BC Lions at Calgary Stampeders Week 8 CFL Picks & Predictions 8/4/2018

Saturday, August 4, 2018

McMahon Stadium

The BC Lions travel to McMahon Stadium to take on the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, August 4, 2018. The opening line for this game has Calgary as 11 point favorites. The over/under has been set at 52.

The Lions have an ATS record of 3-2 this season while their over/under record is 3-2. The Stampeders have an over/under record of 1-5 and they are 5-1 against the spread.

On Saturday night, the BC Lions will probably need to play the perfect game if that want to have a chance of beating the top-ranked Calgary Stampeders on the road. Calgary is currently ranked near the top of the league in just about every major category, while the Lions' offense has had a tough time putting the ball in the end zone. Calgary will be big favorites going into this matchup.

Valuable BC Lions Betting Trends

The BC Lions are 3-2 against the over/under

The BC Lions are 3-2 against the spread

Important Calgary Stampeders Betting Trends

The Calgary Stampeders are 1-5 against the over/under

The Calgary Stampeders are 5-1 against the spread

Key BC Lions Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Calgary Stampeders Injuries

No key injuries to report

BC Lions Stats

BC's offense has been able to put up just over 21 points per game so far this season while their defense has allowed over 27 points per game. They are ranked near the bottom of the league in passing yards, rushing yards, and possession time per game. Their defensive backs have done pretty well to come up with takeaways, though, as they currently have six interceptions.

The Lions have given three guys the shot at being the team's quarterback this season, but it looks like Travis Lulay, who has thrown for 651 passing yards and three touchdowns, is going to be the starter moving forward. Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux leads the team with 21 catches and 333 yards, while Shaquille Johnson is the team leader in touchdown receptions with two. Running back Jeremiah Johnson has arguably been underutilized as he has been able to average six yards per carry through five games.

BC defensive back T.J. Lee has had a pretty good start to the season, picking up 18 tackles to go along with his team-high two interceptions. Veteran defensive end Odell Willis has been very consistent up front and is currently tied for third in the league with four sacks. The Lions' top tackler has been linebacker Solomon Elimimian with 26.

Calgary Stampeders Stats

Everyone is rightfully talking about Winnipeg's high-flying offense this year, but Calgary's isn't too far behind. They are second in scoring with 179 points and they also rank in the top three in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing yards. Even more impressive has been the Stampeders' defense, which is by far the stingiest in the league by only giving up a total of 68 points through their first six games.

Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who was the Top Performer of the Week back in Week 2, has thrown for 1,517 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Kamar Jorden leads the team in receptions (32) and yards (395), while Eric Rogers is the team leader in touchdown receptions with five. Running back Don Jackson has also had a good start to the year, rushing for 442 yards with two scores while averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Calgary linebacker Alex Singleton has yet to pick up a sack this season, but he is once again one of the top tacklers in the league with 35 through six games. Defensive lineman Ja'Gared Davis has impressively been able to come up with 24 tackles to go along with his three sacks. The Stampeders' top defensive back has been veteran Brandon Smith, who has 19 tackles, two interceptions and one sack.

Who will win tonight's Lions/Stampeders CFL game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Stampeders -11

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