1: Montreal Alouettes (8-4/1-0) (7-5 ATS) (LW: 3) The Alouettes had the most impressive game of the week, easily covering the spread in the demolition of the Edmonton Eskimos by the count of 40-4. The Als have now opened up a commanding four-game lead in the East with just six games to go, and could clinch at least a share of the division title next week. QB Anthony Calvillo threw for 299 yards in a first half where Montreal dominated Edmonton 30-4. In total, “AC” ended up with 414 yards and now leads the league in passing yards (3,971), completion percentage (67.7%), and passing touchdowns (28).

Next up: Home vs. Saskatchewan (8-4)

2: Calgary Stampeders (8-4/1-0) (8-4 ATS) (LW: 4) The Stamps have now rolled off three straight ‘W’s and have moved up to the #2 spot in this week’s Power Poll. It looked a lot like a bye week for Calgary, who hammered Toronto 34-4 in their Week 13 betting match-up. WR Ken-Yon Rambo had another stellar day, grabbing seven balls for 77 yards. In an offensive-happy Western Division, Rambo is tops amongst receivers in receptions (60) and receiving yards (943). Calgary has a very favorable schedule to close out the season. This could be the year that the “Touchdown Horse” and the Stamps finally return to the Grey Cup.

Next up: Away @ Toronto (4-8)

3: British Columbia Lions (7-5/1-0) (6-6 ATS) (LW: 5) They may still be in the gutter in the West, but HC Wally Buono and the Lions have pushed all of the right buttons and are now in a position to successfully defend their Western Division crown. For the second straight week, the Leos took care of the Saskatchewan Roughriders to move within one game in the powerful West. Oddsmakers installed BC as short underdogs in Regina last week, and they successfully covered the spread by winning 27-21. Charles “Blink” Roberts and Stefan Logan are now the deadliest running back duo in the CFL. They combined for 222 all-purpose yards last week.

Next up: Home vs. Hamilton (2-10)

4: Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-4/0-1) (9-3 ATS) (LW: 1) All of a sudden, it’s time to panic for the Riders. Normally, 8-4 would be good enough to assure anyone of a home game in the playoffs, but in the deep Western Division, Saskatchewan could find themselves crossing over to the Eastern playoffs if they aren’t careful. On last Saturday’s CFL betting affair, the Riders lost to the BC Lions 27-21. QBs Darian Durant and Michael Bishop only combined to complete 13 of their 27 passes for 251 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Victories may be difficult to come by in the weeks to come for the Riders as well, as they play Montreal and Calgary twice in the next three weeks.

Next up: Away @ Montreal (8-4)

5: Edmonton Eskimos (7-5/0-1) (6-5-1 ATS) (LW: 2) It’s gut-check time for the Eskies, who now find themselves at 7-5 and in the basement of the West with just six games to go. After losing to Calgary two weeks ago and barely beating Hamilton last week, Edmonton hit rock bottom when they traveled to Montreal as short underdogs on the CFL betting line. Edmonton bettors never stood a chance, as they gave up 380 yards of offence in the first half to the dominant Alouettes. The 40-4 loss was the worst for the green and gold since losing 54-14 in Saskatchewan at the beginning of the ’07 season. A ‘W’ next week in Winnipeg should lock up a playoff spot, though.

Next up: Away @ Winnipeg (4-8)

6: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-8/1-0) (4-8 ATS) (LW: 6) Maybe the brass of the Blue Bombers knew what they were doing when they traded away Charles Roberts to the BC Lions. They have now won back-to-back games, and are firmly back in the chase for the playoffs. RBs Fred Reid and Joe Smith combined for 19 carries for 104 yards on the ground against the Hamilton defence, en route to a 25-23 win. Winnipeg bettors have covered back-to-back games for the first this season.

Next up: Home vs. Edmonton (7-5)

7: Toronto Argonauts (4-8/0-1) (3-8-1 ATS) (LW: 7) The nightmarish season for the Argos got much darker when the paid a visit to McMahon Stadium last week. QB Cody Pickett made his first career CFL start and was awful, going 21/36 for 193 yards and an interception. It was the first time in over a year that the Argos were double digit underdogs on the CFL betting line, and deservedly so. Toronto lost to Calgary 34-4. Now they find themselves even with Winnipeg for a playoff spot that appeared to be on lockdown until a couple weeks ago.

