Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders Week 1 CFL Picks 6/15/2019

Saturday, June 15, 2019

McMahon Stadium

McMahon Stadium is the venue where Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary Stampeders (14-5 last season, 1st in the Western Conference) will take on the Ottawa Redblacks (12-7 last year, 1st in the Eastern Conference) on Saturday.

The Redblacks were dicey for oddsmakers last season, having gone 10-9 ATS. The Stampeders covered 52.6% of the time, going 10-9 against the spread.

Valuable Ottawa Redblacks Betting Trends

The Redblacks were a bad Over play for O/U bettors, having gone 8-11.

Ottawa covered 55.6% of the time last season as the road team, having gone 5-4 ATS.

Important Calgary Stampeders Betting Trends

Calgary covered 55.6% of the time last season at McMahon Stadium, going 5-4 against the spread.

The Stampeders were a bad Over play for O/U bettors, having gone 7-12.

Key Ottawa Redblacks Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Calgary Stampeders Injuries

Reggie Begelton CGY WR Arm Questionable 5/31/2019
Kamar Jorden CGY SB Knee Questionable 5/31/2019
Romar Morris CGY RB Achilles Injured Reserve 8/3/2019

Ottawa Redblacks Stats

Dominique Davis will get the starting nod at QB for Ottawa to begin the season, but should battle with Jonathon Jennings if he struggles at any point. Filling the shoes of Trevor Harris is a big burden on both guys, but they seem up to the challenge. Davis completed 24 out of 39 passes last season for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns as a backup to Harris. Mossis Madu should get a lot more carries in the backfield with William Powell departing, so Ottawa is inexperienced at the running back position. Madu has amassed 1,259 yards on 263 carries in his career with 8 touchdowns, so he's shown flashes of being able to handle a starting workload. The Redblacks also don't have a lot of experience at the wide receiver position, with Noel Thomas slated to open the season as the #1. Thomas was off and on the injury list almost all of last season, so health is the main thing to watch with his performance this year.

As an offense last season, Ottawa ranked 2nd in the CFL with 846 yards per contest. They average 22.1 points per game and compiled a total of 15,240 yards over 18 games. Most of that was with Trevor Harris, however, so you can't rely on the offense to repeat those numbers. The running game has the most room for improvement, as the Redblacks finished last in the league with only 94 yards per game. Without Harris you should see much more opportunity for the running back corp to make some noise.

Calgary Stampeders Stats

Bo Levi Mitchell returns to Calgary after signing a 4 year $2.8 million contract in the off-season. After winning the Grey Cup Championship last season, signing Mitchell was merely a formality. He won Grey Cup MVP and returns as probably the best QB in the league. Mitchell finished last season with 5,124 yards and 35 touchdowns. Don Jackson also returns for Calgary after impressing in his 1st season. Jackson scored a touchdown in the Grey Cup win over Ottawa and ran for 924 yards during the regular season. Look for Jackson to eclipse 1,000 yards this season if he stays healthy.

Calgary led the CFL in total offense in 2018, finishing with 848 yards per contest. They were 2nd in the league in scoring at 25.5 points per game and finished 4th in passing with 294.7 yards per game. Their rushing attack finished 6th in the CFL with 99.4 yards contest.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Redblacks

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