams who is truly irreplaceable. He is simply that good! This will hurt the Redblacks who have won just 3 of their last 10 games and have decided to go back to veteran QB Henry Burris. The problem with that is he simply wasn't that effective earlier this season and, in my opinion, it's going to prove to be "too little, too late" for Ottawa as they take on a rested, hungry, and revenge-minded Hamilton team in this one. The Tiger-Cats enter this game off of back to back losses and that is a situation that has seen them go 6-3 ATS the past three seasons including a perfect 2-0 this season. A lot of points expected here and the Redblacks are on a long-term 11-20 ATS run in road games with a posted total of 52 points or more. 10* HAMILTON Friday

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Game #481/482 - 10* Top Play OVER in Montreal Alouettes vs Edmonton Eskimos - This total has dropped a little and that is offering exceptional line value on the over. Montreal is a different team with a renewed enthusiasm after the coaching change and defeated Toronto, 38-11, in new head coach Jacques Chapdelaine’s Week 15 debut. In speaking about this early Monday afternoon match-up with Edmonton, coach Chapdelaine said “It’ll be important for us to make sure we keep executing as well as we did last week. We’re looking for an up-tempo type of game again.” Therein lies the key to this play. No team has scored fewer points than Montreal this season and no team has allowed fewer points either. However, with a coaching change, the dynamics can change in a hurry. As you can see from the what the Alouettes head coach is saying here, they are ready to play another fast-paced affair. Of course the Eskimos, led by QB Mike Reilly (on pace for 6,000 passing yards this season) are a very dangerous offense to contend with and will undoubtedly give the Eskimos D some trouble. Edmonton has averaged 29 points per game in their last 5 match-ups with Montreal and I also look for another big game from the Als offense in this one. The over is 3-0 this season in Eskimos games when they enter off of 2 or more consecutive wins. The over is on a long-term 46-30 run in Alouettes October games. More of the same here. 10* OVER in Montreal early Monday afternoon on Thanksgiving Day in Canada

Rickenbach CFL Game #280 - 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers -3 vs Edmonton Eskimos @ 8:30 ET Friday - The Blue Bombers are off of a tight loss last week but that was against the #1 team in the league as Winnipeg fell just short of upsetting the Stampeders in Calgary. As for the Eskimos, they are also off of a tight game but they came out on the right side at home against the BC Lions last week. That sets this one up nicely as the Blue Bombers come in hungry off of a win while Edmonton can't help but have trouble coming down off the emotional high of knocking off a tough BC team last week. The Eskimos had lost 3 straight games before last weeks win. Conversely, the Blue Bombers had actually won 7 straight games before their furious comeback attempt against league-leading Calgary fell just short. Even though Edmonton has revenge from a home loss to Winnipeg in late July, note that the Blue Bombers had lost at home to the Eskimos earlier in July and they have a chance to now avenge that defeat at home. With the line dropping from a -5 to a -3 we are getting excellent line value with a Blue Bombers team that got another strong game from QB Matt Nichols last week. The Eskimos win and cover last week was their first ATS win in their last five games! In fact, that was Edmonton's first ATS win in EIGHT divisional games this season! The Eskimos continue to be over-valued this season as the defending Grey Cup champions. By the way, the Blue Bombers certainly haven't forgotten that they not only lost here at home to Edmonton earlier this season but also the fact that the Eskimos won the Grey Cup right here in Winnipeg last year. The Blue Bombers want this game badly and the line move has opened up exceptional line value with Winnipeg as the small home fave here. Keep in mind, even if this line moves back up a little, the Blue Bombers are 3-0 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points the past three seasons combined. 10* WINNIPEG

