The Bum's 2017 Canadian Football League Picks/Trends/News thru Grey Cup !!

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Best Bets
July 13, 2017

Week 4 CFL Best Bets

We've hit Week 4 of the 2017 CFL season already and the four games on the card this week are all about cross-country matchups. All four games pit an East team vs a West team, and with only two meetings a year between these foes, there isn't often the same hostility involved in the games as you typically see with rivalry games.

However, there are two games on Friday's double-header that are very attractive from a betting standpoint and it's those two contests that I'm looking to attack this week.

BetLuckys.ag Odds: Calgary (-4.5) vs. Montreal; Total set at 48.5

BetLuckys.ag Best Bet: Montreal +4.5

This game opened up at -5.5 and has already seen some action on the home side and I've got to agree with it. Any concerns of betting into a bad number here should be minimal as Montreal is a very live home dog for the outright win here, and anything over 3 points is still a solid cushion. The Alouettes can ill-afford to drop three in a row after winning a nail-biter in Week 1, although they have faced the best three teams in the West in Weeks 2, 3, and 4.

The good news for Montreal here is the fact that the home team has gone 7-0 SU the last seven times these two organizations have met (9-1 SU last 10), and the underdog is 7-3 ATS in those games. Those contests have typically been low-scoring for those total players out there, but this is all about the side for me.

Aside from those strong trends favoring the home side and the underdog – both Montreal in this case – Calgary is in a rough spot of their own. This will be the third week of travel for the Stampeders and it's not like they've been short trips either. Calgary began the season in Ottawa, went home for the rematch with the Redblacks in Week 2, hopped over to Winnipeg last week, and go as far East as they can in a season with this week's game against Montreal.

Even with it being relatively early on in the year, all that travel is going to catch up to this team eventually, and given that this field in Montreal has been a house of horrors for Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell and his teammates in the past, - Calgary's last three games here have all been SU losses by 9+ points when they were laying -7, -9, and -9.5 - grabbing the points is the way to go.

BetLuckys.ag Odds: Ottawa vs. Edmonton (-3.5); Total set at 57.5

BetLuckys.ag Best Bet: Over 57.5

This is another game that's seen significant line movement already as Edmonton opened up as 6-point favorites at home and have seen plenty of money go against them already. I'm not sure if most of that action is following the narrative of the defending champs from Ottawa being a desperate bunch in search of their first SU victory, but at this current line, there is little to no value in the side. Yet, in terms of the total, this is the highest number for any game on the board this week and I still don't believe it's high enough.

Ottawa couldn't get out of their own way for much of their 2nd half collapse against Toronto last week, but the offense could still move the ball when they were rolling and that shouldn't change here. The Redblacks have averaged 31.6 points/game so far in this young season and thanks to a bad defense behind them on the other side of the ball (33.3 points allowed/game), they are still winless on the year. None of that should change dramatically this week in Edmonton as we should see Ottawa stay true to their early season course as one of the better 'over' teams in the CFL this year.

Finally, we can't forget about the post-bye angle for this game as Edmonton had last week off to rest and prepare. So far this year, teams that have come off a bye week are 2-0 O/U and allowed 38.5 points/game.

Edmonton's defense should be able to bring that average down a bit, but don't be shocked to see them give up 30+ to this desperate Redblacks team and be forced to push the ball up and down the field themselves. The Eskimos are 6-2 O/U after a bye week as an organization themselves the past few years, and with a 10-4 O/U run going as home favorites, we should get 60+ points from these two teams.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JULY 14

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CGY at MTL 07:00 PM

MTL +4.0

U 48.5

OTT at EDM 10:00 PM

OTT +4.0

O 57.5

[StarDust Bum]

RECAP
ALS’ OFFENCE LEADS THE WAY IN HOME VICTORY OVER STAMPS
CFL.CA STAFF

Montreal — The Montreal Alouettes outlasted the undefeated Calgary Stampeders in an exciting 30-23 home win on Friday night.

Montreal started fast out of the gate when Darian Durant completed a big 80-yard pass to Ernest Jackson down the right side of the field on the first play of the game. Jackson would finish the game with an impressive 118 yards receiving. The Als’ drive stalled after that, as they failed to reach the end zone and were forced to settle for a field goal from Boris Bede to take the early 3-0 lead.

