[Crayzee]

10 pts?
is hamilton that bad?

[Checkerboard]

I'm thinking of taking Calgary crayzee, maybe try to get 9.5

It seems like a lot of people like Hamilton to cover, but I think the Stamps may have learned something about protecting and widening leads from watching the Eskimos squander a game last night that should've been their's.

[Hulu]

There is so much parity in the CFL that no team should be favoured by 10 in week 1 IMO.

With only 2 preseason games (against the same team no less) the teams can look a bit rusty in the first week which can lead to low-scoring, close games.

I am on Hamilton +10 but only for a half unit.

I should state my bias though...I am a Hamilton season ticket holder for 12 years. I have no trouble betting against them when the situation is right though. I keep my betting and my cheering separate.

[Checkerboard]

Hulu, do you know if the Stampeders are a public favourite in general with regards to wagering? I mean in a kind of Dallas Cowboy type way, where the book might factor a point or two into the line just because they've got that type of appeal.

[Hulu]

I'm not sure about that. I don't know if the CFL really has any public teams like thew yankees or cowboys. If there were any I suppose it would be the Stamps or Eskimoes though.

The line did move from 9.5 to 10 though which indicates to me that the stamps are the consensus favourite here.

Calgary is expected to challenge for the west division this season while Hamilton was dead last in the league last year so for many people Calgary looks like a no-brainer.

But Hamilton has made so many changes they are a different team this year.
-New Head coach Charlie Taffe (QB coach at Maryland last year) is highly respected and has proven he can win in the CFL.
-QB Maas had offseason surgery to correct his shoulder problems and looked pretty sharp in preseason. His backup Timmy Chang (formerly of Hawaii) also looked sharp and his style is tailor-made for the CFL. In the past Taffe has shown he's npot afraid to give a starter the hook if he falters.
-RB Jesse Lumsden has had his first training camp and has the potential to be the best power back in the league.
-The O-line has been revamped and may take time to gel but has better quality and depth than last year
-Defensively the team has undergone major changes and that is a concern but there is optimism after they looked stifling in preseason.
-Hamilton's receiving corps is the biggest question mark as they have not had much time to get in sync with Maas and now 2 new receivers were signed after the final preseason game signalling that Taffe wasn't happy with this group.

I'm not sure Hamilton can win this game because this Calgary team is better than anything they've faced so far but the way the CFL is, any team can go from worst to first in a season. I just think the Tabbies are worth a shot getting 10 points in week 1 where we don't know the quality of either team. I would have set the line somewhere around 6.

I am looking for a close and relatively low-scoring game where both offences look a tad rusty and Hamilton's defence can keep them close enough to cover. Something like 27-21.

[Hulu]

Of course whenever I do long write-ups about a game everything usually happens exactly the opposite of the way I lay it out so take it with a grain of salt.

[Crayzee]

thank you guys
i'm 3 for 3 with the dogs so far
i'll try for a fourth

[Hulu]

More info on this game.

Reading the Calgary press, Burris has been less than spectacular this preseason and the Calgary O-Line has had some injury trouble already.

I am going to up my wager to 1 unit on Hamilton +10. The under might hold some value also.

[bigboydan]

Thanks for the info Hulu

[betplom]

10 pts?
is hamilton that bad?

It appears they are still a bad team. They are trying to improve on a four win season from last year.

After making a couple of wagers on opening night and tonight, I'm quickly reminded why I get tired of football real fast.

The penalties (especially the really stupid ones, you know the ones that bring back a 45 yard play) drive me nuts.

REALLY looking forward to the NHL season start.

[Hulu]

What a debacle. Every time I post a write-up on here everything happens exactly the opposite of what I expect.

Hamilton looked horrid on both sides of the ball and Calgary ran like a well-oiled machine.

[betplom]

What a debacle. Every time I post a write-up on here everything happens exactly the opposite of what I expect.

Hamilton looked horrid on both sides of the ball and Calgary ran like a well-oiled machine.

I took the 10pts against Calgary. I'm 0-2 to start the CFL season. My other loser was BC -4.0 against Toronto. I was going to play Winnipeg +2.0 against Edmonton, but since I lost a big wager on BC I didn't make the winning play.
Hamilton is in for another long year. At least I now know that betting AGAINST Hamilton is the way to go.

[Crayzee]

thanks again
i wouldve taken hamilton anyway
your insight convinced me to take the under as well so i went 1-1 instead of 0-1

in all my yrs of betting football a 10 pt line has almost never been a good proposition for the dog
so i shouldve known better anyway