Rickenbach CFL Game #492 - 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks (-) vs Toronto Argonauts @ 7 ET Friday - Revenge game for Ottawa as they look to avenge a 23-20 home loss to the Argos in the nation's capital back in late July. Since that victory, Toronto has lost 5 of their last 6 games and 4 of the 5 losses came by at least a 13 point margin. That is why I have no fear of laying the points here (currently -5.5) with the Redblacks. With Argonauts QB Ricky Ray out for the season, Toronto is a different team. They have still been moving the ball on offense but they continue to make mistakes and have been done in by turnovers. Ottawa will take advantage of this and the Redblacks are 3-1 ATS the last 4 times they have been a home fave in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. Also, this season, when playing with 6 days or less of rest, Ottawa has gone 3-1 ATS. The Redblacks played the top team in the league, Calgary Stampeders, and lost badly on Saturday. That has them fired up for this divisional match-up Friday and they host an Argonauts team that is on an 8-15 ATS run in divisional games and also playing with short rest here as Toronto got blasted by Winnipeg Saturday. The Redblacks have been very strong against the run this season and that will force the Argos to the air and back-up QB Dan LeFevour who has had issues with throwing costly picks since filling in for Ray. More of the same expected here. 10* OTTAWA Friday

Rickenbach CFL Game #291 - 10* Top Play Montreal Alouettes (+) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7 ET Friday - Both teams are off of losses but there is a significant scheduling edge for Montreal here. The Alouettes played last Friday so they've a full week off whereas Hamilton just played on Sunday so they are playing on short rest this week. Adding to the advantage for the Als is that they have a bye week on deck so they will certainly "leave it all on the field" in this week's match-up! Another reason Montreal is certain to give it their all here is the fact they were embarrassed 31 to 7 at home when these teams met back in July. That means a little payback is on order here and I'll gladly grab the double digits with the road dog that has the situational and motivational edges. The Alouettes are showing that they are completely behind their new QB Rakeem Cato as Kevin Glenn is now in Winnipeg with the Blue Bombers. Cato played quite well last week with completing about 75% of his passes and throwing no picks while Tiger-Cats QB Zach Collaros and the Hamilton offense struggled last week at Toronto. The Alouettes have had a frustrating season but anything can happen in the tightly packed East Division and this spot favors the big road dog in a big way. With Montreal a double digit dog in this one, that is the way to go here. 10* MONTREAL Friday

Rickenbach CFL Game #483/484 - Total of the Year - 10* Top Play OVER 48.5 in BC Lions vs Montreal Alouettes @ 10 ET Friday - The Alouettes are turning to Rakeem Cato at the pivot for this one. Look for the 24 year old QB to provide a much-needed spark to the Alouettes offense. Montreal will also get a boost with the return of their leading receiver Duron Carter for this one. He is back from serving a one game suspension and ranks 8th in the league for receiving yards this season. This is even after missing last week's game. Look for Cato and Carter to have a big impact on this game and they could be catching the BC defense at the perfect time. The Lions are off of a successful road swing back east where they picked up a pair of wins and only allowed 18 points per game. With a bye on deck for next week the Lions are likely to get caught looking ahead to the bye week and a big game with division rival Edmonton that looms on deck. The offense will keep rolling along though as the Lions put up 38 points on the Alouettes in Montreal earlier this season. Now BC gets the Als at home and the Lions want to make up for only scoring 9 points in their mos recent home game. BC came into that game having averaged 41 points per game in their 4 prior games and they followed up that game by going on the road and picking up a pair of road wins. In other words, the 9-point showing was most certainly a fluke but BC knows they need to do something about it today. Look for the Lions to push the tempo in this non-divisional match-up. The over is 2-0 this season (and 4-1 the last 3 seasons) when BC enters a game on rest of 8 days. Look for the over to improve to 3-1 this season in Montreal road games with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points. 10* OVER in BC Friday 