On Calgary’s opening drive, Kamar Jorden made the most difficult catch his team had all night. The Stamp’s leading receiver made a one-handed grab look effortless, and he would move the chains for a first down a couple plays later. Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell continued his accurate and effective play on the team’s opening drive, but the Stamps had to settle for a Rene Paredes field goal after a would-be touchdown pass was broken up near the goal line.

The Alouettes’s next drive appeared to have promise after an explosive return from Stefan Logan, but the drive ended quickly when a Durant pass ended up in the hands of defensive back Ciante Evans. Evans made a brilliant play on the ball to intercept the short pass.

Darian Durant made another poor decision early in the second quarter when he threw an errant pass to avoid a sack, only to have the pass picked off by defensive back Tommie Campbell.

Jorden made another fantastic grab on the next drive for Calgary, reaching up high over the middle to secure the first down. But the Stamps were unable to score the game’s opening touchdown on the drive, settling for another field goal to take the 6-3 lead.

Mitchell was under duress in the opening half, dealing with major pressure from the Als’ defensive line. Montreal’s John Bowman registered his 114th career sack in the second quarter, after dragging down Mitchell in the backfield.
Durant began to find success near the end of the first half, finding Tiquan Underwood for the first down. Nik Lewis reeled in a pass on the next play, bulldozing his way for another Montreal first down on the drive. Lewis moved the chains again on the ensuing play, after being left wide open on the left side of the field.

The Als’ running game began to come alive on the drive when running back Jean-Christophe Beaulieu found a big hole for 27 yards.

On what was easily the best drive for either team in the first half, the Als scored a big passing touchdown when Durant connected with B.J. Cunningham for 39 yards to help lift his team to a 10-6 lead. Cunningham’s route was a double move that made the Calgary defensive back fall to the turf.

The Stampeders attempted to regain momentum on the following drive, but the Als’ defensive pressure continued to create disruption in the backfield. Als’ linebacker Chris Ackie stripped the ball from Jerome Messam after getting penetration. The fumble was scooped up by Montreal defensive back Branden Dozier, who took it 20 yards for the touchdown to help put his team up 17-6.

Messam was ejected from the game on the same play, after the Calgary running back was involved in an altercation after his fumble.

On the next drive, the Stamps made their way down the field in a hurry as time ran out in the first half. Paredes notched his third field goal of the game, narrowing Montreal’s lead to 17-9 before half.

Roy Finch stepped up at running back for the Stamps on their first drive of the second half, giving his team momentum by catching passes out of the backfield and making Montreal defenders miss in space.

Mitchell made a clutch throw a couple plays later when he found DaVaris Daniels for a 30-yard touchdown pass against defensive back Brandon Stewart to tie the game at 16. The play was Mitchel’s 99th career touchdown pass and the first receiving touchdown of the season for Daniels.

Calgary would take a 17-16 lead after Rob Maver punted the ball through the back of the end zone for a single.

The Stamps put together another successful drive near the end of the third quarter with completions to Daniels, Finch and Marquay McDaniel. Calgary added another field goal to increase their lead to 20-16 entering the fourth.

The Alouettes responded on their opening drive of the fourth quarter with a well executed running play that saw Tyrrell Sutton take it 13 yards for the score. Sutton broke several tackles on the play to put his team up 23-20. The CFL’s rushing leader gained tough yards all game long, finishing with 85 yards rushing.
The Stamps responded again on the next drive when another leaping grab by Jorden led to another field goal, tying the game 23-23.

In what was the highlight of the night, Ernest Jackson made a remarkable 21-yard grab. Jackson went up high, reaching over the helmet of Ciante Evans to make the catch. Nik Lewis added a 19-yard catch on the next play, setting up a short rushing touchdown for quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to put Montreal back on top 30-23.

Calgary’s attempt to comeback fell short, ending their 19-game regular season unbeaten streak.

Next week’s action will see the Alouettes take on the REDBLACKS on Wednesday the 19th, while the Stampeders will look to bounce back in their game against the Roughriders on Saturday the 22nd.

