8-11-11

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2011 Preseason Picks

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11
Time Posted: 11:00 a.m. EST (8/7)

Game 251-252: Baltimore at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 125.734; Philadelphia 118.551
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 7; 31
Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 3; 34
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+3); Under

Game 253-254: Jacksonville at New England (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 120.851; New England 126.147
Dunkel Line: New England by 5 1/2; 38
Vegas Line: New England by 4; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-4); Over

Game 255-256: Seattle at San Diego (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 120.446; San Diego 125.535
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 5; 33
Vegas Line: San Diego by 4 1/2; 36
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-4 1/2); Under

Game 257-258: Denver at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 121.361; Dallas 121.395
Dunkel Line: Even; 38
Vegas Line: Dallas by 3; 36
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+3); Over

Game 259-260: Arizona at Oakland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 120.948; Oakland 122.740
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 37
Vegas Line: Oakland by 3 1/2; 33 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+3 1/2); Over

Game 261-262: Cincinnati at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 116.840; Detroit 124.333
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 7 1/2; 31
Vegas Line: Detroit by 4 1/2; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-4 1/2); Under

Game 263-264: Miami at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 118.382; Atlanta 123.408
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 5; 30
Vegas Line: Atlanta by 3; 33 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3); Under

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Football Sack
Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Thursday 8/11 – 7:30 pm est.

We all saw the comment newly acquired QB Vince Young said on ESPN. “Dream Team”. And although most of you Philly fans think he was a good pick up, what do you think about his mouth? Coming from an Eagles, I knew adding him was going to be a mistake. His immaturity is going to drag this team down, and what do you know, he is already putting on heat and the season hasn’t even started yet!

Mike Vick will most likely start this game, but eventually Vince Young will get his time on the field. And if he is going to make comments on ESPN, having all NFL players tweeting “What dream team”? Well bottom line is he better come out BIG against the Ravens and put that comment to truth.

I do believe he will come out and play as big as he can just to back up his words, and comparing the Eagles QB’s to the Raven’s QB’s you have to take the Eagles in this one. Many new faces on the team wanting to prove they are in fact the “Dream Team”

Philadelphia Eagles -3 (5 units)

Denver Broncos @ Dallas Cowboys – Thursday 8/11 – 8:30 pm est.

Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow that is the question. Fans want Tebow; players want Orton and want to win this season. But bottom line is MONEY. Fans make the money for the organization and if they want Tebow they will eventually get him.

So what I am trying to say is, expect a very competitive Kyle Orton this season, because one mistake and he is getting yanked, even in the preseason guaranteed. Even though the obvious QB to start is Orton, but like I said, MONEY is the bottom line in the NFL, as we saw with the lockout.

As for the Cowgirls quarterbacks, Tony Homo and Jon Kitna, you would have to be out of your mind to even think these two guys even have a chance against a competitive Broncos QB situation.

Denver Bronco +3 (1 unit)

Other plays to consider…
Atlanta Falcons -2 (5 units)
Minnesota Vikings +3 (1 unit)

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MARK LAWRENCECOVERS' WHAT BETTORS NEED TO KNOW


Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots (-3.5, 35.5)

Starter Report

Jaguars: Rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert will start for the Jags against the Patriots Thursday. Gabbert gets the nod because first-string QB David Garrard is out with a stiff back. Veteran backup Luke McCown will run out with the second team and Jags coach Jack Del Rio says Gabbert and McCown should split the majority of snaps.

Recently signed 39-year-old Todd Bouman will lead the Jags’ scrub offense in the latter parts of Thursday’s game.

Starting running back Maurice Jones-Drew, tight end Marcedes Lewis and defensive end Aaron Kampman all will not play Thursday.

Patriots: New England head coach Bill Belichick isn’t talking about his player rotations for Thursday, although he did hint that players who didn’t practice on Tuesday would most likely not suit up for the team’s first preseason game.

That would rule out defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, tight end Rob Gronkowski, offensive linemen Dan Connolly and Chris Morris, and linebacker Brandon Spikes.

If we follow Belichick’s past rotation patterns for the first week of the preseason, we can expect to see Tom Brady and the rest of the first-string offense in for most, if not all, of the first quarter.