Rickenbach CFL Game #219 - Daytime Dominator - 10* Edmonton Eskimos +7 @ Calgary Stampeders @ 3 ET Monday - The Stampeders won the Grey Cup in 2014. The Eskimos won it last year. In getting there in 2015 Edmonton had to get by Calgary to get there and they did just that by winning their 3rd straight match-up with them in playoff action on November 22nd before winning it all on November 29th. Now, in their first match-up of this season (and the annual Battle of Alberta on Labour Day), the Stampeders certainly are hungry for revenge and they have the home field edge for this one as well. However, a key aspect I see here is that Calgary relies heavily on protection of their QB to make this offense "go" and they've got an offensive line injury at centre. This is forcing another lineman to take over the centre position and it's thrusting a rookie into play at right tackle. The Eskimos defensive line has some players who are very strong when it comes to creating chaos in the backfield by quickly getting past the opposition's offensive line. In this case I look for that o play a key role in this game as Edmonton is just as hungry as Calgary for this game. Yes it is the Stampeders with revenge but the Eskimos are the defending Grey Cup champs who have had some disappointment early this season. Edmonton has responded by winning three straight and they are relishing this opportunity to take down their provincial rivals and, in doing so, they would be knocking off the team that is at the top of the entire league so far this season. That said, I'll gladly grab the big points being offered here. 10* EDMONTON on Monday afternoon

Rickenbach CFL Game #218 - Daytime Dominator - 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders +4.5 vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 3 ET Sunday - The Roughriders ONE AND ONLY home game between Week 8 and Week 13 is this one. They want to make it count and Saskatchewan is also catching Winnipeg off of a huge road win at Montreal last week. Even though the Roughriders have, by far, the worst record in the CFL, they are coming off of a strong effort at Edmonton last week. I can see many being enticed into playing the Blue Bombers here and laying a rather short number on the road. After all, Winnipeg is 4-1 on the road this season while Saskatchewan is 1-8 overall this season. Don't fall for the "trap line" here on the Blue Bombers as the Roughriders are quite likely to pull off the shocker here at home as this one is all about situational handicapping. The scheduling situation (for both teams) and the line (surprising # on this one) is all you need to know here. However, I will also add that Winnipeg is on a 2-5 ATS run as a favorite while the Roughriders have a long-term 73-53 ATS mark as an underdog in a range of +3.5 to +9.5 points. Grab the points here! 10* Saskatchewan Sunday afternoon

Rickenbach CFL Game #215 - Divisional Dominator - 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks -2.5 @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - Not only are the Alouettes without their star receiver (Duron Carter) due to suspension, their offense has struggled for much of this season. 4 interceptions created a disaster for the Als last week and now they face an Ottawa team fully focused on exacting revenge after an ugly, embarrassing home loss (43-19) two weeks ago. The Redblacks now have their starting QB back and he should be even stronger in his 2nd game back. Ottawa was heavily penalized in last week's game (a loss) and they'll have that cleaned up for this rematch with a division rival this week. The Redblacks had won 4 straight meetings with Montreal before the loss in Ottawa two weeks ago. As a road fave of 3 points or less Ottawa is on a long-term 4-1 (80%) ATS run. Also, the Redblacks excel in games that are projected to be tight. In games with a line of +3 to -3 Ottawa has gone 20-9 SU and 19-10 ATS long-term. Montreal is 0-3 ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less this season. Also, the Als are 9-17 ATS when playing with 6 days or less of rest. Look for the Redblacks to get revenge against a short-handed Alouettes team. 10* OTTAWA Thursday evening.