Next up: Home vs. Calgary (8-4)

8: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-10/0-1) (4-8 ATS) (LW: It’s all over but the crying in Steeltown. Last season, one of the more consistent Ti-Cats was their kicker, Nick Setta. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the former Notre Dame kicker had a 25-yard field goal attempt to send their game with the Blue Bombers to overtime. Setta knocked the kick wide, resulting in a single, giving Winnipeg a 25-23 victory that put the Ti-Cats two games back of both Toronto and Winnipeg for the second Eastern Division playoff spot. It was a double-edged sword for Hamilton bettors, as the missed kick left the Tabbies a half-point short of the CFL betting line.

Next up: Away @ British Columbia (7-5)

Cincinnati Bengals +14.0
Sun Sep 21 ‘08 1:00p
The Cincinnati Bengals(0-2) and their hosts the defending champion NY Giants(2-0) , are currently performing at the opposite end of the proverbial performance spectrum.

The Giants won their opening game of the season,defeating the Redskins 16-7 on national tv on opening night, and than last week took advantage of a horrendous St.Louis Rams team, beating them senseless in front of their own town fans, for a lopsided 41-13 decision.

Meanwhile, The Bengals, lost to the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in their opener ,before struggling again last week in a windy 24-7 loss at home in Paul Brown Stadium to the Tennessee Titans.

Needless to say, because of those above mentioned results, just about everyone and his dog has piled on the Giants band wagon,despite of the hefty number the books are asking bettors to cover. It is obvious, the media pundits, have been swayed by the defending champs early season performances after doubting their abilities early on, and are currently bombarding the public, with over whelming praise for the Gmen . I however, am still stubbornly not completely sold, on the Giants premature early season coronation. With that said, Im willing to make a contrarian bet, that the desperate 0-2 underdog Bengals, still have enough pride, talent and determination to make a game out of this.

Final notes & Key Trends: The Giants L/22 regular season games, have seen them ring up a positive 16-6 ATS mark, BUT the average margin of victory clicks in at only 3.6 PPG. Giants HC Coughlin, has seen his team fail to cover 15 of his L/19 after two straight covers.

Play on the Bengals to cover

Oregon to cover vs Boise State
Sat Sep 20 ‘08 3:30p
As soon as the betting pundits heard that starting Oregon QB Justin Roper will miss 2-4 weeks with a partially torn MCL, the money started to flow in on the side of the visiting underdogs the Boise State Broncos. There were wise guys and squares waiting to pounce on the books as soon as the news broke, bringing the line down , which in turn, in my humble opinion now makes the Ducks the right side.

After watching the Ducks comeback with a 32-26 OT victory over Purdue last week, I could see this team had grit and determination , and unlike last years version, will be primed to respond to a QB injury. A quick look at their over all stats, tells the story of a over powering team with credible national championship aspirations. To this point in the season, Oregon is fourth in the nation in total offense (562.33 ypg) and rushing offense (323.33 ypg), and ninth in scoring offense (47.33 ppg).

Meanwhile , the Boise State Broncos, despite of a 20-7 win last week against Bowling Green, surprisingly struggled when they had the rock , registering just 89 yards in total offense in the the second half. The defense despite of allowing just one TD, still gave up a total 307 yards . With that said, Im not totally sold on this years version of the Broncos, especially on the road, against what must be recognized as a superior program, from a better conference.

What Im betting will happen is that JUCO transfer Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Harper will both see playing time under center for the Ducks. The huge Oregon offensive line will give the pivots time to operate, and a lot of pressure will be alleviated via a heavy taste of a viable running game . As the contest progresses, look for and expect the Broncos over matched D, to fold, and for huge holes to open up, which result in a boatload full of scoring opportunities for the home side.

Final notes & Key Trends: Oregon is 28-1 L/29 SU in non conference home games, Mike Bellotti has won 17 straight against WAC programs. Boise State has lost 12 straight road games vs BCS Schools by an average of 21 PPG, and have a recent history of starting slowly in their first road game away from the blue carpet as they failed to cover 7 straight.

Play on Oregon to cover -Projected score: Ducks 35 Broncos 20

1: South Florida Bulls (3-0/1-0) (0-2 ATS) (LW: 1) For the second straight week, South Florida bettors have to be kicking themselves after watching the Bulls get backdoored. On Friday night, USF overcame a 20-3 deficit in the 2nd quarter to take a 34-20 lead in the 4th against Kansas. The Jayhawks responded with back-to-back touchdowns to knot it up at 34-34, but K Maikon Bonani, kicking in his first collegiate game, booted a 43-yard FG as time expired to give the Bulls a 37-34 victory. It was still no consolation to those who had South Florida on their betting ticket, as they failed to cover the spread by the dreaded hook.