Things to remember: This is the first preseason meeting between these two teams since 2004 when the Jaguars ran roughshod over the Patriots on this field in a 31-0 victory… Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio is 20-12 SU and 20-10-1 ATS during the preseason, including 10-1-1 ATS as a dog… Bill Belichick is 36-29 SU and 33-26-6 ATS in the preseason, including 20-11-1 ATS when seeking revenge from a preseason loss.

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 34)

Starter Report

Ravens: Starting quarterback Joe Flacco will play the entire first quarter with backups Tyrod Taylor and Hunter Cantwell playing the rest of the game. Rookie QB Taylor is expected to get the bulk of the action. The Baltimore Sun reports the rookie from Virginia Tech will play for two and a half quarters before giving way to Cantwell midway through the fourth quarter.

The Ravens will be missing a few starters from the lineup Thursday. Center Matt Birk will not play due to a sore knee while corners Jimmy Smith and Domonique Foxworth are both doubtful.

Eagles: Philadelphia coach Andy Reid says Michael Vick and the rest of the first-team offense will play the first 12 minutes, while Vince Young and the backup unit will play the second and some of the third quarters. That leaves third stringer QB Mike Kafka with the mop-up duties.

Receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson both won’t play Thursday. Maclin is dealing with an undisclosed illness and Jackson just reported to camp Monday after ending a brief holdout.

Things to remember: The Ravens defeated the Eagles 29-3 and 20-10 in the two most recent preseason meetings between these teams in 2007 and 2006… Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is 8-4 SU and 7-5 ATS in the preseason, including 3-0 SU and ATS in the first game… Andy Reid is 18-30 SU and 19-27-2 ATS in exhibition games, including 8-15 ATS at home and 3-9 SU and 2-9-1 ATS in lid lifters.

Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Padres (-3.5, 35.5)

Starter Report

Seahawks: Coach Pete Carroll refuses to reveal his playing time schedule for Thursday’s preseason opener but he has told reporters all healthy and available players will see the field.

We know Seattle will start Tavaris Jackson under center followed by Charlie Whitehurst and Josh Portis. Receiver Mike Williams will not play because of a toe sprain.

Chargers: Norv Turner is just as wishy-washy discussing preseason playing time as he making tough calls in big games. The Chargers coach told reporters earlier in the week that running back Ryan Matthews likely wouldn’t play Thursday because of a strained muscle in his leg but wouldn’t rule out the second-year pro taking the field in the preseason opener after a good Tuesday practice.

The Bolts aren't elaborating on playing time for their starters either but bettors can assume Philip Rivers and the rest of the first-string offense will play the majority of the first quarter. Billy Volek will take over the reins after Rivers, while Scott Tolzien will finish the game off under center.

Things to remember: Rivers played just one quarter in 2010 with top targets Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates all healthy and available.

Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys (-3, 34)

Starter Report

Broncos: The early talk was on whether Tim Tebow would win the starting quarterback job in Denver but things have changed pretty quickly. Quarterback Kyle Orton will lead the Broncos first-team offense onto the field Thursday and is expected to stay for 12 offensive snaps.

Tebow is listed as the second-string QB right now, but, from the way Denver writers are talking, Brady Quinn is playing well enough to push Tebow all the way to the bottom of the depth chart. Quinn and Tebow should split the last three quarters against Dallas.

Cowboys: Coach Jason Garrett says his starters will see between eight to 12 plays before turning the ball over to his backup players.

Tony Romo will lead the first-string offense followed by Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee. Tom Brandstater, last on the team’s depth chart at quarterback, will likely get some action at the end of the game as well.

Dallas will be missing a few starters because of injuries: G Montrae Holland, CB Mike ******* and NT Jay Ratliff all won’t suit up Thursday.

Things to remember: Dallas is 9-16 SU and 8-17 ATS in the first game of the preseason… Fox is 19-17 SU and 16-19-1 ATS during the preseason, including 3-0 SU and ATS as a pick or underdog of less than three points.

Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders (-3.5, 32.5)

Starter Report

Cardinals: Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt wouldn’t go into specifics about how long his starters would play but he did say newly acquired quarterback Kevin Kolb would play more than starting QBs typically play in the first preseason game of the year.

Max Hall and John Skelton will get the majority of action under center once Kolb leaves the game.

Arizona Republic reporter and Cardinals beat writer Kent Somers had a beautiful line talking about the high-turnover this past offseason in Arizona and how it might affect the Cards game plan: “Coach Ken Whisenhunt cares little about winning in the preseason, but that has to be especially true this year.”

Raiders: New coach Hue Jackson said he’ll use Thursday night's exhibition opener against Arizona to evaluate his players.

“I want our guys to get used to when we step out on the field we’re playing to win," Jackson told the media. "Some people use it for evaluation and I do, too. That’s part of it. But it’s also about winning.”

Oakland’s top three quarterbacks, Jason Campbell, Kyle Boller and Trent Edwards, are all former starters in the NFL. Raiders running back Darren McFadden is still recovering from a broken orbital bone and won't play Thursday.

Things to remember: The Cardinals have not made winning a priority during the preseason since the arrival of Whisenhunt four years ago, going 5-11 SU and 6-10 ATS, including 1-3 SU and ATS in the first preseason games of the season.

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ROCKDEMANSPORTS

Cubs -114 list Dempster

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Gamblers Data

Free Play Thursday

Reds -130

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Hondo

Hondo kept moving in the right direction last night when he positively split the bit, hitting with the Pa dres and missing with Rockies to lower the accounts payable to 1,925 younts.

Tonight, Mr. Aitch will give the rock to Gallardo -- 10 units on the Brewers to hammer out a victory against Carpenter.

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Arthur Ralph Sports

693- 520 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one Over 35 1/2 Pats/Jacksonville over the total

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Khaliagent Sports Free Picks: 30-18 +15.68 units

Thursday August 11th

Cubs ml -113 (medium bet to win 2 units)
Mets ml -123 (medium bet to win 2 units)

Arizona Cardinals +3.5 (-117) (medium bet to win 2 units)

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Today's MLB Picks
San Diego at NY Mets

The Mets look to take advantage of a San Diego team that is 2-9 in its last 11 road games against a left-handed starter. New York is the pick (-125) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-125). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11
Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST

Game 901-902: San Diego at NY Mets (12:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Luebke) 14.787; NY Mets (Niese) 15.804
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-125); Over

Game 903-904: Colorado at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chacin) 15.174; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.820
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+115); Under

Game 905-906: Milwaukee at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.928; St. Louis (Carpenter) 16.223
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-130); Under

Game 907-908: Houston at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Myers) 14.185; Arizona (Saunders) 15.840
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-180); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-180); Over

Game 909-910: Kansas City at Tampa Bay (12:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Duffy) 15.870; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 14.955
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+155); Over

Game 911-912: Oakland at Toronto (12:37 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Moscoso) 15.259; Toronto (Mills) 15.676
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-135); Under

Game 913-914: LA Angels at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Chatwood) 15.179; NY Yankees (Colon) 16.471
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-200); Over

Game 915-916: Detroit at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.687; Cleveland (Carmona) 15.118
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-180); Under

Game 917-918: Chicago White Sox at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 15.064; Baltimore (Tillman) 14.441
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-130);

Game 919-920: Washington at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 15.753; Cubs (Dempster) 14.276
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-115); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-105); N/A

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WNBA Basketball Picks
Atlanta at Phoenix

The Dream look to build on their 7-2-2 ATS record in their last 11 Thursday games. Atlanta is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Mercury favored by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+6). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11
Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST

Game 601-602: San Antonio at Connecticut (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 109.490; Connecticut 113.708
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 4; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 6; 151
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+6); Over

Game 603-604: Tulsa at Seattle (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 97.460; Seattle 114.595
Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 17; 136
Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 13; 141 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-13); Under

Game 605-606: Atlanta at Phoenix (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 111.859; Phoenix 116.182
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 4 1/2; 180
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 6; 186
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+6); Under

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VIKING SPORTS PICKS

4* Baltimore Ravens +3
2* Jacksonville/New England OVER 35'

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Thursday’s Betting Tips: Cardinals-Raiders Odds Moving

Who’s Hot

MLB: The over is 9-1-1 in San Diego’s last 11 games overall.