Rickenbach CFL Game #307/308 - Total Annihilation - 10* Top Play OVER 54 in Calgary Stampeders vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7 ET Sunday - The Tiger-Cats have had a big boost on offense with the return of QB Zach Collaros but don't be fooled by the fact that the Hamilton defense only allowed 7 points last week. The Ti-Cats D took advantage of facing a Saskatchewan team that is, by far, the worst team in the CFL. The Roughriders are now 1-8 on the season and after another loss Friday night. Prior to Hamilton's win over Saskatchewan last week, the Tiger-Cats had allowed 28 points per game on the season. Their now facing the team in the CFL with the best record YTD and Calgary is getting the job done on offense with averaging 31 points per game. I am well aware of the fact that the under is a perfect 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between Hamilton and Calgary but this one has the makings of a very high-scoring game Sunday evening. The Stampeders defense is due for a letdown as they had a key divisional win over 2nd place BC last week. Before holding the Lions to just 9 points, Calgary had given up 25.4 points per game in their 5 games this season that were not against last-place Saskatchewan. In other words, against potent offenses, the Stampeders tend to give up their fair share of big points. I just don't see the Calgary defense stepping in back to back weeks in this non-divisional setting but I do know that the Stampeders offense should have no trouble moving the ball against a Hamilton team whose defense is its weakest link. Add it all up and you have the makings of a back and forth shootout here between Bo Levi Mitchell and Zach Collaros. 10* OVER in Calgary Sunday evening.

Rickenbach CFL Game #303 - Game of the Year - 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Pick'em) @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7 ET Friday - Winnipeg is fresh off of their bye week and has won three straight games. QB Matt Nichols has led the way and the Blue Bombers have begun to surge following the handing of the pivot duties to Nichols from Drew Willy. This is a revenge game from a 22-14 home loss for Winnipeg earlier this season. The Blue Bombers have payback on their minds and Winnipeg has gotten the cash in 4 of their last 5 visits to Montreal. The Bombers certainly are catching the Alouettes at an ideal time. Montreal's offense has been very inconsistent this season. That said, it is hard to imagine that the Als will be able to have another big game after their huge divisional win at Ottawa last week. That win over the Redblacks was a key win for Montreal and is likely to leave them a little flat this week. Keep in mind too that the Alouettes offense has struggled for much of this season. The rested and highly motivated Blue Bombers are the play here as they continue their surge with Nichols orchestrating the offense. Montreal has another match-up with division rival Ottawa on deck while the Bombers only have last place Saskatchewan on deck. Situational edge definitely goes to the road team here and I expect the Blue Bombers to improve to 4-1 on the road and 4-1 against the East this season. Look for the Alouettes to drop to 1-4 in home games this season. 10* WINNIPEG Friday

Rickenbach CFL Game #126 - Daytime Dominator - 10* Top Play Toronto Argonauts +3.5 vs Edmonton Eskimos @ 4 ET Saturday - The Argonauts are off of an ugly loss as Logan Kilgore had an awful game at pivot last week and threw 5 interceptions. He'll bounce back strong this week as he also gets a couple of key receiving targets back this week. Toronto is hungry to come up with a big game at home as, like most of the CFL, home wins have been hard to come by so far this season. The Eskimos are off of a big win last week but that could result in them coming up a little bit flat here this week against a non-divisional foe. Edmonton has struggled against the East this season and also, Eskimos pivot Mike Reilly has struggled against Toronto with a 1-4 mark in his career against Edmonton. The Eskimos also are without the services of a key defensive lineman for this game. The Argos are getting healthier, the Eskimos are not, the Argos are motivated off of an ugly home loss, Edmonton is flat off of a big home win last week. Add it all up and you have the perfect situation to back the motivated home dog in this weekend match-up that has been moved up from a 7 ET to a 4 ET start time. Daytime domination for the home team expected here as the Argos are hungry and ready to atone for last week's ugly loss. 10* TORONTO Saturday.

Rickenbach CFL Game #121 - Div Game of the Month - 10* Montreal Alouettes +9 @ Ottawa @ 7 ET Friday - The Redblacks are struggling on offense as they continue to be without starting pivot Trevor Harris and have had to turn to 41 year old Henry Burris at the pivot. Friday Ottawa faces a hungry Alouettes team that is looking to get their season turned around before it is too late and one of the keys that Montreal can fall back on is the fact that their defense has been solid this season. i look for the Als to turn this into a tight, defensive battle and that means it will be tough for the Redblacks to create any type of margin in this game. Ottawa, earlier this season, had an underdog mentality but now they are in the #1 spot in the East and have a bit of a "target" on their backs now. The Redblacks are unlikely to handle this as well as they handled their "dog" mentality and I look for the Alouettes to possibly even spring the upset here but certainly they should at least keep the game within a one score margin when all is said and done. Look for the Als to improve to 3-1 ATS in Friday games this season. Also, the road team has taken 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and one of those two losses came by only 3 points. Look for the road team to again get the cash here as Ottawa drops to 0-3 ATS this season when they are a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 10* MONTREAL Friday.

