Stampeders play host to Blue Bombers
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07/28/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having knocked off the last unbeaten club in the CFL during the fourth week of the 2010 season, the Calgary Stampeders now try to better their position atop the Western Division standings as they clash with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium on Saturday night.
For the Stamps, last week's meeting with Saskatchewan was tough through the first 30 minutes, but once the second half began the entire complexion of the game changed and Calgary ran away with an easy 40-20 victory. Henry Burris, who was intercepted four times in the loss to Toronto a week earlier, came alive this time around by throwing for 285 yards and four touchdowns, while surviving a pair of interceptions.
Doing most of the damage down the field for Burris and the Stamps was Romby Bryant who caught seven balls for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his efforts earning him Offensive Player of the Week honors on Tuesday. Not to be overlooked was running back Joffrey Reynolds who carried the ball 15 times for a game-high 93 yards and a score. Reynolds, who is currently third in the league in rushing with 351 yards on 56 attempts, has proven in recent years that he can carry much of the rushing burden for a team, having scored a combined 21 rushing TDs the last two seasons.
As for the Blue Bombers, they set up against a winless Edmonton team at home last week and, even though the host team was operating without regular starter Buck Pierce at quarterback, the odds were still heavily in favor of Winnipeg. Stepping in for Pierce, who was sidelined with a knee injury, was Steven Jyles who completed 14-of-22 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown. Granted, Jyles was sacked twice and picked off two times, but he made up for that by filling the running shoes left by Pierce, gaining 63 yards and scoring twice himself on just eight attempts.
Running back Fred Reid accounted for another 69 yards and a score on 16 carries for the Bombers as they completely dominated a weak Eskimos team in a 47-21 final. Terence Jeffers-Harris, who caught the lone TD pass from Jyles, finished with 97 yards on a mere three catches, his scoring play covering a thrilling 46 yards in which Jyles was forced to scramble out of the pocket and the receiver then ran the width of the field to make it into the corner of the end zone.
Getting Winnipeg off on the right foot in the meeting last week was Moton Hopkins who intercepted a Ricky Ray pass in the first quarter and returned it 36 yards to the end zone to put the Bombers ahead and give them the momentum to carry them through the entire matchup.
Because of players like Hopkins, the pass defense for the Blue Bombers is at the top of the charts in the league entering the fifth week, allowing just 238.5 ypg, although opponents have still found a way to complete 61.2 percent of their attempts against the Bombers secondary. Winnipeg has been rather strong against the run as well, permitting just 102 ypg to rank third in the league at this stage. However, even though the stats seem to lean in favor of Winnipeg in several areas, the fact remains that the team is giving up a hefty 28.5 ppg at the moment.
In contrast, Calgary's scoring defense is beyond reproach, allowing just 21.2 ppg to lead the CFL.
Throw out the one game in which Burris tossed those four interceptions, and the numbers for the quarterback look a whole lot brighter. He currently leads the league in TD passes with nine and has completed 62.2 percent of his attempts. However, because of those league-high eight picks, Burris has an efficiency rating of just 81.7.
With Bryant, who is tied for the league high with four TD catches, on his side Burris is only going to get better as the year goes on. Making it even easier for the signal-caller is Reynolds coming out of the backfield, averaging close to six and a half yards per carry as he ranks third in the league with 351 yards overall.
Dating back to 1945 and only taking into account regular-season meetings, Calgary owns a 94-89 edge in the series with the Blue Bombers. The most recent regular-season meeting went to the Stamps in a 31-23 decision at home. As a result, Calgary has taken two of the last three encounters with the Bombers.
These teams are set to finish off the 2010 regular season against each other in Winnipeg, their only other scheduled meeting of this season.
After last week's game, Burris should have the sort of confidence he needs to get him through a meeting such as this. The only question for the Stamps is how well their run defense is going to perform against an aggressive Winnipeg squad that seems to thrive on the ground.
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Betting Football
NFL Football Betting OnlineIs there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.