Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Calgary Stampeders Week 1 CFL Picks & Predictions 6/16/2018

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Tim Hortons Field

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats head to Tim Hortons Field to play the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, June 16, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Calgary as 9 point favorites. The total has been set at 53.

The Tiger-Cats were 10-8 against the spread last season and their over/under record was 9-8-1. The Stampeders were 9-10-1 against the spread and their over/under mark was 9-11.

Hamilton will be looking to bounce back after a rough 2017 campaign, while the Stampeders will want to get back on the field as soon as possible after barely losing to the Toronto Argonauts at last year's Grey Cup. Calgary is most people's favorite to win it all this year, while Hamilton is expected to finish near the middle of the standings.

Valuable Hamilton Tiger-Cats Betting Trends

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were 9-8-1 against the over/under last season

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were 10-8 against the spread last year

Important Calgary Stampeders Betting Trends

The Calgary Stampeders were 9-11 against the over/under last season

The Calgary Stampeders were 9-10-1 against the spread last year

Key Hamilton Tiger-Cats Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Calgary Stampeders Injuries

No key injuries to report

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Stats

Hamilton is coming off a season in which they were near the bottom of the league in most major offensive statistics. They finished in the bottom three in points, passing yards, and rushing yards, so any improvement on offense should help this team grab some more wins this season. Their defense was near the top of the league in both sacks and interceptions, but they finished second from bottom in points allowed (545).

While most CFL fans will be itching to see what new quarterback Johnny Manziel can do, it looks like the Ticats are going to roll with Jeremiah Masoli as their number one QB, at least to start the season. Masoli finished the season with some pretty impressive numbers: 3,177 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just five interceptions thrown. You can be sure that Manziel will get his chance quickly if Masoli can't replicate those numbers this year.

Hamilton defensive end Adrian Tracy is the top returning sack-getter for the team after taking down the opposing quarterback nine times in 2017. Their other top defensive threat is defensive back Richard Leonard, who finished with seven interceptions and made the All-Star team. The Tiger-Cats will also have all three of its top receivers back in Brandon Banks, Jalen Saunders, and Luke Tasker.

Calgary Stampeders Stats

Calgary is coming off of an excellent 2017 season, one in which saw them finish in the top two in both points scored and points allowed. They know how to take care of the ball and their balanced offense ensures that they will usually win the possession battles. Their defense is even more impressive, coming up with a league-high 50 team sacks last year and finishing second with 20 interceptions, resulting in a league-high four defensive players making the All-Star team.

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell will once again lead the Stampeders' offense after finishing the 2017 campaign with 4,700 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The 28-year-old will have perhaps the top receiving corps in the league, with Marken Michel, DaVaris Daniels, and Kamar Jorden all coming off of solid seasons last year.

Calgary will once again be relying on linebacker Alex Singleton to control the run after the All-Star was able to finish last year's campaign with an impressive 123 tackles. They did trade away top defensive end Charleston Hughes, who had a league-high 11 sacks last year, but Micah Johnson (9 sacks) should continue to cause opposing quarterbacks headaches. Defensive back Ciante Evans also returns after having the best season of his career last year with 53 tackles and five interceptions.

Who will win tonight's Tiger-Cats/Stampeders CFL game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Stampeders -9

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