[StarDust Bum]

NEWS
ESKIMOS HOLD OFF REDBLACKS’ LATE EFFORT TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED

CFL.CA STAFF

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Eskimos remained undefeated in 2017 with a 23-21 win over the reigning Grey Cup champion Ottawa REDBLACKS at Commonwealth Stadium.

The REDBLACKS came up just short of forcing overtime after Trevor Harris orchestrated a late fourth quarter drive ending in a touchdown pass to Joshua Stangby with less than 30 seconds left on the clock to put the game within two points. Ottawa’s two-point covert attempt was no good, solidifying the win for the Eskimos.

Brandon Zylstra posted a game high 108 yards on 10 catches while Travon Van racked up 103 yards on the ground on 18 carries in the win.

The Eskimos came out hungry in hopes of avenging their East Final loss to the REDBLACKS last season, but it was Ottawa who jumped on the board first on their second drive of the game. Harris connected with Brad Sinopoli in traffic to set Ottawa up 33 yards out from the end zone. The Eskimos’ defence did not give the REDBLACKS any ground after that, forcing Brett Maher to notch his first field goal of the night from 43 yards out. Maher’s field goal were the only points of the first quarter, giving the REDBLACKS a 3-0 lead.

Ottawa was finally able to find their offensive prowess midway through the second quarter when Harris went up top to Greg Ellingson for a long 34 yard gain. Ellingson appeared to make it into the end zone, but replay determined that he was just short, stepping out of bounds at the one yard line. Ryan Lindley finished the job by making the short charge across the plane for the first major of the game to give Ottawa a 9-0 lead. The extra point attempt sailed wide.

After a sluggish start to the game, the Eskimos appeared to find their groove near the end of the half.

The Eskimos finally got on the board after Sean Whyte notched a 21-yard field goal just after the three minute warning.

On the ensuing drive, the Eskimos capitalized on a REDBLACKS’ hiccup when Harris attempted a lateral pass to Sinopoli deep in Ottawa territory that was slightly off target. The toss was fumbled and scooped up by Brandyn Thompson, who ran it back into the end zone for a 31 yard major to give the Esks their first touchdown of the game. The extra point attempt was successful to pull Edmonton ahead 10-9.

Reilly and company appeared to feed off of their defences scoring play. On the Esks’ final drive of the quarter, Reilly tossed a 42-yard long ball to Vidal Hazelton to place Edmonton just outside of the red zone. Adarius Bowman capped off the drive with a short touchdown catch with less than 10 seconds left on the clock for the offences first major of the game.

The successful extra point gave the Esks a 17-9 lead heading into halftime.

The Eskimos had a chance pull even farther ahead of the REDBLACKS after Alex Hoffman-Ellis blocked an Ottawa punt and Edmonton gained possession in the red zone after a turnover on downs. Ottawa’s defence came up with a huge stop, blocking Edmonton’s short 13-yard path into the end zone. The Esks settled for a field goal to go up 20-9.

The REDBLAKCS clawed their way back into the game late in the quarter courtesy of a strong offensive drive. Dionte Spencer’s first reception of the game proved to be a crucial one for Ottawa as he brought down a 30-yard toss by Harris to place the REDBLACKS just outside the end zone. William Powell powered across the plane for the major to put the REDBLACKS within five points. Ottawa’s two-point convert attempt was unsuccessful, setting up a 20-15 Esks lead entering the final 15 minutes.

Whyte notched his third field goal of the game in the fourth quarter to pull the Eskimos ahead by eight.

The REDBLACKS attempted to orchestrate a late drive that took the game down to the final whistle, but it was too little too late for the reigning Grey Cup champs, who remained winless through four weeks of play.

The REDBLACKS return to the East to take on the Montreal Alouettes next week while the Esks will look to continue their winning ways

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s six-pack

— Braves 4, Arizona 3— Ender Inciarte made a great catch to keep tying run off base leading off 9th inning- he also scored two runs.

— Warriors 109, Clippers 100— Oregon’s Dylan Ennis scored 35 points.

— Michael Pineda has a torn UCL, might need Tommy John surgery.

— Red Sox DFA’d Pablo Sandoval; they still owe him around $50M thru 2020.

— By way of comparison, the A’s have only $25.5M of salary on the books for 2018-20, and thats for the whole team.