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is 20-10-1 against the spread in the preseason.

WNBA: The under is 11-2-1 in San Antonio’s last 14 games.

CFL: Montreal has covered in four of its last five games against Edmonton.

Who’s Not

MLB: The under is 4-20-3 in the last 27 meetings between the Royals and Rays.

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid is just 19-27-2 against the spread in preseason games.

NFL: Dallas is 8-17 against the spread in its first game of the preseason.

CFL: The under is 1-5 in Montreal’s last six games.

WNBA: Tulsa is 1-20 straight up this season and is 4-9-1 against the spread in its last 14.

Key Stat

4.96 - The Toronto Blue Jays continue to face allegations that they are stealing signs when playing at home at the Rogers Centre. For the record, they’re averaging 4.96 runs per game at home this year, which is up from their overall average of 4.65 runs per game. Their team home batting average is .258, up from .215 overall. The Jays host the Athletics Thursday as a -135 favorite with a 9-run total.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals – Holliday tweaked a muscle in his back while lifting weights Wednesday and is expected to be out of action for a few days. The veteran slugger doesn’t think the injury is serious, but doesn’t want to aggravate it now. Holliday is hitting .319 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs.

Game Of The Day

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 34)

Notable Quotable

"Over time, you kind of lose sight of certain things and you forget what you were doing and you sometimes can't put your finger on what you're doing with regard to the mental side of the game and you just need jogging a bit, so that made sense to go see Bob." - Lee Westwood on meeting with noted sports psychologist Bob Rotella ahead of the PGA Championship. Westwood, set at +1400 to win the tournament, is still searching for his first career major title.

Tips And Notes

Preseason football is upon us, which means you’d better get ready for a ton of 3 point lines on the board. All five of Thursday’s matchups are currently hovering between 3-4 points. The Oakland Raiders have been listed as high as 4.5-point favorites in recent days for their game against Arizona, but they’re now sitting around -3, while the total has dropped from 34.5 points to 32.5.

With Wednesday's win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers opened up a five-game lead over the red birds in the NL Central heading into Thursday's series finale. The Cardinals are currently set as -130 favorites to avoid a series sweep with the total at 7.5. Yovani Gallardo takes the hill for Milwaukee against St. Louis' Chris Carpenter.

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CANADIAN BACON

Thursday's Best CFL Bet

Edmonton Eskimos at Montreal Alouettes (-6.5, 54.5)

The Eskimos have performed way above expectations in the first third of the CFL schedule, mainly because of the extraordinary play of their young linebackers, who have excelled at man-to-man coverage.

This defensive squad often rolls the dice and goes for those high risk/high reward plays by constantly blitzing the opposing quarterback. However, that could prove costly against Montreal's powerful offense.

Edmonton's offense just isn't the same without WR Fred Stamps who was the best receiver in the CFL as of last week. Stamps is out until September with an abdominal injury and the Eskimos will struggle to fill the void no matter how good QB Ricky Ray is even if WR Andrew Nowacki returns from injury.

The Eskimos will need to overuse versatile RB Jerome Messam and that may not be a very good idea against Montreal. Another poor idea was to have the Eskimos spend the week in Winnipeg before flying to Montreal instead of going back home to enjoy their fabulous facilities in Edmonton.

As for the Alouettes, they will be playing at home with the support of their fans and are recharged after a convincing win against the Argonauts in Toronto. Anthony Calvillo has more options in front of him than Ray and he’ll take full advantage of them in Week 7.

PICK: Montreal

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CFL NEWS AND NOTES
CFL Previews - August 11-13, Week Seven
By Sports Network


Edmonton Eskimos at Montreal Alouettes (-6.5, 54.5)

EDMONTON ESKIMOS (5-1) AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (4-2)
DATE & TIME: Thursday, August 11, 7:30 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: A showdown between two of the top teams in the CFL this season has lost a bit of its luster, but the game will go on as the Montreal Alouettes entertain the Edmonton Eskimos at McGill Stadium.

