CFL Eastern Division: Rivalries are back after break

Football Betting Lines

09/02/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Labour Day approaches in Canada and, in the CFL, that means rivalries take over for the most-anticipated weekend of the regular season. The Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set to complete the home-and-home series they began in Week 8, where it was Steeltown that came away with a tight win over the Boatmen. Meanwhile, Montreal hosts the eighth-place BC Lions, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to gain ground against prairie rival Saskatchewan Roughriders.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

The Argos have battled it out with the Ti-Cats on Labor Day every year since 1948. The tradition continues again this year, and despite having a better record, it's Toronto looking to prove something.

The Argos dropped a 16-12 decision at home to Hamilton two weeks ago, courtesy of 13 points allowed in the final quarter and receiving 10 penalties for 115 yards.

Simply put, Toronto gave the game away and is hungry to exact revenge.

Despite the loss, Toronto can ride the positive vibes of having two of its players named Players of the Month for August.

Cory Boyd was named August's best offensive player after amassing 386 total yards from scrimmage, highlighted by a 164-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 6.

Meanwhile, linebacker Kevin Eiban was named Top Canadian. He currently leads the league with 53 tackles this season.

Offensive key to the next game (Hamilton Tiger-Cats): Boyd can't do it all, but he is the most important piece of the Argos offense. Behind him, Cleo Lemon needs to throw at a higher percentage - he connected on just 18-of-31 pass attempts in Week 8.

Defensive key to the next game: Discipline comes first in this game as Toronto would have won easily had it not been for penalties. Aside from that, the defensive line needs to tighten up a little bit and not allow DeAndra Cobb to approach the century mark in rushing yards again.

Look ahead: Toronto plays the three worst teams in the league over the next few weeks, and since two are home games, it's essential the Argos win them if they want to keep up with Montreal in the East.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

It's been a tough go for the Ti-Cats this season, but after two consecutive wins, they're right back in the thick of things. Hamilton is just one game back of Toronto, making the Labour Day matchup a true classic in the making.

DeAndra Cobb played a huge part, having his best game of the season in Week 8 when he ran for 99 yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown in the dying minutes.

Though the Ti-Cats snatched victory from their Ontario rivals, it was not a great showing by any stretch of the imagination. Hamilton scored just three points in the first three quarters before finding the will to win in the final frame.

Hamilton will look to iron out its lackluster play from two weeks ago and come out of the gates strong at home in Week 10.

Offensive key to the next game (Toronto Argonauts): Cobb is hitting his stride now and may be the difference again this time around. However, receiver Arland Bruce is the key piece in the puzzle as limiting Toronto to just 12 points two weeks in a row is highly unlikely. Bruce will need to step up and improve on his 68-yard performance in his last game.

Defensive key to the next game: The defensive key against Toronto is the same for every team - stop Cory Boyd. Limiting Boyd to just 86 yards two weeks ago is surprisingly great defensive work.

Look ahead: Hamilton plays two top teams in Montreal and Saskatchewan over the next three weeks, and though both are at home, it will be hard for the Ti-Cats to continue to climb their way up the standings.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The storyline of what would have likely been a convincing Montreal win over BC in Week 10 has instead become about the injury to the Als' most important player, and how the Lions can take advantage.

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo is out and third-stringer Chris Leak is in, a replacement that has to have the last-place Lions gnashing their teeth for a chance to pick up a rare win.

Regardless of the injury, Montreal has so many weapons that it is still likely to win. This game will go a long way in showcasing what the Als can do without their best player.

Offensive key to the next game (BC Lions): While Leak is filling some big shoes, running back Avon Cobourne is likely to pick up the load. A tough task for Cobourne considering he's returning from an ankle injury, which caused him to miss the Als' last game.

Defensive key to the next game: As bad as the Lions defense has been, simply outscoring BC is the best option for the Als. However, if the Alouettes want a truly comfortable win, then clogging up lanes around the line of scrimmage is the best bet. Force Printers to go scramble and go deep, and turnovers are more than likely to happen.

Look ahead: Two of the next three weeks are against East opponents, sandwiched around a trip out west to face Edmonton. The Als are not in the clear yet for best in the East, and therefore must not let up against weaker division opponents.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

A 116-yard performance from running back Fred Reid did little for Winnipeg in its last matchup, a 39-17 loss to Montreal in Week 8.

It was Reid's best game of the season but, if anything, it showcased Winnipeg's need for a more consistent passing game.

Steven Jyles has not been able to step up for injured quarterback Buck Pierce, as the reeling Blue Bombers have now lost four in a row.

Fortunately, they will be facing another team that has lost its footing recently in the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Offensive key to the next game (Saskatchewan Roughriders): Quite simply, Jyles needs to play better, as 129 yards passing is not good enough in any league. That's the number Jyles finished with two weeks ago against Montreal.

Defensive key to the next game: Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant has struggled recently, and his team is suffering as a result. Winnipeg should follow the formula of Saskatchewan's recent opponents and force Durant to make mistakes and cause turnovers. Winnipeg needs to win the battle of possession to have a chance, and this is the best way to do it.

Look ahead: Winnipeg plays nothing but playoff contenders for the next three weeks after Saskatchewan. The postseason is getting to be a harder goal to achieve each and every week for the Bombers. This stretch may prove whether or not the dream is for real.

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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.

Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.

Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.

Memphis vs. Ohio State

Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.

UCLA vs. Kansas

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.

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