— Rumors are that Ezekiel Elliott might get a domestic violence suspension; Cowboys went from -4.5 to -4 at some sportsbooks Friday for their Week 1 game against the Giants.

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In a perfect world, where I made all the decisions………

13) If you’re making a certain amount of money ($20M a year??) in the NBA, then you’re not allowed to take “recovery” or “maintenance” days off. Steph Curry makes $40M a year; James Harden makes almost as much as that. You’re tired? Too bad. Show up and play— people pay a boatload of money to watch you play.

If you’re hurt, thats another thing, but some guys are just taking off one night of back-to-backs when it isn’t that hard to play on consecutive nights- they did it when they were kids.

12) No radios in NFL players’ helmets; you have six days to prepare for these games. Give the QB a wristband with plays on it and let the players play. Coaches have all week to coach.

11) Get rid of the Electoral College; the Presidential candidate who gets the most votes wins. I’ve heard arguments by both sides. This one is simple: candidate with the most votes wins. For me, this goes back 15-20 years, it isn’t about last year.

10) National League and American League would have the same rules where the DH is concerned; I don’t even care if there is/isn’t a DH anymore, just have the same rules in both leagues.

I’d be willing to eliminate the DH, in exchange for 26 or 27-man rosters for each team, with expansion to only 30 players after September 1st.

9) Every relief pitcher would have to face 2+ batters in a game, not one, unless the one batter is the last out of an inning. This would quicken the game, eliminating the L-R-L pitching changes that slow the game down to a halt.

8) I’d lower the drinking age to 18; if you’re old enough to go to war, then you’re old enough to have a beer.

7) No more visits to the pitchers’ mound by coaches/managers. None. Ever. Again, let the players figure it out on their own.

6) Could we put an NHL team in Quebec City, and one is Saskatoon? I hear they like hockey there. Having teams in Raleigh, Brooklyn and Arizona just doesn’t seem smart.

5) The NFL would eliminate Thursday Night Football, except for the Week 1 game and the Thanksgiving games.

4) Would shorten NFL preseason to two games; would also allow teams to do more in the offseason, as far as actually practicing football. An 18-game regular season with the Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend would be good.

3) In ’n Out Burger would have one, preferably two places in the Albany, NY area. Please????

2) NCAA basketball tournament would go back to 64 teams.

1) People would be more respectful of each other’s opinions, and of each other. Everyone hates everybody these days— take a deep breath and tolerate other people. it isn’t that hard to do.

[StarDust Bum]

WEST DIVISION
RK TEAM GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV
1 Edmonton 3 3 0 0 6 76 67 2-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0
2 Calgary 4 2 1 1 5 126 110 1-0-0 1-1-1 1-0-0
3 Winnipeg 3 2 1 0 4 86 94 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0
4 BC 3 2 1 0 4 78 61 0-1-0 2-0-0 0-1-0
5 Saskatchewan 3 1 2 0 2 93 80 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0

EAST DIVISION
RK TEAM GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV
1 Toronto 4 2 2 0 4 98 101 1-1-0 1-1-0 2-0-0
2 Montreal 4 2 2 0 4 82 85 2-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0
3 Ottawa 4 0 3 1 1 116 123 0-1-1 0-2-0 0-1-0
4 Hamilton 2 0 2 0 0 35 69 0-0-0 0-2-0 0-1-0

[StarDust Bum]

CFL Record: Best Bets & Opinions

Date W-L-T % Units

07/14/2017....................2-2-0..............50.00%.....................-11.00
07/13/2017....................1-1-0..............50.00%.......................-0.50
07/08/2017....................1-3-0..............25.00%.....................-11.50
07/07/2017....................1-1-0..............50.00%.......................-0.50
07/06/2017....................2-0-0............100.00%....................+10.00
07/01/2017....................1-1-0..............50.00%.......................-0.50
06/30/2017....................2-2-0..............50.00%.......................-0.20
06/29/2017................... 0-2-0............... 0.00%.................... -11.00
06/25/2017................... 1-1-0............. 50.00%...................... -0.50
06/24/2017................... 1-1-0 .............50.00% ......................-0.50
06/23/2017................... 2-0-0............ 100.00%................... +10.00
06/22/2017................... 0-2-0............... 0.00%.................... -11.00