Rickenbach CFL Game #306 - Best Bet - 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders +6 vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7 ET Saturday - The final score shows an ugly 20 point loss for the Roughriders last week against the Stampeders. However, that game was tight until the fourth quarter and now Saskatchewan gets a shot at revenge and the rematch is at home for them. The Riders have extra motivation after the Stampeders incited some trash talk following the win at Calgary last week. Saskatchewan has a solid veteran QB that does not make many mistakes and, in fact, has not thrown a pick this season. The Stampeders have won 5 straight in this series and have covered 4 of those 5 games. However, this situation is a highly motivate spot for Saskatchewan at home as they won't be home again for another 3 weeks. With the way road teams dominated early this season we all know a reversal is coming...at least in terms of ATS numbers...and I am confident that, this time, the Roughriders keep this one tight for all 4 quarters rather than just the first 3. That said, there is great line value with the generous points being offered here. 10* SASKATCHEWAN +6 Saturday

Rickenbach CFL Game #303 - 10* Top Play - Winnipeg Blue Bombers +4 @ Toronto Argonauts @ 7:30 ET Friday - The Argonauts are coming off of a win and a bye week and, as they've pushed up the East Division standings, may seem like a good "play on" team this week. However, the Blue Bombers have also been surging up the standings in the West Division and they have a bye week on deck. While Winnipeg will "leave it all on the field" this week knowing they have a bye on deck, note that Toronto has a game with the Grey Cup Champs, Edmonton, on tap for next week. The road teams have dominated much of this season so far in the CFL and the Blue Bombers have just one road loss this year while the Argos have only one home win so far this season. The Winnipeg secondary has been playing very well and, on the other side of the ball, they've been getting solid QB play. This is very significant because the passing game has been more emphasized than ever so far this season in the CFL. The Argonauts are dealing with the Ricky Ray injury at the QB position and this has put a lot of pressure on a young Logan Kilgore. That pressure tends to be amplified in home games. That said, I love the line value here with the road dog Blue Bombers as they continue to play solid defense. I look for Winnipeg to improve to 4-1 ATS so far this season in games where they are a dog in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. As for the Argonauts, they are 1-6 ATS the last 7 times they have entered a game on a winning streak of 2 games or more. Also, Toronto is on a 5-14 ATS run in home games! 10* WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS Friday

Rickenbach CFL Game #302 - 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos -6.5 vs Montreal Alouettes @ 9 ET Thursday - Not going to get too wordy here. The Eskimos have uncharacteristically slumped early this season and they need a bounce back effort at home. Their offense is led by the league-leading passer and their defense has also forced a ton of fumbles this season. The Alouettes anemic offense simply won't be able to keep up. In fact, shut down their red-hot leading receiver and you've basically shutdown the Montreal offense. Edmonton is fired up for a huge effort at home after a tight road loss last week. As for the Als, they simply can't get it going and are off another embarrassing home loss last week where they were dominated. The Eskimos have won (and covered!) 4 straight against Montreal and I look for a big home win here and will take advantage of the downward line move. This one opened up at a 7.5 but has dropped to a 6.5 which is giving us even more value in a game that has the makings of a home rout. 10* EDMONTON