Next up: Away at Florida International (0-2)

2: Connecticut Huskies (3-0/1-0) (1-1 ATS) (LW: 2) It took until the third Saturday of the regular season for anyone in the Big East to cover the spread, but it finally happened for the Huskies when they hosted Virginia in their Week 3 betting match-up. UConn raced out of the blocks to a 28-0 lead at halftime and never looked back, coasting to a 45-10 victory over the Cavaliers and notching the conference’s first betting victory of the season. UCONN’s ‘D’ has held opponents to a slim 7.3 PPG, but the competition is going to get tougher than Temple and Virginia in the weeks to come.

Next up: Home vs. Baylor (2-1)

3: West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1/0-0) (0-1 ATS) (LW: 3) It was a much needed bye week for a Mountaineers team that many thought was exposed against East Carolina two weeks ago. The good news for West Virginia is that they still have a couple weeks to get prepared for the Big East season in which they could plausibly run the table and get back to another BCS game in Bill Stewart’s first full year as the head coach.

Next up: Away @ Colorado (2-0)

4: Cincinnati Bearcats (1-1/0-0) (0-1 ATS) (LW: 4) Look out for this Bearcats offense to put up some amazing numbers against a hapless Miami (OH) defense this week. Cincinnati averages 293.5 passing yards per game, the 17th best mark in the NCAA. The Redhawks gave up 360 yards to Vanderbilt at home in the first week of the college football betting season, so expect to see HC Kelly elect to chuck the pill all over the place this weekend.

Next up: Home vs. Miami (OH) (1-2)

5: Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1/0-0) (0-2 ATS) (LW: 6) It might be yet another great week to fade HC Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers in this, the fourth week of the NCAA betting season. The Iowa Hawkeyes have quietly strung together three straight wins to open up the season, and have held its opponents to a total of eight points in those three games. Both Iowa and Pitt are 2-0 for ‘under’ bettors this year, so it may be a good idea to expect another low scoring betting affair this weekend.

Next up: Home vs. Iowa (3-0)

6: Louisville Cardinals (1-1/0-0) (0-1 ATS) (LW: 7) After a week off, the Cardinals return to the field to take on the Wildcats of Kansas State on a rare Wednesday night betting match-up. All eyes will be fixed on the sidelines, as HC Steve Kragthorpe will be facing a ton of heat if his Cardinals don’t take this very winnable game and go on to fail to qualify for a bowl game for the second straight year.

Next up: Home vs. Kansas State (2-0)

7: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-2/0-1) (0-2 ATS) (LW: 5) It’s starting to become crystal clear that QB Mike Teel isn’t going to be able to carry Rutgers to a winning season without someone filling the massive shoes that RB Ray Rice left when he graduated. On Thursday night, Teel threw three more interceptions, bringing his total to five on the year. North Carolina marched into Piscataway and annihilated the Scarlet Knights 44-12. There was never a chance for Rutgers bettors to cash a winning ticket.

Next up: Away @ Navy (1-2)

8: Syracuse Orange (0-3/0-1) (0-3 ATS) (LW: Another week, another embarrassment for the Orange… Penn State invaded the Carrier Dome on a mission on Saturday, blowing out the Orange 55-13 and demolishing both the side and ‘total’ betting lines on their own. Not only has Syracuse gone 0-3 ATS, they haven’t even come close yet. They’re average loss to the spread is by 12.2 PPG so far this season. The Orange had better take this game against Northeastern this week, or a 0-12 season is a distinct possibility.

Next up: Home vs. Northeastern (0-2)

1: Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-3/0-1) (9-2 ATS) (LW: 1) It’s really hard to punish this Riders team for going into the hostile grounds of BC Place and losing to the Lions 28-23, so because they covered the spread for their CFL bettors, they’ll stay in the top spot for now. Their 9-2 mark ATS is easily the best mark in the CFL, and that record is even more impressive for the fact that they’ve used four different starting quarterbacks in the first three months of the season. They draw BC again this week, and though they’re still two games clear of the Leos, the rest of the West is hot on their tails.