Total............................ATS.............. .........O/U.....................Total

07/14/2017....................2 - 0.....................0 - 2......................-11.00
07/13/2017....................1 - 0.....................0 - 1 ......................- 0.50
07/08/2017....................1 - 1-----------------0 - 2......................-11.50
07/07/2017....................1 - 0.....................0 - 1....................... -0.50
07/06/2017....................1 - 0.....................1 - 0.....................+10.00
07/01/2017....................0 - 1.....................1 - 0.......................- 0.50
06/30/2017....................1 - 1.....................1 - 1.......................- 0.20
06/29/2017................... 0- 1..................... 0 - 1..................... -11.00
06/25/2017....................0 - 1.....................1 - 0........................-0.50
06/24/2017................... 1 - 0 ............. ......0 - 1........................-0.50
06/23/2017....................1 - 0.....................1 - 0....................+ 10.00
06/22/2017....................0 - 1.....................0 - 1 ....................- 11.00

[StarDust Bum]

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Saturday, July 15

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (2 - 1) at HAMILTON (0 - 2) - 7/15/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-1 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-1 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BC Lions (2-1) @ Hamilton (0-2)— Lions are 7-3 in last ten series games, winning last three, by 27-25-7 points. BC lost three of last four visits here; home side won seven of last eight series games- over is 6-2 in those eight games. Lions are on road for 3rd week in row; they were +19 in second half the last two weeks, wins at Toronto/Montreal. TiCats were outgunned by 287-258 yards in first two games, losses at Toronto (32-15), Saskatchewan (37-20)- this is their home opener.

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Saturday, July 15

7:30 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. HAMILTON
British Columbia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
British Columbia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Hamilton
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Hamilton is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games


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Saturday, July 14

BC Lions @ Hamilton

Game 377-378
July 15, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
BC Lions
110.944
Hamilton
111.532
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hamilton
by 1
43
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
BC Lions
by 3
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Hamilton
(+3); Under

[StarDust Bum]

CFL

Saturday, July 15

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Saturday's CFL Betting Preview and Odds: Lions at Tiger-Cats
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The BC Lions are 3-point road faves for their Saturday night matchup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who are searching for their first win, in their first home game of the season.

BC Lions at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+3, 51.5)

The BC Lions look to conclude their Eastern road swing with their third straight win when they tangle with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday. The Lions came from behind to beat the Toronto Argonauts 28-15 on June 30 before downing the Montreal Alouettes 23-16 in Week 3, to notch their eighth consecutive win against East Division opponents, and they hope to continue their dominance by taming the Tiger-Cats for the fourth straight time.

BC has averaged 37.7 points over the last three meetings with Hamilton and looks for some more offensive fireworks against the Tiger-Cats' mistake-prone secondary. Hamilton is left to pick up the pieces following a disappointing 37-20 setback to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Tiger-Cats have dropped seven of their last eight regular-season games dating back to last year and they hope to find a cure for an ailing offence that has scored just one touchdown over eight quarters while averaging a CFL-low 237 yards per game. "It starts with me so I have to play better and if the quarterback plays better you win more games," Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros told reporters. "If you're not executing you're not going to win ball games and I don't care what level you're at you're just not going to win."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the winless Ti-Cats as 3-point underdogs for their first home game of the season and the line has yet to move off that number. However, we have seen movement when it comes to the total. The Over/Under hit the board at 49.5 and has been bet up two points to sit at the current number of 51.5.

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful night for football in Hamilton, Ontario, with the forecast calling for mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid to high 20's around kickoff. There will a crossfield wind of around 11 miles per hour and gusting as high as 15 mph.

ABOUT THE LIONS (2-1, 2-1 ATS,0-3 O/U): Linebacker Solomon Elimimian was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after making 15 tackles in the win against Montreal, which was one shy of equaling the single-game league record set by Reggie Hunt in 2003. "Solomon is a great player and when your best guys come to work everyday then you've got a great situation," BC coach Wally Buono told reporters. "He knows it's his show and he's embraced the role." Running back Jeremiah Johnson accounted for 102 yards and two touchdowns against the Alouettes to extend his TD streak to three games.

