CFL Previews - Playoffs - Week 2 (November 15th)
Football Betting Lines
11/14/2008 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
EDMONTON ESKIMOS (11-8) AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (11-7)
DATE & TIME: Saturday, November 15th, 1 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: The CFL's top two passing games will be front and center Saturday when Edmonton and Montreal meet in the East Division final.
Edmonton had the league's most potent passing attack, averaging 335 yards per game as quarterback Ricky Ray was the league's top passer with 5,663 yards. The receiving corps, even with the loss this season of star slotback Jason Tucker to a neck injury, still featured the likes of Kamau Peterson (101 catches, 1,317 yards, four touchdowns), Kelly Campbell (54 catches, 1,223 yards, seven touchdowns) and Fred Stamps (50 catches, 751 yards, six touchdowns).
Montreal's second-ranked aerial attack is anchored by veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who was second overall in passing with 5,633 yards despite sitting out the club's season-ending loss to Edmonton. Jamel Richardson was the club's leading receiver with 98 catches for 1,287 yards and a CFL-high 16 touchdown grabs. Slotback Ben Cahoon, a finalist again as top Canadian, had a league-best 107 catches for 1,231 yards and seven touchdowns while Kerry Watkins added 84 receptions for 1,178 yards and 10 touchdowns.
And the expectation is footballs will certainly fill the air as this game will be played indoors at Olympic Stadium, meaning weather won't be a factor for either team.
If Montreal has an edge offensively, it's along the offensive line.
Center Brian Chiu and guard Scott Flory were both named to the CFL's All-Star team this week and are the lynchpins for an offensive line that allowed a league-low 22 sacks. Flory is also the East Division nominee for the league's outstanding lineman award.
But Montreal's front line can do more than just pass block. The Als averaged 113 yards rushing per game, a decent figure considering the club's reliance on the passing game. Tailback Avon Cobourne is expected to return to the lineup after missing time down the stretch due to injury.
Earlier this season, Cobourne was threatening to become the first CFL player ever to amass 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Injuries prevented that from happening but Cobourne still ran for 950 yards (6.6-yard average) and accumulated more than 600 yards receiving. He is certainly a double threat for the Als.
Running the football wasn't something Edmonton did well this year.
The Eskimos finished last in the CFL in rushing, averaging just 85 yards per game. A.J. Harris did run for two touchdowns but was the club's leading runner in its 29-21 East Division semifinal win over Winnipeg with just 33 yards on 13 carries. Calvin McCarty, the other tailback, finished with minus-two yards on just one carry.
Meanwhile, Ray finished 27-of-37 passing for 303 yards, with Campbell accumulating 111 yards on five receptions.
The numbers: Edmonton was 3-6 on the road during the regular season and 5-3 against East Division teams. Montreal was 7-2 at home but 3-5 versus Western competition.
Keys to the game: With weather not being a consideration, the emphasis will be on both defenses doing what they can to shut down the other's passing attack.
Montreal's defense was the CFL's second-toughest to score against, allowing just 23.5 points per game. But the Alouettes were ranked seventh against the pass, giving up 318 yards per game.
However, the Als were able to get pressure on the quarterback, finishing second in the CFL in sacks recorded with 43.
Edmonton was ranked third in the CFL against the pass, allowing 277 yards per game but sixth in rushing yards allowed, giving up 113 per game. However, the Eskimos did have 23 interceptions, leaving them tied for second overall.
And both defenses were pretty good when it came to forcing turnovers. Montreal was third in takeaways with 48, four more than Edmonton.
What's more, the two teams split the season series, with the home club winning each time. But Edmonton's victory came with the Als sitting a number of their starters. Even with this game being played indoors, Montreal would appear to have just a bit more firepower.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Montreal 27, Edmonton 24.
BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS (12-7) AT CALGARY STAMPEDERS (13-5)
DATE & TIME: Saturday, November 15th, 4:30 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: The Calgary Stampeders will look to do something that's pretty incredible: Beat the B.C. Lions for the fourth time this season.
The Stampeders swept the three meetings in the regular season, but will have to make it 4-for-4 to continue toward a Grey Cup title after B.C. advanced to the division final with an impressive 33-12 West Division semifinal win over Saskatchewan. The Lions forced seven turnovers in that game, including a 54- yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Ryan Phillips.
Then again, that was nothing new this year as the Lions were the CFL's best at pressuring the quarterback and forcing turnovers. They led the league in sacks (68), interceptions (27) and turnovers (60, including 24 fumble recoveries, another league high).
Defensive end Cameron Wake had a league-best 23 sacks this year, with tackle Aaron Hunt finished second overall with 11 sacks and end Brent Johnson being tied for third with 10. Safety Barron Miles was tied for the CFL lead in interceptions with nine.
But Calgary presents a big challenge for the Lions because of its offensive versatility. The Stampeders have the CFL's top receiver in Ken-Yon Rambo (100 catches, 1,473 yards, eight touchdowns), the leading rusher in Joffrey Reynolds (1,310 yards, 10 touchdowns) and the top scorer in kicker Sandro DeAngelis (217 points, good on 50-of-58 field goal tries).
But the man who makes the unit go is quarterback Henry Burris. Burris established career highs this year in yards passing (5,094) and touchdowns (39), and was also the league's top-rushing quarterback with 595 yards. That mobility will be key in this game because if Burris can escape the Lions' contain, he will have the time to look further downfield or simply take off and make plays with his legs.
Buck Pierce will get the start for B.C. but has been playing through an ankle injury. Pierce threw for 2,917 yards with 19 touchdowns and just nine interceptions despite the wonky ankle. If he aggravates the injury, then Jarious Jackson (2,008 yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) will step into the quarterback role.
While Reynolds gets all the notoriety when it comes to the running game, B.C. counters with rookie Stefan Logan, who had 889 yards rushing this year with a solid 7.3-yard average per carry. Logan had 153 yards on 18 carries in the Lions' semifinal win over Saskatchewan.
The numbers: B.C. was 5-4 on the road during the regular season but 4-6 within the West Division. Calgary was 7-2 at home and 6-4 against division rivals.
Keys to the game: The Lions have to find a way to not only contain Burris but get pressure on him. Despite Burris' brilliant regular-season numbers, he has always struggled in the playoffs. Get to him early and maybe B.C. can force that doubt to creep back into Burris' mind.
But for all the publicity B.C.'s defense gets, it was Calgary's unit that was the CFL's toughest to score against, allowing just 21.5 points per game. The Stampeders will also be looking to get to Pierce and either force him to run on the bad wheel or at least throw the ball before he's settled.
However, the presence of both Logan and Reynolds means the defenses have to respect the other's running game, too.
Weather could also be a factor, with winds up to 15 miles an hour.
Both teams have a lot going for them heading into this game, but it's hard to imagine a team being able to beat a rival four times in the same season. The law of averages has to swing into B.C.'s favor some time, and here's figuring it does Saturday.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: B.C. 23, Calgary 21.
Last week's record: 1-1; Season record: 42-32.
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SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.
Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"
A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."
Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.
In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.
"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."
Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.
But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"
Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.
This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.
Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.
In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.
No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.
And that's all any bettor can ask for.
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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.
"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."
Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.