7-13-16

[Can'tPickAWinner]

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ian Cameron 7/13


10* CFL Wednesday Top Play [RED HOT 8-2 80% +6.7 Units CFL YTD]


7/13/16 CFL 10* Ottawa Over 52.5 -110 (301)


ANALYSIS: It has been 3 straight Overs between the Redblacks and Argos in head-to-head meetings since the start of last season. Ricky Ray and the Argos really had a good game offensively last week on the road against a tough BC defense as they really got a good rhythm going with their passing game and also finally ran the football with success with veteran RB Brandon Whitaker. On the flip side, Ottawa's offense keeps on rolling and scoring 26 points against a good Calgary defense last week is more evidence to that and Ottawa could have gotten into the 30's in points scored against Calgary had it not been for a goal line fumble by recently signed RB Nic Grigsby who is filling the void at RB for Ottawa due to multiple injuries at the position. QB Trevor Harris continues to play at a high level making plays to his many receivers especially speedster Chris Williams who had 3 TD receptions in last week's game alone. Toronto's defense was strong last week but let's not forget that Hamilton gashed them big time for 42 points in their lone previous home game at BMO Field. It's also going to be a scorching hot and humid night at BMO Field for this one and often times that leads to missed tackles and fatigue for the defenses later in games. I saw proof of that between Winnipeg and Hamilton last week as the defenses really wore down quickly on what was a hot night for that game too. I expect both offenses to rule much like they did in the 3 games between Ottawa and Toronto last season resulting in this game flying Over the total.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA Betting Recap - 7/4-7/10
By Joe Williams

League Betting Notes (Monday, July 4 through Sunday, July 10)

-- Favorites went 13-4 straight up (SU)
-- Underdogs went 9-8 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 12-5 SU record
-- Road teams posted a 10-7 ATS record
-- The 'under' went 9-8

Team Betting Notes

-- Indiana (9-11) posted a road win against Seattle (7-13) Sunday, and the Fever have come alive with road wins in four of the past five away from home. In addition, they have covered five in a row on the road while the 'over' is 5-1 in their past six games overall. The Fever have suddenly emerged as a favorite play of bettors at the window.

-- Dallas (9-12) had a 13-1 'over' streak going from May 18 through June 28, but now the 'under' has hit in four of their past five games. Talk about streaky. After a 4-0 ATS run from June 14-21, the Wings are just 3-5 ATS over the past eight outings.

-- Los Angeles (18-1) thumped Washington (9-12) in Sunday's game for the win and a rare cover. After starting the season 8-2 ATS in their first 10 games the Sparks are just 2-7 ATS over their past nine outings.

-- The 'over' connected for the Mystics Sunday, something which had been a frequent occurence earlier in the season. The over opened 12-0 for Washington, but Sunday's total was just their third over in the past eight outings.

-- The difficult season continues for Phoenix (8-13), as the Mercury dropped the third straight game on the road in Chicago (8-11). The Merc have covered just two of their past six games overall. For the Sky, they have been rather erratic this season, too. They're just 1-4 ATS over the past five games, and 2-8 ATS over the past 10 outings.

-- San Antonio (5-15) dropped another one on the road in New York (5-15), but they were able to cover again. Despite their difficulty picking up wins, they are a respectable 8-4 ATS over the past 12 games. The Stars are also an impressive 7-3 ATS in their past 10 road games this season.

-- After a magical start to the season it has been tough sledding for Minnesota (16-4) lately. They have won just three of the past seven straight up, and the Lynx has posted a 2-5 ATS record during the underwhelming stretch.

-- Connecticut (5-14) dropped another against Atlanta (11-9), and they narrowly missed against the number Sunday to snap a four-game cover streak. As far as the Dream is concerned, they have won and covered three in a row, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six games overall.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Dream (11-9) at Liberty (15-6)

Date: July 13, 2016 11:00 AM EDT

The top two teams in the Eastern Conference have a brunch date on Wednesday, but don't expect the Atlanta Dream or the New York Liberty to pick up the tab for the other.

The Liberty (15-6) have a 3 1/2 game lead over the Dream (11-9), but both teams have won three straight. New York is 8-2 in its past 10 and Atlanta is only 5-5.