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (0-2, 0-2 ATS, 1-1 O/U): Defensive back Will Hill was handed a one-game suspension for grabbing an official by the jersey and fined an undisclosed amount for punching an opposing player on the same play during the third quarter of the loss to Saskatchewan. Offensive lineman Mike Filer limped off the field against the Roughriders and did not practice early in the week while linebacker Simoni Lawrence took some reps with the defence after missing a significant portion of last week's loss with a lower-body injury. Defensive back Abdul Kanneh, who was one of Hamilton's high-profile free-agent signings in the offseason, could make his debut after missing the first two games due to injury.

TRENDS:

* Lions are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a road favorite.
* Tiger-Cats are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
* Under is 6-2 in Lions last eight road games.
* Under is 6-0 in Tiger-Cats last six games as a home underdog.
* Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, JULY 15

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BC at HAM 07:30 PM

BC -3.0

O 51.5

[StarDust Bum]

GAME RECAP
JULY 15, 2017
SWEEP COMPLETE: LIONS CAP OFF EAST ROAD TRIP WITH THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

HAMILTON — The BC Lions completed their three game Eastern swing with their third consecutive win, overpowering the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 41-26 at Tim Hortons Field.

Travis Lulay broke a CFL record for most passing yards off the bench after Jonathon Jennings went down with a reported shoulder injury in the first quarter. Lulay threw for 436 yards on 29-of-36 passes for three touchdown passes and two interceptions.

The Lions offence got off to a rough start when Jennings’ first pass of the game – a long ball intended for Emmanuel Arceneaux – was picked off by Richard Leonard. The Ticats’ offence fed off of the interception as Collaros led a steady drive down the field. The pivot connected with Luke Tasker twice and completed 4-of-5 passes before Jeremiah Masoli powered into the end zone for the short touchdown run to give the Black and Gold a 7-0 lead midway through the quarter.

Jennings was hit by Duron Colman on the Lions’ first offensive play of the game and was replaced by Travis Lulay on the next drive.

The Ticats gave up 39 yards on a pass interference and rouging the passer call on the same play, advancing the Lions to the Ticats 38-yard line. BC capitalized on the advanced field position when Lulay connected with Shaq Johnson for the Lions first major of the game.

The Lions attempted a two-point covert to pull ahead, but the pass was picked off by Luke Taker, who ran it back into BC territory but was taken down to keep the score at 7-6 in favour of Hamilton.

The Lions would turn over the ball for the second time in the quarter on a Marco Iannuzzi fumble. Leonard pounced on the ball to allow Collaros and company to take over the field once again.

Hamilton continued to collect points off of the Lions’ turnovers as Collaros connected with Jalen Saunders for a long 60 yard gain to put the Ticats in the red zone. Ross Scheuerman charged across the plane at the beginning of the second quarter to cap off the drive with a four-yard major. The extra-point convert sailed wide left to keep the score at 13-6.

The Lions responded before the end of the quarter on a scoring drive that covered 95 yards on eight plays. Lulay found four different receivers for double digit gains before punching it into the end zone himself on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The successful two-yard convert attempt gave the Lions their first lead of the game with just under two minutes to go.

But the Lions weren’t done there.

The Ticats didn’t have the ball back for long as Collaros’ next pass was intercepted by T.J. Lee in Hamilton territory. Lualay made quick work of the short field, finding Nick Moore in the end zone to give the Lions there second touchdown in 59 second.

Sergio Castillo notched a 48-yard field goal with zeros left on the clock to cut the Lions lead to 21-16 heading into halftime.

The Lions struck first in the second half when Lulay found Moore in stride along the right sideline for a 69-yard gain, but Hamilton’s defence held strong, forcing the Lions to settle for a 13-yard field goal to pull further ahead 24-16.

The Lions continued to expose the Ticats secondary before the end of the quarter. Burnham made an impressive one-handed snag in the end zone that was initially ruled incomplete. However, the play was reviewed and the call was overturned to give Lulay his third touchdown pass of the game to pull the Lions ahead 31-16.

BC notched a 50-yard field goal at the start of the final quarter to continue to pull further ahead.