Next up: Home vs. BC (6-5)

2: Edmonton Eskimos (7-4/1-0) (6-4-1 ATS) (LW: 2) Shame on the Eskies for needing a last-minute touchdown against Hamilton to knock off the lowly Ti-Cats 38-33 on Saturday night. Normally, 12.5-point favorites who force five turnovers easily end up covering the spread, but the Eskies also turned the ball over five times in victory. Jason Goss was the hero for Edmonton, picking off three passes and returning two of them for scores. It should be a good one next Sunday when the green and gold travel to Montreal.

Next up: Away @ Montreal (7-4)

3: Montreal Alouettes (7-4/1-0) (6-5 ATS) (LW: 2) The best news for the Alouettes is that they might not have to win another game to lock up the Eastern Division title. They remain three games clear of Toronto in the pitiful East, and despite their 41-30 loss to Calgary on Friday night, still have the easiest path to the Grey Cup, which will be held in Montreal, in the CFL. The defense was awful for the Als in their Week 12 betting affair, giving up 503 yards of offense and 41 points to the Stamps.

Next up: Home vs. Edmonton (7-4)

4: Calgary Stampeders (7-4/1-0) (7-4 ATS) (LW: 4) Back-to-back victories gives Calgary a great case to move up to the top spot in the power poll, and back-to-back covers will make Stamps bettors happy as well. QB Henry Burris threw for 408 yards and five TDs this week against an Alouettes defense with no answers to lead the Stampeders to a 41-30 victory. This is a critical stretch for Calgary, who plays Toronto the next two weeks. They could reasonably find themselves at 9-4 and atop the Western Standings with two victories, but inevitably will find themselves in the gutter if they lose twice.

Next up: Home vs. Toronto (4-7)

5: British Columbia Lions (6-5/1-0) (5-6 ATS) (LW: 5) Don’t look now, but the BC Lions appear to be back. On Saturday night, Buck Pierce recorded his third straight 300-yard passing game since replacing Jarious Jackson under center. In total, Pierce finished with 336 yards and two scores, leading the Lions to a hard-fought 28-23 victory over the Western leading Roughriders. Charles “Blink” Roberts look good in his first game for the Leos, rushing for 56 yards and a score on nine carries. This is the biggest game of the year for BC, who can muscle themselves back into the Western Division chase with another win against the Riders in their Week 13 betting match-up.

Next up: Away @ Saskatchewan (8-3)

6: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-8/1-0) (3-8 ATS) (LW: 7) Even though both Charlie Taaffe and Rich Stubler were fired this past week, Doug Berry may have saved his skin by knocking off the Argos 39-9 in a game they dominated from the opening kick. It was the biggest victory of the season for the Bombers, who are now up to 3-8 for Winnipeg bettors on the season. The schedule does pan out nicely from here for the ‘Peg, who can put themselves right back into the playoffs with a win in Hamilton on Friday night.

Next up: Away @ Hamilton (2-9)

7: Toronto Argonauts (4-7/0-1) (3-7-1 ATS) (LW: 6) In one day, both head coaches in Ontario were fired. The Argos canned HC Rich Stubler after starting 4-6, but it may be too little, too late for Toronto fans. On Friday, the Boatmen looked totally lost in their new offense under Don Matthews. QB Kerry Joseph threw three picks and looked very uncomfortable in the pocket all night, while the defense did him no favors, allowing Winnipeg to rack up 483 yards of offense. Toronto lost to Winnipeg 39-9 as 2.5-point favorites, marking the third time this season that they’ve lost a game outright as favorites for Argonauts bettors. With three straight games against the West on the horizon, it may be awhile before anyone in Toronto can celebrate anything.

Next up: Home vs. Winnipeg (2-8)

8: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-9/0-1) (4-7 ATS) (LW: It was a game effort by the Tabbies in their first game without HC Charlie Taaffe on the sidelines, but in the end, the defence couldn’t hold off Ricky Ray and the Eskimos to preserve the victory. Though Hamilton lost 38-33, there were plenty of good signs to build on for the Ti-Cats. The defence forced five turnovers, which was enough to cover the spread for Hamilton bettors. It wasn’t a great offensive effort though, as Casey Printers turned the ball over five times. If Hamilton loses at home this week to Winnipeg, Steeltown will almost certainly be without playoff football once again in ’08.