New York's offense starts with Tina Charles, who leads the league in scoring at 22.5 points per game. She was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for June, the second straight month she received the award.

Charles has a solid running mate in guard Sugar Rodgers, who averages 16.1 points per game. Off the bench, the Liberty count on Amanda Zahui B. to provide a spark. Zahui B. came off the bench on Sunday to lead the Liberty with 14 points in a win over San Antonio.

Angel McCoughtry, who is coming off a 26-point, six-rebound performance in a win over Connecticut, leads the Atlanta offense at 22.2 points per game.

The Liberty also have to contend with Tiffany Hayes, who keeps getting better and better. After two seasons averaging 12.9 points per game, Hayes has stepped up her game and is at 15.9 points per game this year.

Sancho Lyttle controls the boards for the Dream, hauling down 8.9 rebounds per game.

Wednesday's game at Madison Square Garden will be the final regular-season matchup between the Liberty and Dream.

Atlanta won the first meeting in overtime on May 24 at the Garden. The Dream held the Liberty to two points in overtime.

Hayes posted a double-double with 27 points and 11 boards in the 85-79 win. Charles finished with 29 points to lead the Liberty.

Charles scored 23 on June 22 to lead six players in double figures as the Liberty avenged a home loss on June 22 at Phillips Arena. McCoughtry scored 21 points but went 8 of 21 from the field.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Sun (5-14) at Fever (9-11)

Date: July 13, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Two teams that appear to be heading in opposite directions collide when the Connecticut Sun travel on Wednesday afternoon to Indianapolis to play the Indiana Fever at Banker's Life Fieldhouse.

The Sun have gone 3-7 in their past 10 games and the Fever are 5-5.

And while both teams have won two of three, the Fever have the hot hand entering Wednesday's tipoff.

Indiana (9-11) found a way to win two straight on the road and can take another step toward .500 against a team that struggles on the road.

Not only are the Sun (5-14) inept on the road, where they have a 2-7 record, Connecticut has yet to beat an Eastern Conference opponent in nine attempts.

The Fever closed out a three-game road trip on Sunday by giving up a big early lead and then rallying to crush Seattle. Shenise Johnson came off the bench to score 18 points and Tamika Catchings added 15 points.

Alyssa Thomas scored 19 points and Chiney Ogwumike added 11 points as the Sun had a chance to knock off the Atlanta Dream at home on Sunday, Connecticut led 59-58 late in the game but ended up losing 67-63.

The Fever already have chalked up a win this season against the Sun. Tiffany Mitchell came off the bench to lead Indiana with 21 points in an 88-77 win on June 5 in Connecticut.

On Monday, Mitchell was named to the 11-member USA Basketball Women's Select Team, which will train alongside the U.S. women's Olympic team.

Mitchell is the Fever's second leading scorer at 11.7 points per game, behind Catchings, who leads Indiana at 13.6 per game.

Alex Bentley paces the Sun at 14.5 points per game. She was held to two points in the teams' first meeting in June.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Sparks (18-1) at Sky (8-11)

Date: July 13, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

The struggling Chicago Sky host the WNBA's hottest team in a Wednesday matinee at Allstate Arena.

The Los Angeles Sparks (18-1) carry a seven-game winning streak into the clash and need just two victories to match the now-defunct Houston Comets' record 20-1 start in 1998.

Chicago (8-11) has dropped four of its last six games while searching for a winning combination. The Sky are fifth in the WNBA Eastern Conference after employing their fifth different starting lineup of the season in last Sunday's 100-95 victory over Phoenix.

Nneka Ogwumike tops the Western Conference-leading Sparks with a 19.1 scoring average and 8.4 rebound average and leads the WNBA with a .701 shooting percentage. Chicago-area native Candace Parker is next, scoring at an average of 16.9 points

Chicago's Elena Delle Donne is second in WNBA scoring, averaging 20.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She collected a season-high 38-points in an 87-82 loss to Minnesota on July 5 in Minnesota.

Guard Allie Quigley, usually first off the bench, had 29 and 21 points in Chicago's last two games.

Delle Donne will travel to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics later this month as a member of the U.S. women's national team.

