Montreal -1, total 54
The Alouettes have been up and down all season as they started 5-2 but now have lost three of four. To match last year’s record they would have to win six of their last seven games and that seems unlikely. The Alouettes are now two games behind Winnipeg in the East. Edmonton is tied with Calgary for first in the West at 7-4.
Edmonton Runs to Win
When the Eskimos can run the ball they win. When they can't, they lose. It has really been that simple this season for Edmonton. Earlier this season against Montreal they ran the ball seven times and had minus 1 yard in rushing. It is no surprise that they lost against the CFL betting lines. "You can be assured we're going to revisit that a lot this week," said head coach Kavis Reed. "We're 7-0 when we rush 20 or more times," he added. In their seven wins this season the Eskimos have rushed 29, 33, 31, 20, 23, 31 and 26 times. In their losses they have rushed 18, 7, 9, 15 times. Reed believes that time of possession is the most important stat in the league and running the ball is critical. "When you control time of possession, that’s the one stat that is overlooked." he said, "When you control time of possession you control the tempo of the game. I’m a keen believer in that stat."
Recent Montreal Success
One of the reasons that the Alouettes are favored in CFL betting lines is because they haven't lost to Edmonton in two years. This year's Edmonton team is much better than last year's squad and they can make a major statement on Friday with a win over the defending champs.
Game Trends
The Alouettes are 2-7 against the CFL odds in their last 9 Friday games. The Eskimos are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Eskimos are 9-23 ATS in their last 32 Friday games. The Eskimos are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games in September. The Alouettes are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 meetings in Edmonton.