Next up: Home vs. Winnipeg (3-8)

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers u37.0
Sun Sep 14 ‘08 1:00pm et
The Chicago Bears pulled of f a 29-13 win upset against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday night, and earlier that same afternoon their hosts in this spot, the Carolina Panthers ,also won straight up as road underdogs against the San Diego Chargers, thanks to some last second heroics. After those big wins, I can see both teams being in a little bit of an emotional let down situation, which will in turn have them starting slowly, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Both teams successes can be directly attributed to their ground attacks in those above mentioned victories. Former Tulane standout RB Matt Forte rushed for 123 yards including a 50 yard TD run for the Bears . The Panthers back field duo of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Johnathon Stewart ran for a combined 139 yards . Considering both teams positive results, with the legs of their backs, it will not be surprising for these sides to go to the ground on a consistent basis in this battle.

These similar ball control strategies will burn a lot of clock time , and also contribute to this being a hard fought, hard hitting low scoring affair.

Final notes & Key Trends: Under is 6-1 in Panthers last 7 home games dating back to last season. Panthers have gone under in 4 of their L/5 off a non conference road tilt. Bears have gone under in 10 of their L/14 on the road off a non conference game.

Play Under

CFB: Maryland +15 to cover vs California

REASON FOR PICK: The Maryland Terrapins enter into this home game as two touch down underdogs to the California Bears. The game has steamed up from an opening line of -11.5, thanks to over whelming amount of public money and a few whales rolling in on the side the the away team.

The Bears thanks to back to back wins, against Washington State and Michigan State, behind an offense that scored a combined 102 points, look like an obvious square choice to cruise to another one sided victory, against a Maryland program that has has come out of the gate slowly.

The Terrapins used very little effort, doing just enough to get a 14-7 win against Delaware in their opening contest, before putting forward a unmotivated performance against Sun Belt opponent Middle Tennessee State last week, suffering a 21-14 road set back.

I know the Terps looked bad last week, but Im betting they were looking ahead to this game and probably over looking and under estimating their opposition.

With that said, it must be noted that Maryland is a much stronger team than many may think, as they have 9 returning starters back on offense, and also have a viable rushing attack behind the legs of DaRel Scott(320 Yds), who currently ranks 4th in the nation.
With that said, I expect the Terps will use their ground attack a lot today, in an attempt to slow this game down. On the defensive side of the ball, the Terps are a formidable foe, and were ranked 24th in points allowed last season. Maryland showed how staunch they can be, when they held their first opponent Delaware scoreless for 55 minutes, before falling asleep at the wheel last week. I expect they will be wide awake this time around and provide California’s explosive offense with a very stiff test.

Final notes & Key Trends: California is just 10-22 ATS L/32 games as road favorites.

Projected Score: California 24 Maryland 21

1: South Florida Bulls (2-0/1-0) (0-1 ATS) Bulls bettors have to be kicking themselves after coughing up a 14-point lead in the last three minutes of their game against Central Florida last week. Though they won 31-24 in overtime, it was a bad break for anyone that backed USF (-13.5), who dominated the match-up, out-gaining the Knights 504-226. ‘Under’ bettors didn’t get any luckier, as the ‘total’ of 48.5 only managed to sneak over because of the extra frame.

Next up: Home vs. Kansas (2-0)

2: Connecticut Huskies (2-0/1-0) (0-1 ATS) It was a day to remember for RB Donald Brown II, who racked up 214 rushing yards and the game-winning score in UConn’s 12-9 victory over Temple in Saturday’s college football betting clash. Unfortunately for their sports bettors, the Huskies never stood a chance of covering the 7-point spread. If QB Tyler Lorenzen can’t do better than throw for 86 yards this week against Virginia, they probably won’t cover the spread as double-digit favorites.

Next up: Home vs. Virginia (1-1)

3: West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1/0-1) (0-1 ATS) Any hopes of the Mountaineers winning the national championship probably went up in flames on Saturday when WVU got clobbered by the East Carolina Pirates 24-3 as 7.5-point road favorites. The game never threatened the ‘total’. This week’s test might not be that much easier, as Colorado will be ready to pounce on this Mountaineers team, which looked vulnerable on both sides of the ball in their Week 2 betting match-up.