The Sparks beat the Sky 98-85 on June 14 in Los Angeles as Ogwumike topped all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Parker has dominated previous meetings as Los Angeles has taken five straight and six of eight from Chicago over the past three seasons. She has averaged 22 points and 7.2 rebounds in those games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Mystics (9-11) at Mercury (8-13)

Date: July 13, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

The Phoenix Mercury wouldn't mind playing Washington Mystics more frequently.

The Mercury are 9-2 in the last 11 meetings with the Mystics heading into Wednesday's game at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.

Phoenix is also 7-4 so far this season against all East teams -- compared to 1-9 against their home West -- and own a 2-0 mark against Washington.

But the Mercury (8-13) have hit a rough patch with three straight losses, the most since opening the season with a four-game losing streak and six losses in their first eight.

The Mystics (9-10) had won five of six heading into their current five-game road trip and then dropped three straight away from home.

Guard Tayler Hill leads Washington with a 15.3-point average while center Emma Meesseman is right behind at 15.1 and a team-best 5.7 rebounds. Meesseman had a career-high-tying 24 points in last Sunday's 93-82 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Mercury veteran Diana Taurasi is sixth in league scoring with a 19.2-point average and eighth in assists (4.1). Teammate Brittney Griner tops the team with a 6.2 rebound per game average.

Taurasi seeks her fourth gold medal as she joins Team USA next month for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Griner is also on the team, making her first Olympics appearance.

Washington wraps up the road trip on Friday at Seattle before heading home for a July 20 game against New York. Phoenix is at San Antonio on Saturday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

WNBA | LOS ANGELES at CHICAGO
Play Under - Home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 excellent shooting team (>=46%) against an average defensive team (40.5-43.5%), after a game where a team made 50% of their shots or better
29-8 since 1997. ( 78.4% | 20.2 units )
0-1 this year. ( 0.0% | -1.1 units )

WNBA | LOS ANGELES at CHICAGO
Play On - Road favorites vs. the money line (LOS ANGELES) after a game where they covered the spread, top level team, winning 75% or more of their games on the season
120-36 since 1997. ( 76.9% | 0.0 units )
4-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 0.0 units )

WNBA | WASHINGTON at PHOENIX
Play On - Road underdogs vs. the 1rst half line (WASHINGTON) after failing to cover the spread in 2 or more consecutive games, playing with 2 days rest
109-58 since 1997. ( 65.3% | 45.2 units )
4-3 this year. ( 57.1% | 0.7 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CFL Betting Recap - Week 3
By Joe Williams

League Betting Notes

-- Underdogs went 2-1-1 SU in Week 3
-- Underdogs went 4-0 ATS in Week 3
-- Road teams posted a 2-1-1 SU record in Week 3
-- Road teams posted a 4-0 ATS record in Week 3
-- The 'Under' went 2-1-1 in Week 3

Team Betting Notes

-- Ottawa (2-0-1) and Calgary (1-1-1) battled to a 26-26 tie in a great game in the nation's capital. It was the first non-cover for the RedBlacks all season, while the Stampeders covered for the second consecutive weekend. The Stamps are 0-2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS in their past three games away from home including last season's playoffs.

-- After an impressive opening week win, Hamilton (1-2) tumbled into the basement with a surprising 28-24 setback against Winnipeg (1-2). The Tiger-Cats have averaged just 13.5 points per game after posting 42 in the opener, and they have allowed 28.0 PPG in the past two with the 'under' cashing in each game.

-- The Blue Bombers picked up their first win and cover, and their offense continues to improve each week. After opening with 14 points, they posted 22 points in Week 2 and 28 in Week 3. The 'under is 2-1 heading into their showdown with Edmonton (1-1).

-- Saskatchewan (0-2)'s rough ride continued in Edmonton Friday night, narrowly missing out on a breakthrough victory. While they covered against the Esks, the Roughriders haven't won in regulation in their past 15 road games, including the playoffs.

-- The BC Lions (2-1) tasted defeat for the first time this season, tumbling at home against Toronto (2-1). However, for the third straight week the 'under' cashed for the Lions.

