Ricky Ray and the Edmonton Eskimos are still in search of their first win of the CFL betting season. Will they get it as a pick 'em on the road Saturday in Winnipeg?
Former Western Division rivals duke it out at Canad Inns Stadium in the first half of a Saturday doubleheader of CFL betting action when the Edmonton Eskimos take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This game will be shown live on the NFL Network.
The Eskimos are the last CFL team standing that is in search of its first win of the season. After losses to the BC Lions, Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders to start the year, the Eskimos find themselves ranking dead last offensively in the league with just 53 total points scored. The defense hasn't been significantly better, as the 82 points allowed is just third in the West.
Quarterback Ricky Ray is averaging 296.0 passing yards per game, which ranks him third in the CFL amongst starting signal callers. Should he keep up at this pace for the rest of the season, Ray would have yet another 5,000+ yard season, a number in which he has gotten to three times in his career.
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The problem Ray has right now is that he isn't throwing touchdown passes. Only one in three games is absolutely inexcusable for an offense that has this many weapons. Coming into this week, Ray had the two best wide receivers statistically in the CFL. Though WR Kelly Campbell has a very impressive 21 receptions for 301 yards, it is WR Fred Stamps that is really stealing the show. He leads all receivers in the league with 24 catches and 399 yards. He 16.6 YPC average ranks him eighth in the league.
Running back Arkee Whitlock has the second most carries amongst running backs in the CFL with 44, and he has a total of 264 yards on the ground, third in the CFL. Whitlock is one of five players in the CFL that has a pair of rushing TDs on the season.
The Blue Bombers have two of those men with two rushing touchdowns, but both are quarterbacks. Backup QB Stephen Jyles has two scores on the goal line on just nine total carries. Starting QB Buck Pierce only has 13 carries on the year, but he has absolutely made the most of them. Pierce has rushed for 192 yards, giving him an average of 14.8 YPC, tops in the CFL.
More conventionally through the air, Pierce has led a lethal offense this season. He is completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 774 yards and five TDs against just two picks.
Keep a close eye on WR Terrence Edwards, as he is second in the CFL in receiving with 318 yards. On Montreal's Kerry Watkins has more TD receptions (4) than Edwards on the season (3). Edwards is also fourth in the league in yards per catch average at 19.9 YPC, largely because of a 90 yard TD reception against Hamilton the first game of the season.
The Blue Bombers enter Saturday 1.5 games behind the Alouettes for first place in the East Division. It has the second highest scoring average in the East and the third highest in the league at 30.0 PPG. The defense hasn't been great though, as allowing 31.0 PPG isn't going to cut it to get Winnipeg into the playoffs.
Last season, the home team took both games SU in this series, but the Blue Bombers snared both victories against the CFL odds. Winnipeg won 27-17 at home as four point pups, while it also stuck in front of the number in a 19-17 defeat at Commonwealth Stadium late in the season.
Dating back to 2005, Winnipeg has covered seven of the last ten in this rivalry. The Blue Bombers are also 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a losing record.
If you're looking for a 'total' trend on the game, keep an eye on the 'under.' It has cashed in three straight clashes of the Eskies and Bombers, and five out of six as well. 'Under' bettors are 6-2 in Edmonton's last eight games overall.
The CFL betting line features a pick 'em. The 'total' has been lined at 54.