Free CFL Picks Week 9 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper

by Raphael Esparza - 8/16/2017

There are four head-to-head division battles on tap in Week 9 of the CFL season that could have a big impact on both title races. The West remains leaps and bounds ahead of the East with a combined straight up record of 25-10 while a record of 3-4 SU is good enough for the lead in the other division. Edmonton has led the way with a perfect start, but getting that eighth straight win could be tougher than expected.

CFL Week 9 Betting Overview

The Ottawa RedBlacks are off to a dismal 1-6-1 SU start, but they have a good shot getting a much-needed win this Friday night as four-point road favorites against the 0-7 Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who have quickly established themselves as the worst team in the CFL. The betting line for the total has been set at 56 points.

The RedBlacks have lost those six games by a combined 20 points and they are actually a solid 5-3 ATS. Hamilton has been outscored by a combined 143 points, and it is 2-5 ATS through its first seven games.

Calgary returns to action later on Friday night following a Week 8 bye as a 4.5-point road favorite against the British Columbia Lions with the total set at 56.5. The Stampeders are in second place in the West at 5-1-1 SU with a 4-3 record ATS. The total has gone "over" in five of the seven games.

BC is coming off a bad 41-8 loss to Saskatchewan last week as a three-point favorite on the road to fall to 5-3 SU and 4-4 ATS. The Lions come into this game with just one SU win against Calgary in the last nine meetings, and they have failed to cover in four of the last six games.

Saturday night's betting action in the CFL features the backend of a home-and-home series between the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts. Montreal drew first blood last week as an eight-point home favorite with a 21-9 victory while Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray sat the game out with a shoulder injury. This game is still 'off the board', but all indications point towards Ray playing in the rematch.

CFL Free Pick of the Week: Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The top matchup on the board in Week 9 pits the 7-0 Eskimos against the 5-2 Blue Bombers as slight one-point road favorites for Thursday's 8:30 p.m. (ET) start at Investors Group Field. The total for this West Division tilt has been set at 58.5 points.

Edmonton has remained perfect through its first seven games, but there have been several close calls along the way in what stands as a very shaky 3-4 record ATS. The Eskimos barely got past winless Hamilton twice by a combined eight points, and their two victories against Ottawa were by a combined nine points. This is still a very good team that knows how to win games SU with quarterback Mike Reilly at the helm, but it still tends to make things extremely uncomfortable for bettors.

The Blue Bombers have been winning the majority of their games by simply outscoring their opponents. Led by quarterback Matt Nichols, this offense has now scored at least 33 points in each of its last five games following last week's 39-12 romp against Hamilton. The total actually stayed "under" 58.5 points in that game after going over in five of Winnipeg's first six games. While this offense is averaging 34.4 points a game, the defense continues to make things interesting with a points-allowed average of 31.6.

The Eskimos have gone 9-4-2 ATS in their last 15 road games verses a 4-9 record ATS for Winnipeg in its last 13 games at home, but I like the fact that the Blue Bombers are a perfect 8-0 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a SU winning record. They are also 5-1 ATS in their last six division games. Edmonton has dominated this series as of late with eight SU wins in the last nine games while going 7-2 ATS, but this gives Winnipeg even more motivation given just how close these teams match up against one another heading into Thursday's game.

Edmonton's numerous close calls are bound to catch up with its lofty record starting on Thursday night with a SU loss on the road. The Blue Bombers' offense is clicking on all cylinders right now, and their defense finally stepped up its game in last week's win.

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Free CFL Picks Week 9 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper

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