Stampeders play host to Blue Bombers

Football Betting Lines

07/28/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having knocked off the last unbeaten club in the CFL during the fourth week of the 2010 season, the Calgary Stampeders now try to better their position atop the Western Division standings as they clash with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium on Saturday night.

For the Stamps, last week's meeting with Saskatchewan was tough through the first 30 minutes, but once the second half began the entire complexion of the game changed and Calgary ran away with an easy 40-20 victory. Henry Burris, who was intercepted four times in the loss to Toronto a week earlier, came alive this time around by throwing for 285 yards and four touchdowns, while surviving a pair of interceptions.

Doing most of the damage down the field for Burris and the Stamps was Romby Bryant who caught seven balls for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his efforts earning him Offensive Player of the Week honors on Tuesday. Not to be overlooked was running back Joffrey Reynolds who carried the ball 15 times for a game-high 93 yards and a score. Reynolds, who is currently third in the league in rushing with 351 yards on 56 attempts, has proven in recent years that he can carry much of the rushing burden for a team, having scored a combined 21 rushing TDs the last two seasons.

As for the Blue Bombers, they set up against a winless Edmonton team at home last week and, even though the host team was operating without regular starter Buck Pierce at quarterback, the odds were still heavily in favor of Winnipeg. Stepping in for Pierce, who was sidelined with a knee injury, was Steven Jyles who completed 14-of-22 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown. Granted, Jyles was sacked twice and picked off two times, but he made up for that by filling the running shoes left by Pierce, gaining 63 yards and scoring twice himself on just eight attempts.

Running back Fred Reid accounted for another 69 yards and a score on 16 carries for the Bombers as they completely dominated a weak Eskimos team in a 47-21 final. Terence Jeffers-Harris, who caught the lone TD pass from Jyles, finished with 97 yards on a mere three catches, his scoring play covering a thrilling 46 yards in which Jyles was forced to scramble out of the pocket and the receiver then ran the width of the field to make it into the corner of the end zone.

Getting Winnipeg off on the right foot in the meeting last week was Moton Hopkins who intercepted a Ricky Ray pass in the first quarter and returned it 36 yards to the end zone to put the Bombers ahead and give them the momentum to carry them through the entire matchup.

Because of players like Hopkins, the pass defense for the Blue Bombers is at the top of the charts in the league entering the fifth week, allowing just 238.5 ypg, although opponents have still found a way to complete 61.2 percent of their attempts against the Bombers secondary. Winnipeg has been rather strong against the run as well, permitting just 102 ypg to rank third in the league at this stage. However, even though the stats seem to lean in favor of Winnipeg in several areas, the fact remains that the team is giving up a hefty 28.5 ppg at the moment.

In contrast, Calgary's scoring defense is beyond reproach, allowing just 21.2 ppg to lead the CFL.

Throw out the one game in which Burris tossed those four interceptions, and the numbers for the quarterback look a whole lot brighter. He currently leads the league in TD passes with nine and has completed 62.2 percent of his attempts. However, because of those league-high eight picks, Burris has an efficiency rating of just 81.7.

With Bryant, who is tied for the league high with four TD catches, on his side Burris is only going to get better as the year goes on. Making it even easier for the signal-caller is Reynolds coming out of the backfield, averaging close to six and a half yards per carry as he ranks third in the league with 351 yards overall.

Dating back to 1945 and only taking into account regular-season meetings, Calgary owns a 94-89 edge in the series with the Blue Bombers. The most recent regular-season meeting went to the Stamps in a 31-23 decision at home. As a result, Calgary has taken two of the last three encounters with the Bombers.

These teams are set to finish off the 2010 regular season against each other in Winnipeg, their only other scheduled meeting of this season.

After last week's game, Burris should have the sort of confidence he needs to get him through a meeting such as this. The only question for the Stamps is how well their run defense is going to perform against an aggressive Winnipeg squad that seems to thrive on the ground.

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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

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