Edmonton has the best record in the West Division at 5-1 and is one of only two teams in the league still with just a single loss, but the bigger loss for the club came on the field over the weekend when the Eskimos watched receiver Fred Stamps go out with an injury in their 28-16 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Stamps, who leads the league in receiving yards (619) and has produced five touchdowns on 33 catches, experienced significant discomfort after the game according to general manager Eric Tillman. Tests at the hospital uncovered internal bleeding which required immediate surgery and at this point it appears as though the receiver will be out of action anywhere from four to six weeks.

With Stamps out of the picture, Edmonton signed wide receiver and kick returner Jason Armstead to fill the roster spot, but it won't be that easy to make up for what Stamps brought to the offense. Slotback Jason Barnes now assumes the leader position as far as receiving is concerned with his 23 grabs for 396 yards and three touchdowns for the Esks. However, the bulk of those numbers came last week in defeat when Barnes caught eight balls for 125 yards and a TD.

Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray came back to earth in the loss to Winnipeg as he converted 17-of-28 passing for 226 yards and the one score. Along the way he also tossed three picks and was sacked four times by an up-and-coming Blue Bomber defense.

As for the Als, they scored touchdowns in all four quarters against Toronto last week en route to the 36-23 win, a victory that madeMontreal 4-2 overall and moved it into second place in the East Division all by itself. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo continued his assault on the record books in the CFL as he converted all but six of his 36 pass attempts, leading to 349 yards and a score in the double-digit decision.

Along the way, Calvillo became the league's all-time leader in pass completions, now with 5,180 over the course of his 18-year career. Calvillo took over the lead in all-time passing touchdowns earlier this season and now has 398 on his resume, which leaves him just a few more milestones to accomplish this season as he heads towards CFL immortality.

Calvillo now needs just 2,386 yards passing to surpass Damon Allen (72,381 yards) for the all-time mark in that category as well.

While all eyes were on Calvillo, it was the rushing attack for the Als that did most of the damage in the win last week, as Brandon Whitaker turned his 19 carries into a game-high 150 yards. While Whitaker was grinding out the tough yards, Dahrran Diedrick was getting all the glory as he crossed the goal line three times on a mere five attempts. Whitaker leads the league in rushing with 493 yards on 73 attempts, but it is Diedrick who is tied for the league lead in rushing scores with four on just 21 carries.

Now that Montreal has demonstrated that it can get the job done without having to lean on Calvillo as much, teams like Edmonton will have to respect that aspect of the Als' offense and plan accordingly. However, don't think for one minute that the passing attack is going to take a back seat to anyone, especially with Calvillo leading the CFL in passing yardage (1,834), completion percentage (66.4) and touchdowns (12), while only tossing three picks thus far.

With Edmonton now having to deal with replacing Stamps, Ray will have a tougher time getting comfortable with his receivers. Jerome Messam might be the new face of the running back group for the Esks, placing fourth in the league with 324 yards on 63 carries, but since the second game of the season when he tallied 104 yards, he has managed no more than 54 yards rushing in a single game.

Ray still has a better efficiency rating (108.1) than Calvillo after six games, but that's based mostly on the fact that he has a slightly higher percentage of TDs to passes and is averaging 9.5 yards per attempt.

From a stats standpoint, Edmonton is performing better than the Als in the turnover department as well with a plus-seven in that area, but with defenses now able to lock up against receivers other than Stamps, that number might be coming down.

Montreal won both meetings in 2010, posting a 33-23 victory in the second week of the season on the road and then capturing a 31-14 final at home in the middle of September. As a result, Edmonton owns a 37-23-2 advantage in the all-time, regular-season series against the Als, but it has been Montreal that has won three of the last four matchups.

The teams are set to face each other one more time during the regular season with Edmonton playing host in September.

There are a number of factors working in favor of the Als in this meeting, not the least of which is the fact that the team is at home and Edmonton's lone loss of the campaign came on the road. Add to that the loss of Stamps and the cards seemed to be stacked against the Eskimos this time out.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Montreal 31, Edmonton 23