Rickenbach CFL Game #127 - Game of the Month - 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos +4 @ Ottawa @ 7 ET Saturday - Edmonton is off of a loss in a divisional battle and they are 5-1 SU an ATS the past two seasons when off of a loss in West Division action. Now they take on an East Division foe with revenge on their minds as the Eskimos lost to the Redblacks earlier this season. Ottawa is trying to fight off a losing streak but they are 4-10 SU the past two season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 2 games or more. That said, there is great value with Edmonton here as the Redblacks are laying 4 points even though they notoriously struggle to snap losing streaks and they've had issues at QB because of the injury to pivot Trevor Harris. Ottawa will prove to be no match for the Eskimos and QB Chris Reilly who is having a fantastic season thusfar. The Redblacks won the first meeting this season (in overtime) to get some revenge for the Grey Cup loss last season. That said, it is now Edmonton that is the revenge-seeker and the Eskimos are positioned well for the upset here. Look for the Eskimos to improve to 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games with a posted total of 52 points or more. As you can see from the O/U on this game, a lot of points are expected here and I just don't see the struggling Ottawa offense as being able to keep up in this one based on all the question marks they have at QB right now. 10* EDMONTON +4

Rickenbach CFL Game #121 - 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats -4 @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 8:30 ET - Big revenge game for Hamilton as they lost at home to Winnipeg in Week 3 of this season. Prior to that loss, the Tiger-Cats had won and covered 6 of their last 7 meetings with the Blue Bombers. Hamilton has an edge here as they are coming off of their bye week. Even though both teams are off of a win over Edmonton, the Tiger-Cats have the edge with the bye week. Winnipeg got a boost last week with the play of QB Matt Nichols who took the place of a struggling Drew Willy. However, the Blue Bombers are now dealing with a lot of injuries at the skill positions on offense. This will make it tough for Winnipeg to move the ball well here because Hamilton has a solid defense with arguably the best front seven in the league. They are "sack machines" and Nichols won't find it near as easy against this defense as he did against the Eskimos last week. The road team is a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS in Tiger-Cats games this season and Hamilton should get their revenge easily on the road against an injury-depleted Blue Bombers squad. Winnipeg is 1-17 SU against teams with a winning record and 6-11-1 ATS in those 18 games. This is a very manageable line here and I'll gladly lay it with the road fave. 10* Top Play HAMILTON Wednesday

Rickenbach CFL Game #307 - East Game of the Year - *10* Top Play Toronto Argonauts +10.5 @ Ottawa Redblacks @ 7:30 ET Sunday - Big revenge game for Toronto after losing at home to Ottawa on July 13th. The Argonauts were seeking their first home win at BMO Field which, as a result of the loss to the Redblacks, did not occur until last week. That's when the Argos knocked off the Alouettes in a solid 30-17 win. The Argonauts will look to build off of that win over Montreal while Ottawa is still licking their wounds after their upset loss at Saskatchewan last week. The Redblacks have significant injury issues at QB but at least can turn to veteran Henry Burris. However, the 41 year old is matched up with a rookie and what is interesting is that Burris is 0-4 the last 4 times he has made a start against a rookie QB. The Argos will have 26 year old Logan Kilgore making this start. Note also that the Argonauts are a perfect 4-0 in a game following a Ricky Ray injury the last 4 times he's gotten hurt and missed a start. Interesting combined 8-0 angle favoring revenge-minded Toronto here. This game is for first place in the East Division and the Argonauts had won 4 of their last 5 meetings with Ottawa before coming up short against the Redblacks earlier this month. The Argos are looking to go to 3-0 in road games this year and, overall the early season CFL action has been dominated by road teams. I look for that trend to continue here and I like having the big points as Burris will be looking to work the rust off in this game and I don't see Ottawa as being able to create much separation on the scoreboard in this one. *10* TORONTO +10.5