Next up: Away @ Colorado (2-0)

4: Cincinnati Bearcats (1-1/0-1) (0-1 ATS) Though they ended up losing by 26-points, Bearcats fans have a lot to be proud about for their team’s effort against the Oklahoma Sooners. In spite of the fact that the Sooners rolled up almost 270 more total yards than Cincy did, the Bearcats were within eight-points of mighty Oklahoma late in the 3rd quarter when the wheels came off. OU rolled off 24 straight points, preserving the cover for Oklahoma bettors in a game where they were favored by 22.5-points. The 52-26 final made for an easy ‘W’ for ‘over’ bettors. Things should get much easier this week for Cincy when Miami (OH) pays Nippert Stadium a visit.

Next up: Home vs. Miami (OH) (0-2)

5: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-1/0-0) (0-1 ATS) HC Greg Schiano probably wasn’t much fun at practice during Rutgers’ bye last week. In Week 1 betting action, his Scarlet Knights came up empty on several trips to the Fresno State side of the field in the 24-7 loss to HC Pat Hill’s Bulldogs. Another interesting non-conference opponent comes to town Thursday night week when HC Butch Davis’ Tar Heels come up to Piscataway.

Next up: Home vs. North Carolina (1-0)

6: Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1/1-0) (0-2 ATS) After a disastrous loss at home to Bowling Green in the opening weekend of the NCAA football betting season, Pitt rebounded with a 27-16 victory over Buffalo last week. It wasn’t easy for HC Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers though, as they only led by one going into the 4th quarter; because of the sluggish start, Pitt failed to cover the spread or push the game over the ‘total’ for the second straight week.

Next up: Home vs. Iowa (2-0)

7: Louisville Cardinals (1-1/1-0) (0-1 ATS) It was a tale of two different Louisville teams from one week to the next. In Week 1, the Cardinals were trounced 27-2 against their rivals from Kentucky. Last week, they stormed back and knocked off Tennessee Tech 51-10 behind a defense that scored two touchdowns and held their FCS opponents to just 176 total yards of offense. This week should be a good test to see whether Louisville should have any bowl aspirations when K-State comes to town.

Next up: Home vs. Kansas State (2-0)

8: Syracuse Orange (0-2/0-1) (0-2 ATS) It’s pretty clear that victories are going to be awfully hard to come by for the Orange this season. After losing to Northwestern by three touchdowns, the Orange made their 2008 debut at home against even lowlier Akron, and were dropped 42-28 by the Zips. The Orange had no shot of covering the spread as 4.5-point favorites. They probably don’t have much of a shot at picking up their first victory of ’08 this week either, as Penn State is favored by almost four touchdowns against them.

Next up: Home vs. Penn State (2-0)

<b>1: Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-2/1-0) (8-2 ATS) (LW: 2)</b> Twenty unanswered points in the 4th quarter propelled the Roughriders to their CFL-best eighth win of the season and back to the top of the heap in the CFL Power Poll after a two week drop from the top spot. It was a game that Winnipeg looked to have covered from the get-go, but Michael Bishop’s massive 4th quarter gave the ‘W’ to Riders bettors in their Week 11 betting clash. In total, Bishop went 24/30 for 370 yards and three scores without a pick.

Next up: Away @ BC (5-5)

<b>2: Montreal Alouettes (7-3/1-0) (6-4 ATS) (LW: 3)</b> All of a sudden, one of the best looking teams in the CFL is the Montreal Alouettes. They’ve very quietly gone about their business in a miserable Eastern Division, and all but have the division wrapped up 11 weeks into the season. On Sunday, they crushed Toronto 45-19, easily covering the spread for the sixth time this year. QB Anthony Calvillo moved into third place in CFL history for passing touchdowns last week. He leads the league with 24 TD tosses, and has to be considered the odds-on favorite to win the ’08 Most Outstanding Player award.

Next up: Away @ Calgary (6-4)

<b>3: Edmonton Eskimos (6-4/0-1) (6-3-1 ATS) (LW: 1) </b>The green and gold will really be kicking themselves for this one at the end of the season. Edmonton had a chance to stick within a game of the Riders for the top spot in the West and put Calgary two games in their rear view mirror when they hosted the Stampeders in Week 11 CFL betting. QB Ricky Ray threw for 357 yards on the night, but it wasn’t enough, as Calgary upset Edmonton 38-33 in a game that easily went ‘over’ the ‘total’. There’s four straight games against Eastern Division opponents on the horizon, so there’s still time for the Eskies to get back ahead of Calgary in the standings.

