CFL predictions - Lions look to keep win streak alive against Eskimos
Football odds - BC Lions (-2) at Edmonton Eskimos
WHAT: CFL football
WHO: BC Lions (-2) at Edmonton Eskimos
WHEN: Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 p.m. ET
WHERE: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta
HEAD TO HEAD: The Lions have won five straight against Edmonton
KEY STAT: Edmonton is 4-2 against the spread in its last six home games
The Canadian Football League West Division has been extremely competitive in 2008, making CFL predictions and picks a tricky proposition for sports betting fans.. Thursday's contest between the Lions and Eskimos pits two 3-2 squads against each other. The winner will vault into second place in the West behind the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Eskimos (3-2) knocked off the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19-13 last week. Despite a 356-yard effort from quarterback Ricky Ray, the Esks failed to put many points on the board. Receivers Kelly Campbell and Kamau Peterson both surpassed 100 yards receiving and they'll need to be very productive for the rest of the season; star wide out Jason Tucker injured his neck and will miss the remainder of the year.
Defensively, Edmonton was excellent, yielding just one touchdown (though it should be noted that Hamilton has the worst offense in the league). The squad is likely hoping the effort serves as a catalyst for improved play, as the “D” has been quite leaky this season.
That could spell trouble since the Lions (3-2) exploded for 36 points last week against Montreal. Their offense has a lot of juice between quarterback Jarious Jackson, running back Joe Smith and receiver Geroy Simon. Paris Jackson got involved last week too, catching five passes for 124 yards and a score. British Columbia amassed 460 yards in all.
The defense gave up 34 points but that number is deceiving; it created a few turnovers while having to deal with the offense's mistakes (two interceptions by Jarious Jackson). Even after that effort the defense is still ranked second in the CFL in points allowed (at 26 per game), trailing only the Calgary Stampeders.
How do BC and Edmonton stack up? The Lions are riding a three-game win streak and are averaging 35 points per game during that stretch. That's a tough match-up for the Esks. British Columbia also appears to have the edge on the defensive side of the ball, where Edmonton has struggled unless playing the woeful Ti-Cats.
owever, the Eskimos are 2-0 at Commonwealth Stadium this season, where they've traditionally enjoyed a pleasant home-field advantage. However, Lions have won five straight against Edmonton (including one at Commonwealth). That might not matter on Thursday; Jarious Jackson has already tossed seven picks this season, so a hostile crowd might rattle him. I like the Eskimos to end their drought against BC.
Visit the betonline.com Sports book for the best odds, lines and props in the industry. Be sure to check out the Bettor's Edge daily for all the tips and info you need for CFL betting and CFL predictions.
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?