Rickenbach CFL Game #127/128 - CFL East Game of the Month - *10* Top Play Toronto Argonauts -5.5 vs Montreal @ 7:30 ET Monday - The Alouettes have averaged only 14 points per game so far this season. Now they visit the Argonauts whom they crushed 34-2 last October in Toronto. That said, there is no shortage of motivation for the Argos here who also are not happy about having started this season 0-2 at home! Toronto is off of a loss last week but they have yet to lose 2 straight this season as they opened up their schedule with a home loss and then followed it up with back to back road wins. Now, after another home loss last week, it is time for the Argonauts to inflict some punishment on a short-handed Montreal team who has lost their last two games by an average of 19.5 points per game. With the line move on this game from a -7 down to a -5.5 we also are being offered exceptional line value here and we'll take it! *10* TORONTO

Rickenbach CFL Game #125/126 - *10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats +5 @ Edmonton @ 7:00 ET Saturday - The Eskimos have the bulls-eye on their backs after winning the Grey Cup last season. Keep in mind it was the Tiger-Cats that had lost each of the prior two Grey Cups so they are hungry to get back there. I like the underdog value being offered with Hamilton here on the road. Overall, road teams have dominated so far this season in CFL action and the Ti-Cats are already a perfect 2-0 away from home. Edmonton is off of another win last week but it was a tight one (by 4) and they are being asked to lay an even bigger number this week against a much tougher opponent. The Tiger-Cats are 15-7 ATS on the road the past 2+ seasons and that includes a stellar 8-2 ATS when it is a road game with a posted total of 52 points or more. Look for Edmonton to drop to 1-4 ATS in home games the past 2+ seasons with a posted total of 52 points or more. The tough defensive line of the Tiger-Cats is going to prove to be a difference maker here. The Eskimos are allowing an average of 32 points per game this season while the Ti-Cats are allowing only 21 points per game. Defense will play a key role in this game and the Tiger-Cats are fired up about facing the defending champs! *10* HAMILTON +5

Rickenbach CFL *10* Top Play OVER 50 in Saskatchewan vs BC @ 7 ET Saturday - All 3 of the Lions games have stayed under the total so far this season but BC made a QB change in last week's game and Travis Lulay came in and was 12 of 15 for 156 yards. Look for that effort to be a wake-up call for the Lions offense and this week they will take advantage of a Saskatchewan defense that has allowed 34.5 points per game so far this season. The bright spot for the Roughriders was their solid effort on offense last week which included QB Dariant Darant connecting on 27 of his 38 passes and leading the offense to 4 TDs and over 300 yards through the air. With BC off of their first loss of the season last week the Lions defense could show a little "unbeaten letdown" this week as their undefeated start is now history. I expect Saskatchewan at home to put up huge numbers this week but, once again, their defense is an issue and BC moves the ball well after the spark generated by QB changes in last week's game. I am well aware of the fact that this series is known for unders. I also know that is particularly true when the teams meet in Saskatoon. However, this total was set at 50 for a reason. BC has gone under in all 3 games this season but the Lions offense will enjoy a breakout game against the defense they are facing this week. Additionally, the Roughriders offense is full of confidence and poised for another huge effort here. *10* OVER in Saskatchewan

Rickenbach CFL *10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos -3 @ Winnipeg @ 8:30 ET - The Eskimos are off of a win versus Saskatchewan but they blew a huge late lead and are not happy about that. Edmonton's defense was one of the best in the league last season but that has not been the case at all this season and certainly it is now time for "heads to roll" for the Eskimos. They need a huge effort this week and they are certainly catching the Blue Bombers at the right time. Winnipeg is off of a huge upset win at Hamilton but let's not forget they had lost each of their first two games by an average margin of defeat of 11 points per game. The Blue Bombers are averaging only 21 points per game so far this season and simply won't be able to keep up with a highly motivated Eskimos team here. Edmonton has been led by Mike Reilly at QB and John White in the running game and this balanced attack will prove to be too much for a Winnipeg team still celebrating last week's upset win. The Blue Bombers had lost 12 of it's last 14 games straight-up before the upset win last week and I'll gladly lay the small number with Edmonton here. The Eskimos have covered 5 of their last 6 meetings with Winnipeg and they have all the edges in this one, including situational. *10* EDMONTON