The Ticats attempted to claw back into the game as Collaros responded with a touchdown drive of his own. The pivot connected with Saunders in the right corner of the end zone for a 25-yard major. Mike Jones caught the two-point convert pass to cut the Lions lead to 34-24.

BC’s offence proved to be too much for the Ticats as Lulay continued his passing prowess. The Lions’ quarterback found Moore twice on the Lions’ late drive for a 19 and 20 yard gain before Jeremiah Johnson capped off the drive with short touchdown run. The extra point was successful to push the Lions ahead 41-24 midway through the final quarter, which is where the score stood when the final whistle blew.

[StarDust Bum]

WEEK 5

Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Montreal Alouettes Ottawa Redblacks

Thursday, July 20, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Edmonton Eskimos Hamilton Tiger Cats

Friday, July 21, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
10:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers British Columbia Lions

Saturday, July 22, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
9:00 PM Saskatchewan Roughriders Calgary Stampeders

Monday, July 24, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Ottawa Redblacks Toronto Argonauts

WEEK 6

Thursday, July 27, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
8:30 PM Montreal Alouettes Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Friday, July 28, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
9:30 PM British Columbia Lions Edmonton Eskimos

Saturday, July 29, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
6:30 PM Toronto Argonauts Saskatchewan Roughriders
9:30 PM Hamilton Tiger Cats Calgary Stampeders

[StarDust Bum]

WEST DIVISION

RK TEAM GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV

1 Edmonton 3 3 0 0 6 76 67 2-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0

2 BC 4 3 1 0 6 119 87 0-1-0 3-0-0 0-1-0

3 Calgary 4 2 1 1 5 126 110 1-0-0 1-1-1 1-0-0

4 Winnipeg 3 2 1 0 4 86 94 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0

5 Saskatchewan 3 1 2 0 2 93 80 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0


EAST DIVISION

RK TEAM GP W L T PTS F A HOME AWAY DIV

1 Toronto 4 2 2 0 4 98 101 1-1-0 1-1-0 2-0-0

2 Montreal 4 2 2 0 4 82 85 2-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0

3 Ottawa 4 0 3 1 1 116 123 0-1-1 0-2-0 0-1-0

4 Hamilton 3 0 3 0 0 61 110 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-1-0

[StarDust Bum]

CFL Record: Best Bets & Opinions ( Record based on 5 units )

Date W-L-T % Units

07/15/2017....................2-0-0.............100.00%...................+10.00
07/14/2017....................2-2-0..............50.00%.......................-1.00
07/13/2017....................1-1-0..............50.00%.......................-0.50
07/08/2017....................1-3-0..............25.00%.....................-11.50
07/07/2017....................1-1-0..............50.00%.......................-0.50
07/06/2017....................2-0-0............100.00%....................+10.00
07/01/2017....................1-1-0..............50.00%.......................-0.50
06/30/2017....................2-2-0..............50.00%.......................-1.00
06/29/2017................... 0-2-0............... 0.00%.................... -11.00
06/25/2017................... 1-1-0............. 50.00%...................... -0.50
06/24/2017................... 1-1-0 .............50.00% ......................-0.50
06/23/2017................... 2-0-0............ 100.00%................... +10.00
06/22/2017................... 0-2-0............... 0.00%..................... -11.00

Totals:..........................16 - 16.............50.00%......................-8.00

Total............................ATS.............. .........O/U.....................Total

07/15/2017....................1 - 0.....................1 - 0....................+ 10.00
07/14/2017....................2 - 0.....................0 - 2........................-1.00
07/13/2017....................1 - 0.....................0 - 1 ......................- 0.50
07/08/2017....................1 - 1-----------------0 - 2......................-11.50
07/07/2017....................1 - 0.....................0 - 1....................... -0.50
07/06/2017....................1 - 0.....................1 - 0.....................+10.00
07/01/2017....................0 - 1.....................1 - 0.......................- 0.50
06/30/2017....................1 - 1.....................1 - 1.......................- 1.00
06/29/2017................... 0- 1..................... 0 - 1..................... -11.00
06/25/2017....................0 - 1.....................1 - 0........................-0.50
06/24/2017................... 1 - 0 ............. ......0 - 1........................-0.50
06/23/2017....................1 - 0.....................1 - 0....................+ 10.00
06/22/2017....................0 - 1.....................0 - 1 ....................- 11.00

Totals...........................10 - 6.....................6 - 10....................- 8.00

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s six-pack

— ’96 Indians hit a double in 75 consecutive games, which is the all-time record- next highest streak is 51, by the ’99 Braves.

