The winless Elks travel to Ottawa on Friday, to finish up a home-and-home against the Redblacks. Last week, the Redblacks beat the Elks in Alberta 37-34 in a game that, quite frankly, Edmonton should have won.
After multiple late-game miscues, not to mention an 8-33 record with the club, the Elks fired head coach Chris Jones, and look to start the season fresh on Friday night.
On the other hand, the Redblacks are coming off their most impressive offensive display of the season. With the Tiger-Cats starting the season 0-5, Ottawa is desperate to keep stacking up the wins, and finally put themselves back into the playoffs.
Don’t forget to check out our CFL Power Rankings heading into this weekend of betting.
Edmonton Elks vs. Ottawa Redblacks Odds
Team |
Spread |
Total |
MoneyLine |
| Edmonton | +1
(-112) |
O 53
(-112) |
+100 |
| Ottawa | -1
(-108) |
U 53
(-108) |
-120 |
**Odds Subject to Change** |
|||
Team A vs. Team B Match Details
- Fixture: Edmonton Elks @ Ottawa Redblacks
- Date and Time: July 19, 7:00 pm EST
- Location: Ottawa, Ontario
- Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, Wind 9 MPH
- Field Type: Turf
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Edmonton | vs. | Ottawa |
| 0-5 | Record | 3-2 |
| 26.4 | Points Per Game | 24.2 |
| 66.0 | Rushing Yards Per Game | 98.2 |
| 299.4 | Passing Yards Per Game | 280.2 |
| 55.4 | Offensive Plays Per Game | 54 |
| 55.5% | 2nd Down Conversion | 45.5% |
| 30.4 | Points Allowed | 29.4 |
| 9 | Sacks | 9 |
| 4 | Interceptions | 2 |
| 98.0 | Rushing Yards Allowed | 101.8 |
| 319.8 | Passing Yards Allowed | 280.0 |
| -1 | Turnover Ratio | -5 |
| 28:29 | Time of Possession Per Game | 28:58 |
Key Stats
Edmonton Elks (0-5)
Up until last week, the vibes for the 0-4 Elks were surprisingly pretty high. They had lost every game by one score, and the offense was one of the more productive units in the CFL. After yet another one score loss, and a fired coach, it’s difficult to invest hard earned money into an Elks win. Interim head coach Jarious Jackson is counting on a “new coach bump” to start his coaching career, but we need to see it for at least one week before we put scratch on it.
That being said, the offense has not been the problem in Edmonton, and there’s some good props to lean on this week.
QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson is fourth in the CFL with 1,497 passing yards, and fourth in touchdowns with nine. MBL threw for over 300 yards in each of his first three starts this season. The last two weeks those numbers have dipped, but with a new coach, and the Tre Ford chants getting louder, I expect a fire to be lit under him this week. Take OVER 299.5 passing yards at -115.
Kevin Brown is a very good back who has not been utilized enough this season. With a new coach, I expect that to change. Especially since Ottawa’s defense allows 101.8 rushing yards per game. Take OVER 41.5 yards at -115.
Ottawa Redblacks (3-2)
While not every game has had overwhelming performances, the Redblacks have had a very workman like start to this season. Besides getting throttled by the defending champs early in the year, every game has been close, and they have beaten the teams that they needed to beat. Still, this team can be a confusing one to predict.
Some people think that facing a team twice in a row is hard to do, and the second game will always play out different. While I tend to agree, those people weren’t talking about games that including this Edmonton defense. The Elks are 8th in the CFL in pass defense, allowing 319.8 yards per game, and Redblacks QB Dru Brown just dunked 480 on them. The coach might be different, but the defense is that same. Take OVER 283.5 yards at -115.
Receiver Justin Hardy is fourth in the CFL with 481 receiving yards, and based on our previous play, odds of him having a big night are pretty good. Take OVER 71.5 yards at -115.
Prediction
With how close this Elks team has been to winning each and every week, there is reason to believe in the boost they might get with a new head coach. However, this defense hasn’t changed whatsoever. If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it doesn’t matter how good Bethel-Thompson and the offense is, this defense is still going to lose the game. They are 8th in the CFL in points and yards allowed, and I don’t see that changing on Friday.
As good as Ottawa’s offense looked last week, this defense is questionable too. They give up only one yard less than the Elks do, and if the Elks can establish the run even a little bit, it’s going to be a long night.
For all of those reasons, I’m taking OVER the total all day long.
Final Pick
Over 53 (-112)
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