-- After an opening week defeat, the Argos have won and covered in their past two games, both on the road. The 'under' also hit after an 'over' result in Week 1. Toronto covered has won and covered four straight regular season games on the road, and the 'under' is 5-1 in their past six away games including the postseason.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Underdogs continue to dominate CFL betting, now 10-1 ATS
By JASON LOGAN

The Calgary Stampeders are in rare company through three weeks of the 2016 CFL season. The Stamps, who have started 1-1-1 after a tie with the Ottawa Redblacks Friday, are the only CFL team to cover the spread as a favorite so far this summer.

Heading into Week 4 of the CFL schedule, underdogs are 10-1 ATS (8-2-1 SU) with Calgary’s 36-22 Week 2 home win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a 10.5-point favorite as the lone blemish for pups. Ottawa knocked off the Montreal Alouettes 28-13 that same week with the spread closing at a pick’em.

“Unusual start to say the least but in reality, it's a small sample size,” renowned CFL oddsmaker Randle “The Handle” says of this underdog betting trend. “Things will balance out over time. Bettors are rarely dissuaded from backing faves no matter what kind of run the dogs might be on. In fact, they tend to apply the 'due' factor. For me, 'due' only exists with library books and expectant mothers.”

Week 3 finished with a perfect 4-0 ATS mark for teams getting the points. The Blue Bombers won outright 28-24 as 9-point dogs visiting the Hamilton Ti-Cats, the Toronto Argonauts won 25-14 as 6.5-point dogs at the BC Lions, the Edmonton Eskimos squeaked out a 39-36 OT victory against the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders but failed to cover as 9.5-point home chalk, and as mentioned above, Ottawa and Calgary played to a 26-26 deadlock with the Stamps getting 1.5 points from sportsbooks.

Oddsmakers aren’t making any knee-jerk reactions to this trend and won’t be slimming down their odds on the favorites simply because the other side is over-performing. The betting public still has a ferocious appetite for the faves.

As an example, Randle “The Handle” points to his opening number of British Columbia -4 for its home date with Toronto this past week. The money pushed the Lions as high as a touchdown before buyback on the Argos settled the number at its closing spot of BC -6.5.

“We'll keep an eye on things but trends do not typically influence pointspreads,” he tells us. “As always, the objective of the line is to draw equal action on both sides and not to have an opinion on the event.”

CFL bettors will be keeping a close eye on this trend as the Week 4 odds hit the board later this weekend.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 4
By David Schwab

Week 3 Betting Recap

The new CFL regular season continues to heavily favor the underdog with a straight-up record of 8-2-1 and a very profitable 10-1 record against the spread through the first three weeks of play.

Last week’s action started with Winnipeg upsetting Hamilton 28-24 as a 10-point road underdog on Thursday night. Toronto followed suit later that night as a 4 ½-point underdog on the road in a 25-14 victory against British Columbia.

In a rare tie in the CFL, Calgary and Ottawa ended their Friday inter-division showdown knotted at 26 with the Stampeders covering as slight one-point road underdogs.

Also on Friday night’s slate, Edmonton was able to get past Saskatchewan 39-36 in overtime, but it could not cover the spread as a heavy 11 ½-point home favorite.

Wednesday, July 13

Ottawa RedBlacks (2-0-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) vs. Toronto Argonauts (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -1
Total: 53

Game Overview

RedBlacks’ quarterback Trevor Harris leads the CFL in both passing yards (1,083) and passing touchdowns (9) and a big part of his early success in place of an injured Henry Burris can be attributed to the play of wide receiver Chris Williams. With 10 catches for 130 yards in last week’s loss, he has set a new CFL record for the most receiving yards in three games to start a season with 493.

Toronto got another solid effort from its quarterback Ricky Ray in its recent win against BC with 283 yards passing and a score. Ray completed 23-of-32 attempts in that game and on the year he has 751 passing yards and five scoring strikes behind an impressive completion percentage of 68.9 percent. Brandon Whitaker has done a good job on the ground with 139 rushing yards on 27 attempts for an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

Betting Trends

In four previous games against the expansion RedBlacks, Toronto holds a 4-1 edge SU with a 3-2 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in the last three meetings.

Thursday, July 14

Edmonton Eskimos (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -3 ½
Total: 52 ½

Game Overview

The Eskimos had the stingiest defense in the league last season when it came to points allowed, but this unit has been torched for 81 points in its first two games. They have been able to pretty much keep pace on offense with 76 points behind the play of Mike Reilly at quarterback and John White running the ball. Reilly has thrown for 761 yards and five touchdowns while completing 71.4 percent of his 77 passing attempts. White is tied for third in the league in rushing yards (139) and he has two rushing touchdowns so far.

Winnipeg closed out the 2015 season with just two SU wins in its last 12 games and after dropping its first two contests this season both SU and against the spread, last week’s win was quite a surprise. Credit the play of quarterback Drew Willy for pacing that win. He went 32-for-42 throwing the ball and ended the day with 279 passing yards and one scoring throw. Also credit the Blue Bombers’ defense for sacking Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli four times and picking him off twice.

Betting Trends

Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall, but it falls to just 2-5 ATS in its last seven road games against Winnipeg. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in 11 of the last 15 meetings.

Friday, July 15

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -1
Total: 49.5

Game Overview

The Tiger-Cats will look to quickly bounce back from a poor effort last week against a familiar East Division foe in Montreal. They are going to have to find a way to get more out of a running game that only managed to gain 44 yards against Winnipeg. Chad Owens and Andrew Fantuz continue to light things up in the passing game with a combined 12 receptions for 181 yards and two scores in last week’s loss.

Montreal had the week off after starting season with a road win against Winnipeg as an underdog followed by a loss to Ottawa in a game that closed as a PICK. The total has stayed UNDER in both of those contests. The Alouettes have failed to cover ATS in eight of their last 10 games in Week 4 and with the loss in Week 2 they are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games overall. Kevin Glenn should get the start at quarterback after throwing for 591 yards and two scores in his first two games.

Betting Trends

Hamilton has won three of its last five games against Montreal SU, but it has failed to cover ATS in seven of its last 10 games in this East Division rivalry. The total has stayed UNDER in four of the last five meetings.

Saturday, July 16

British Columbia Lions (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Point-spread: PICK
Total: 50

Game Overview

The Lions fell from the ranks of the undefeated with last week’s loss after posting impressive victories against Calgary as an underdog at home and Hamilton as a road underdog in their first two games. The total has stayed UNDER in all three of their games. BC turned to veteran quarterback Travis Lulay last week for a struggling Jonathan Jennings and he completed 12-of-15 attempts for 156 yards and a score in the losing cause.

A 0-2 start for a team that only won three games last season is not what new head coach Chris Jones was looking for when he left Edmonton to take over the reins at Saskatchewan. The one bright spot has been the play of quarterback Darian Durant, who basically missed the entire 2015 season due to injury. In a losing cause last week against the Eskimos, he threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns while connecting on 27 of his 38 passing attempts.

Betting Trends

The Lions have won four of the last five meetings SU and they hold a 3-1-1 edge ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in three of those five games and it has stayed UNDER in seven of the last eight meetings in Saskatchewan.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Ottawa Redblacks at Toronto Argonauts

Harris returns; first place on the line for Argos, REDBLACKS

TORONTO — At first glance, notching win number one at BMO Field on Wednesday night seems like a tall task for the Double Blue.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS airshow is in town this week, bringing with it the CFL’s only undefeated team, the league’s number one offence and the CFL-leading passer and receiver.

But while former Argo Trevor Harris and his go-to target Chris Williams are coming in hot, the Boatmen have built some momentum of their own. The Argos are one of the hottest teams in the CFL after sweeping a two-game set out west, teeing up a Week 4 mid-week duel for first in the East.

“It means a lot,” rookie defensive tackle Ken Bishop told Argonauts.ca of the Argos’ successful trip to the west coast. “It shows our comaraderie; it was good to get away from Toronto for a minute and get to know all the guys a little better.

“It was good for the team.”

After falling 42-20 in a long-anticipated season-opener at BMO Field, the Argos, in essence, went away early in July and have returned a changed team.

A 30-17 win in a highly-charged atmosphere for the Riders’ season-opener at Mosaic washed away that bitter taste from Week 1. Against the Lions, meanwhile, the Argos did everything right, staying patient throughout the first half and then striking in the second half with turnovers, timely scores and five field goals from Lirim Hajrullahu on the way to a 25-14 victory.

Suffice to say Head Coach Scott Milanovich got what he wanted out of his team after a season-opener to forget.

“That’s what I was looking for,” said Milanovich. “Some fight, some pride, some determination that we’re not going to let this thing linger; we’re going to get it turned around.”

The Argos scored two touchdowns early and never looked back against the Riders, then hit the Lions right where you’d least expect – on the ground. Brandon Whitaker rushed for 97 yards on 13 carries (7.5 per carry) and added 55 through the air on seven catches.

“Our coaches did a great job scheming the run game and our run game was getting a hat on a hat and blocking up some pretty good football players,” said Milanovich. “That should give us a lot more confidence in the run game – we were struggling a little bit.”

They’ll look to establish the ground game again against a REDBLACKS team that’s lost roughly half of its defence since appearing in the 103rd Grey Cup against the Edmonton Eskimos. They’ll also look to attack an Ottawa secondary that’ll be without veterans Forrest Hightower and Jerrell Gavins, who were both placed on the one-game injured list.

Still, even with Ricky Ray starting to settle into form (he threw for 283 yards and a touchdown in the win over BC), trying to keep up with the REDBLACKS’ high-octane offence is a losing cause. Rich Stubler’s defence will have to do something no other team has done this season: slow down Williams.

Williams is on pace to break records for receiving and all-purpose yards in a season, as his 164.3 yards per game put him on pace for 2,958 receiving yards. He seems to be finding his feet in his second season back in the CFL, last week burning the Stampeders’ secondary three times en route to a 26-26 tie.

After their best defensive effort of the season against BC, the Argos know the key to stopping Williams is disrupting Harris.

“For us it’s all about communicating and knowing where [Williams] is at all times,” said cornerback A.J. Jefferson, who will make his first start of 2016 after being activated from the six-game injured list.

“Obviously Trevor is the guy that’s gonna get him the ball, so if we can put pressure on Trevor and make him make some bad decisions I don’t see why it would be a problem.”

Added Bishop: “I have faith in our corners, but as long as we get pressure on their quarterback – if he can’t get the ball to him then he can’t be effective.”

For the fans, Wednesday’s matchup brings plenty of on-field drama. It pits Harris against Ray for the first time after they were teammates last season, when Harris went 9-7 as a starter and led the league in touchdown passes before being sat in favour of Ray.

The Argos re-signed Ray in the off-season and according to all accounts also tried to re-sign Harris, who they say would’ve been given the opportunity to compete to start. But in the end the 30-year-old Harris signed a deal with Ottawa on the first day of free agency.

An injury to Henry Burris in Ottawa’s season-opening win put Harris in the spotlight and so far he’s thrived, leading the league with 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns to just one interception. His 80 per cent completion rate puts him at a record-breaking pace, while he’s thrown three touchdown passes in each of his last three games – a feat accomplished only eight times over the last 11 years.

“When you get put in a game with a bunch of thoroughbreds that we have up front and the receivers that are so dynamic like we have, it’s just one of those situations where the quarterback is playing really well but it’s a product of everything around me,” Harris told OttawaREDBLACKS.com. “I’m just grateful to be here with such a great group.”

Ottawa stormed out to a 2-0 start with a thrilling overtime win over Edmonton in Week 1 followed by a gutsy road win in Montreal in Week 2. The REDBLACKS couldn’t capitalize on multiple opportunities to win late in Week 3, including a late fumble on the goal line by Nic Grigsby and a dropped interception in overtime which forced them to settle for the first CFL tie since 2009.

“It is awkward, I think everybody in the stadium – the fans, the media, the coaches, the players – it kind of left you wanting more and more of a resolution,” said Campbell of the REDBLACKS’ home-opener.

“Guys were disappointed we didn’t make some plays to close out the game, but at the same time that point could be a factor, especially the way this league is playing out where everybody is going to be close in the standings – that point could be valuable for us so we’ve got that in our pocket.”

A short week and a road trip to Toronto makes for a tough Week 4 matchup, something the REDBLACKS have had to prepare for mentally more than anything.

“It’s more of a mental thing,” said SirVincent Rogers. “Just making sure we’re mentally in tune and we’re sharpening all the edges. We have to show up ready to compete.”

“We feel good on a short week,” added Damaso Munoz. “We did a lot more mental work this week getting our bodies ready for this game – it’s a big game.”

While Campbell acknowledges everyone could be close in the standings come late October, the REDBLACKS have a chance on Wednesday to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the East.

That’s what’s at stake in this one.

“We’re moving onto Toronto,” Campbell said. “We break our season down into phases and after this game it’s a natural cutoff for us as far as our first four games.

“If we can find a way to get this done and be 3-0-1 after four games it’d be a pretty good deal for us but it’s going to be tough.”

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on TSN or followed online via CFL.ca GameTracker.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Week 4 CFL games

Ottawa (2-0-1) @ Toronto (2-1)-- Argonauts won last four series games, scoring 34.3 ppg LY in wins vs Ottawa by 6-7-3 points. RedBlacks are 0-3 in Toronto, losing by 18-6-3. Ottawa tied Calgary in its home opener last week- they scored 36.5 ppg in winning first two road games by 15-8 points- the win at Edmonton was also in OT. Toronto won its last two games, in Vancouver/Regina, after losing home opener to Hamilton. Road teams are 9-2-1 vs spread in CFL this year.

Edmonton (1-1) @ Winnipeg (1-2)-- Eskimos split first two games, with both going to OT and going over total- they scored 38 ppg, are on road for first time this year. Edmonton won its last six games vs Winnipeg (5-1 vs spread); under is 11-5-1 in last 17 series games. Winnipeg lost its last eight visits here (0-5 vs spread in last five); Bombers got first win in three games at Hamilton LW- they lost 22-14 to Montreal in their home opener.

Hamilton (1-2) @ Montreal (1-1)-- Alouettes split first two games, losing 28-13 to Ottawa in its home opener- they had last week off. LY, Als are 3-5 in last eight games with Hamilton. TiCats lost four of last five visits here, winning 23-11 (-3) in last visit LY. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games, overall and in last nine games played here. Hamilton allowed 25.3 ppg in losing two of its first three games, losing 28-3/28-24 last two weeks.

BC Lions (2-1) @ Saskatchewan (0-2)-- Roughriders allowed 34.5 ppg in losing first two games, losing in OT to Edmonton; Saskatchewan lost four of last five games with Lions, who won 26-13/27-24 in last two visits to Regina. BC crushed Riders 46-20 in last meeting LY. Under is 15-4 in last nineteen series games. British Columbia lost at home to Toronto LW, its first loss in three games- they road opener at Toronto 28-3 two weeks ago. Underdogs are 9-1, under is 7-4-1 so far this season.


Ottawa RedBlacks
Toronto Argonauts even, 52.5

Edmonton Eskimos 3, 54
Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Hamilton TigerCats
Montreal Alouettes 1, 47

British Columbia Lions
Saskatchewan Roughriders 1.5, 50

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Northfield: Wednesday 7/13 Analysis + Pick Four Ticket
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 8 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Jeremey’s $1 Pick Four Play:

1,3 / 2,3,4 / 2 / 1,2,4,5,9 = $30


Best Bet: ANASTASIA WHINNIE (12th)

Spot Play: IN THEORY (11th)


Race 1

(3) WESTERN HELENS BOY gelding got caught in a bad spot last week but will look to rebound for his second win at this level. (5) TOMSAMERICANDREAM beat a really soft bunch last bunch last race; threat. (4) PRIME I has been competitive at this level.

Race 2

(4) SLIPPERY SLOPE well bred 5-year-old makes his career debut off two very nice qualifiers. (8) EVERYROSEHASATHORN two-year-old filly has room to improve in her second lifetime start. (2) STYLE ONE just missed last week showing a nice late closing kick.

Race 3

In a really weak field, (3) SNOWSON appears to be getting better and gets a nice starting post with options. (9) SAM HAYES six-year-old needs a good setup but can pick up the pieces in the right scenario. (1) ST ELIANS'S FIRE drops down in class with the best post.

Race 4

(3) FEELIN THE SEA has been knocking on the door at this level and has hit the board in four straight. (7) JAKES CHANCE filly pacer makes her first start back this year off a decent qualifier. The 3-year-old has some upside. (6) MICAH looks primed for an improved effort third start back off a long layoff.

Race 5

(9) COME ON HERBIE four-year-old will look to make it two straight wins to kick off his career. (1) RAILROAD LANE should be much closer turning for home this week with the best post. (2) ANASTASIA GUNNER three-year-old owns ability but has been very inconsistent.

Race 6

(2) OAKS CROWN pacer needed his first lifetime start and will offer a big price in a field full of question marks. (7) REAL SEXY LADY 2-year-old faces older but could have the talent to compete with these. (1) ABSOLUTE HEAVEN well bred filly gets sent out first start for the top barn.

Race 7

(1) FORT COMMANDER finds a soft spot to do some damage; short price. (3) GREEN ACRELOLLYPOP hasn't been able to get a win in over two years. The trotter will offer a huge price and might be a sleeper on the bottom of your tickets. (2) SPIES AND LIES takes a significant drop in class against a suspect bunch.

Race 8

(3) VINCENT VEGA should offer the best price of the contenders especially with the top driver opting elsewhere. (1) AMAZON ART well bred 10-year-old was the top drivers choice off a big effort. (5) GLORY BEACH also scored an easy win last week but looks to need more.

Race 9

In a very inconsistent field of trotters, (4) PL HUMANITY can turn it around with some racing luck despite the last two poor efforts. (2) AISLING was sharp for this barn a few starts ago. (3) MUSTODIAN faces weaker but has just been racing evenly; use caution.

Race 10

(2) TIDEWATER TEDDY nine-year-old set a lifetime mark last out after not winning a race all of last year. If the pacer repeats that effort everybody else is racing for second. (6) DIVULGE could have gained some confidence off the easy win down in class. (5) BOURBANS BEST is one for twenty-seven on the year; use underneath.

Race 11

(9) IN THEORY has been facing much tougher and should be closer turning for home. (5) LUCPARK four-year-old can't seem to get on track this year but has hit the board consistently at this level. (1) MORELAND FLASH picks back up the top driver with the best post.

Race 12

(4) ANASTASIA WHINNIE looks to offer decent value. The 9-year-old has a win and two seconds in her last three starts down at this level. (5) HERBEDONE also takes a significant drop in class; threat. (6) JOYEUX DREAM the driver opted to the top choice but does come off a nice win; needs more.

Race 13

(5) BEANS AND WEENIES eleven-year-old got trounced last out against weaker, however the pacer picks up a huge driver change and does have a class advantage against most of the field. (4) MIDNIGHT DRAGON stallion probably needed his last two efforts after short layoff. (2) BLESSING STONE looks to be in line for a nice trip up close. The pacer also picks up a big driver change.

Race 14

(6) OK FAME pacer makes his second start fort the top barn. The 6-year-old just missed against a better bunch. (4) OUR MCLOVIN is only one for nineteen on the year, however the pacer's one win was at this level. (5) HAWAII AND SUN pacer makes his first start in a new barn; top driver's choice.

Race 15

(9) PLAYMAKER will offer a monster price in a weak and inconsistent field. The pacer could shake loose late at a big price. (1) RAY'S WESTERN pacer is one of the horses to beat picking up a huge driver change with the best post. (4) JED KIDD SQUAKING could improve second start for a new barn.

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Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Northfield Park

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 4 - Post: 7:00 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 63 - Purse:$4400 - FILLIES & MARES NON WINNERS $7500 LIFETIME.


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 3 FEELIN THE SEA 7/5


# 9 FRISKIE ZENA 8/1


# 1 FLIRTATIOUSLY 10/1


All signs point to FEELIN THE SEA for the selection. This filly getting the win wouldn't be impossible, a chance. Feel the need for speed, this race horse has been turning in some outstanding speed figures averaging around 67. This nice horse looks dangerous considering the high class figures. Don't throw out of any exotics. FRISKIE ZENA - Could dominate this bunch, just look at the TrackMaster speed fig - 62 - from her most recent effort. The handicapping team keenly points out that when Loy trains this harness racer, the odds of finishing in the top three go way up. FLIRTATIOUSLY - Not many folks know, but the 1 slot here at Northfield Park has been terrific for an above average win stat.