— Dodgers are first team EVER to have a rookie hit 25+ HR’s three years in a row.

— Colorado is going to limit some of their young starters’ innings; 4 of their 5 starters are rookies, so this makes sense.

— Zack Cozart got his donkey from Joey Votto for making the All-Star Game.

— Johnny Cueto (blisters) is on the DL. This year’s baseballs are giving more pitchers blisters, and that is a problem.

— RIP Babe Parilli 87; one of the AFL’s best QB’s- he played college ball for Bear Bryant at Kentucky.

**********************

Sunday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind………

13) Two-way G-League contracts that marginal NBA players will sign (two per team) can be worth as much as $270,000 per player. Beats going over to Europe to play. So technically, NBA teams will have 17-man rosters this year- the two-way players can spend as many as 45 days in the NBA, before their deal would have to be upgraded to a regular NBA contract.

12) In NBA Summer League, when guys are fighting like hell to get a contract, they run over and pick up teammates after they get fouled. They root for their teammates while they’re on the bench, they do all the little suck-up things that scrubs in high school do when they’re fighting an uphill battle to make the team. It is amusing.

I’ll check back in in November/December and see how much of this is going on once the regular season starts.

11) Dennis Smith Jr looks like a steal for the Mavericks with the #9 pick in the draft; he had an excellent July in two summer leagues, but he tried to dunk in traffic during Thursday’s game, and missed. He really has great athletic ability- maybe the Knicks should’ve taken him with the 8th pick in the draft.

Anyway, ESPN’s Mark Jones lost his mind on the air about the dunk attempt, gushing over and over about a missed dunk. Luckily the mute button was within arm’s reach.

10) The one thing you don’t want to hear a scout say about a prospect: “Sometimes I question his motor.” Translated: “He doesn’t try hard all the time.”

9) White Sox trading Jose Quintana to the Cubs Thursday was the first Windy City trade in 11 years, when the Sox dealt lefty reliever Neal Cotts for David Aardsma and Carlos Vazquez. Over the last 50 years, the two Chicago teams have made 18 trades with each other.

8) I had never heard of Steve Whitmore until this week; turns out he has been the voice of Kermit the Frog since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson in 1990. Whitmore was fired as Kermit’s voice this week; Disney, which owns the Muppet Studio, offered no explanation.

Kind of sad that a guy who worked for The Muppets since 1978 is now out of work.

7) Former Georgetown coach John Thompson III has surfaced as a studio analyst on NBA TV, during the summer league, at least.

6) Western Kentucky hired Mark Hsu as an assistant basketball coach; he comes from New Mexico State/Cal-Bakersfield— this hire was widely approved on Twitter. Hsu will help the Hilltoppers, who lost two assistants earlier this month.

5) Knicks traded a 2nd-round pick and cash to Sacramento so they could hire Scott Perry as their new GM. Perry went 19-61 as coach at Eastern Kentucky from 1997-2000, and never was a head coach again after that. Now he is the GM of an NBA team.

4) ESPN analyst Rip Hamilton said that he used to change sneakers every two games, when he was an NBA star. When you’re a star and the sneakers are free, you can do that.

3) For whatever reason, Bark at the Park Night has become a popular night at some major league ballparks. No idea why anyone would want to bring their dog to a ballgame, but they do.

2) Mets 14, Rockies 2— Friday night, Colorado had a runner thrown out at home on a sac fly to fairly deep left field when the score was 9-2. Great throw, horrendous baserunning.

1) Warren LeGarie is Executive Director of the Las Vegas NBA Summer League; he is also an agent, for both coaches and players— he started as a player agent for guys playing in Europe. Among his current clients are Rick Carlisle, George Karl, Terry Stotts and Dave Joerger.

The success of the summer league is mostly his doing— it has become a fun event to attend, and it is also good on TV. Filled up the baseball All-Star break for me, I know that. Thanks!!!