Next up: Home vs. Hamilton (2-8)

<b>4: Calgary Stampeders (6-4/1-0) (6-4 ATS) (LW: 4)</b> It’s splitting hairs to determine whether Calgary should be in front of or behind Edmonton, but Calgary has still been too inconsistent for their CFL bettors this year. After getting dumped by Edmonton in Week 10, they played a much better offensive game in their 38-33 upset victory last week. Though Joffrey Reynolds and the rushing game was held to just 60 total yards, QB Henry Burris threw for 323 yards and three majors, including two in the 4th quarter to give Calgary bettors a much-needed victory.

Next up: Home vs. Montreal (7-3)

<b>5: British Columbia Lions (5-5/1-0) (5-5 ATS) (LW: 6)</b> For the second straight week, the BC Lions have gotten a ton of offensive production from QB Buck Pierce. After recording almost 450 yards of total offense two weeks ago, he racked up another 375 yards in the Lions’ 35-12 romp of the hapless Ti-Cats. As expected, BC completed a deal this week that sent RB Joe Smith to the Blue Bombers for Charles Roberts. Blink will likely make his debut this week when the Lions host division-leading Saskatchewan in a game they absolutely must win if they have any chance of repeating as Western Division champs.

Next up: Home vs. Saskatchewan (8-2)

<b>6: Toronto Argonauts (4-6/0-1) (3-6-1 ATS) (LW: 5) </b>Perhaps it’s time to make a change in Toronto. With the Argos chances of winning the East on the line in Montreal, the Argonauts laid a massive egg in the second half, getting rolled by the Alouettes 45-19 in the most lopsided game of the Week 11 betting slate. Once again, Toronto had no running game to speak of, only rushing ten times for 38 yards. RBs Dominick Dorsey and Jamal Robertson have only combined for 475 rushing yards on the year, fewer rushing yards than all seven other starting running backs in the CFL. Though it wouldn’t be surprising if HC Rich Stubler is fired this week, a loss at home to Winnipeg next week will certainly be the last straw.

Next up: Home vs. Winnipeg (2-8)

<b>7: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-8/0-1) (2-8 ATS) (LW: 7)</b> As each week goes by, the Blue Bombers seem to sink to new lows. This week, Winnipeg held a 31-14 lead over the Roughriders going into the 4th quarter of last week’s betting match-up. QB Michael Bishop carved up the Bombers defense, throwing for 370 yards to send the Bombers to their eighth loss of the season, and dropping them three games behind BC for the cross-over playoff spot. They remain two behind Toronto in the East though, but if they have any playoff aspirations whatsoever, they must beat the double blue next week.

Next up: Away @ Toronto (4-6)

<b>8: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-8/0-1) (3-7 ATS) (LW: 8)</b> Apparently it doesn’t matter who is under centre for Hamilton… The Ti-Cats stand very little chance of competing either way. After Casey Printers only completed seven of his 15 passes, Richie Williams came in and only went 2/6 for 47 yards before yielding to Quinton Porter, who only went 4/9 for 55 yards. The offensive line gave up seven sacks. Pair those with four turnovers, and the equation doesn’t look too good, especially when the defense gave up 430 yards of offence. Don’t look for things to get much better next week either, when they head across the country to face the Eskies.

Next up: Away @ Edmonton (6-4)

Los Angeles Dodgers
Mon Sep 8 ‘08 10:05p
The LA Dodgers enter into tonights road tilt against the San Diego Padres on a 8 game winning streak, and I expect they will make it 9 in a row after tonight , as they send veteran Greg Maddux ( 7-11, 4.18 ERA) out to the hill to face his former team mates.

The right hander allowed allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings of work against the Padres in a 5-2 victory last Monday. The future Hall of Famer has pitched well at PETCO this season ,as is evident by a 2.62 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 14 starts , and should be primed to stop what has to be considered MLBs worst hitting team.

Meanwhile, the Padres will return fire with struggling thrower Cha Seung Baek (4-9, 5.34) . The right-hander in his last outing, which came against the Dodgers, was awful, as he allowed seven runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings of an 8-4 loss . The native of Korea is 0-4 with along with a bloated 6.35 ERA in his last five starts overall, and could easily end up as cannon fodder , against a Dodgers offense, that has churned out 6.5 RPG during their current hot run.

Final notes & Key Trends: Maddux when he starts has seen his team go 31-15 L/46 against division foes. Dodgers have won 7 straight, against righties like Baek. Padres have lost 6 of Baeks last 7 home starts.

With that said, I am recommend riding the momentum of the Dodgers on the moneyline