Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats Week 1 CFL Picks & Predictions 6/13/2019

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Tim Hortons Field

Zach Collaros and the Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-7 last season, 2nd in the Western Conference) travel to Tim Hortons Field on Thursday where they'll meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9-11 last year, 2nd in the Eastern Conference).

The Roughriders were a good bet for football wagerers last year, having gone 10-9 ATS. The Tiger-Cats covered 42.1% of the time, going 8-11 against the spread.

Valuable Saskatchewan Roughriders Betting Trends

The Roughriders were a bad Under choice for O/U football wagerers, having gone 10-8.

The Roughriders covered 44.4% of the time last year as the away team, having gone 4-5 ATS.

Important Hamilton Tiger-Cats Betting Trends

Hamilton covered 44.4% of the time last year at Tim Hortons Field, going 4-5 against the spread.

The Tiger-Cats were a bad Under choice for O/U football wagerers, having gone 12-7.

Key Saskatchewan Roughriders Injuries

Emmanuel Arceneaux SB Knee Questionable 5/31/2019
Shaq Evans WR Undisclosed Questionable 5/31/2019
Jake Harty WR Knee Out 6/1/2020
Brayden Lenius WR Hamstring Questionable 5/31/2019

Key Hamilton Tiger-Cats Injuries

Brandon Banks HAM WR Collarbone Questionable 6/1/2019
Omar Cojolum HAM RB Suspension Out 6/8/2019
Luke Tasker HAM WR Foot Questionable 6/1/2019

Saskatchewan Roughriders Stats

Zach Collaros will return for the Roughriders after throwing for 2,999 yards last season. He finished the season with 9 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 61.3% of his passes. Collaros finished with a QB rating of 79.5, which was worst in the CFL. William Powell was signed in the offseason, signing a 2 year contract after playing with Ottawa last season. Powell finished the 2018 campaign with 1,362 yards and 6 touchdowns, so expect him to make a huge impact on the Saskatchewan running game. Cory Watson is also a new addition, signing a one year deal in the offseason. Powell played with BC last year, finishing with 406 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns.

The Roughriders as a team finished with 5,835 total yards as a team last year while giving up 5,832. That was last in the CFL. So the additions of Powell and Watson are certainly welcome. The Roughriders were 7th in the CFL in points per game, averaging 19.2 per contest. On defense they ranked 1st against the pass, giving up only 4,425 passing yards on the season. Their rush defense was 2nd best in the league, surrendering only 92 yards per game.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Stats

Jeremiah Masoli returns at Quarterback for the Tiger-Cats after leading the within one game of the Grey Cup Final. Masoli finished last season with a career-high 5,209 yards and 28 touchdowns. He had 13 games where he threw for 300 yards or more. Hamilton has a very inexperienced running back group this week, but the most intriguing might be Maleek Irons, who they drafted in the 3rd round of the CFL Draft. Irons ran for 831 yards and 8 touchdowns for the University of Ohio in 2018. He returns home to Canada where he is comfortable and could be a breakout star for Hamilton.

As an offense last year, Hamilton finished 4th in the CFL after averaging 25.3 points per contest. They were 3rd in the league in total yards per game, averaging 823.6. As a passing unit, the Tiger-Cats were 2nd in the CFL with 5,592 yards through the air. The running game was also very productive in 2018, rushing for 110.6 yards per game (3rd in the league).

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Roughriders

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink