Stampeders get another shot to knock off undefeated Roughriders
Football betting: Calgary Stampeders (+3) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-3) Thursday, August 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET
WHAT: Canadian Football League
WHO: Calgary Stampeders (+3) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-3)
WHEN: Thursday, August 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET
WHERE: Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field
HEAD TO HEAD: Saskatchewan is 4-2 against the spread in its last six games against Calgary
KEY STAT: Saskatchewan is 5-1 against the spread this season
Saskatchewan (6-0) remains the only undefeated team in the Canadian Football League, but underdog Calgary (3-3) almost changed that last Saturday. The Roughriders barely escaped with a 22-21 victory, setting the stage for Thursday's game and making online betting picks even more interesting.
The Roughriders scored just one point in the second half, getting a brilliant effort from their defense to hold onto the win. That included a key third-down stop late in the fourth quarter. Calgary faced a third-and-one with the ball at the Saskatchewan 45-yard line; running back Joffrey Reynolds was stopped cold, turning the ball over to the Riders. Calgary kicker Sandro DeAngelis missed a 54-yard kick as time expired.
Speaking of defense, Calgary's did a wonderful job. The No. 2-ranked Saskatchewan offense found the end zone legitimately just once, a 12-yard pass from Marcus Crandell to Adarius Bowman. Its other score came off a fumble recovery but running back Wes Cates.
Crandell struggled, going 17-36 for 225 yards and an interception. Considering how well back-up Darian Durant has played in injury situations this season, don't be surprised if a quarterback controversy starts bubbling out west. That would certainly affect the CFL betting lines.
Calgary needs to generate more offense. Henry Burris threw for 304 yards, but he barely completed 50 per cent of his passes and turned the ball over once. Reynolds had just 10 carries for 46 yards. Getting him the ball more often might be a wise idea; he has, after all, rushed for at least 1200 yards in three straight seasons.
Reynolds' counterpart, Cates, did some serious damage and Calgary must be more committed to slowing him down. Cates wound up with 139 yards on just 18 carries. If Crandell struggles again, you can certainly expect the coaching staff to turn to Cates to pick up the slack.
Perhaps more important than anything, Calgary must stop hurting itself. The Stampeders had 11 penalties for 129 yards against Saskatchewan, and the staff is growing frustrated with the mental mistakes. They might have lost some composure after linebacker JoJuan Armour was ejected on the second play of the game (the CFL later announced his was wrongfully ejected. Armour will suit up on Thursday). Either way, the mistakes make CFL picks even more unpredictable.
This should be another close game and the Stamps certainly have a shot to win if they can minimize their own mistakes. But odds are the Saskatchewan attack will have more juice this time around. Even if it's not, Crandell will likely be on a short leash, giving Durant a shot to get things going. The Roughriders remain undefeated.
Guy's Pick: Saskatchewan
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A Laval, Quebec native, Guy LaPierre grew up rooting for the Montreal Alouettes. Now he gets to handicap them for a living as our resident CFL expert. Guy enjoys the game South of the Border, but three-down football is his specialty. Thoughts or questions?
