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Edmonton Eskimos (2-8) will take on the Montreal Alouettes (7-3) in a game that shouldn’t be that close. Montreal has a small lead in the East Division right now over the Ti-Cats and a win here would strengthen their lead. Montreal has proven to be a really tough team at home and currently have a 4-1 record in their own backyard. I can’t imagine the Eskimos coming into Montreal and winning the game, but will the Als be able to cover the big spread?

The Eskimos are coming off two straight losses against the Stampeders where they didn’t look good at all. Now they need to travel across the country to take on the 1st place team in the East Division. The defence was horrendous last week, as they gave up over 400 passing yards and 200 rushing yards. When you give up 600+ total yards in a single game you typically aren’t going to have a chance to win the game.

Montreal looked rusty in their first game without Calvillo, but with McPherson coming back last week the Als were able to get back on track with a 27-6 win over Hamilton. This week will feature McPherson playing QB again for Montreal and if he plays like last week where he completed 21 of 37 passes for 238 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. What helped the Als even more was the fact that McPherson was able to run the ball for 121 yards on 16 carries.

Eskimos have the worst run defence in the league right now and they give up an average of 162 yards a game on the ground. If they can’t figure out how to stop Cobourne and McPherson then it’s going to be a long day for Edmonton fans. Eric Tillman was hired as the new GM in Edmonton and I’m sure he’s hoping he can start his tenure with a victory, but I just can’t see that happening. Montreal clearly has the better offence and defence in this game and the only problem is whether or not they’ll cover.

Betting Lines (From Bodog.ca)

Edmonton Eskimos vs. Montreal Alouettes –13
Edmonton Eskimos vs. Montreal Alouettes O/U 52.5

Betting Predictions

I never like betting on spreads bigger then 10, but it’s hard not to take the Alouettes by 13. I’ve seen the Stampeders pick apart the Eskimos in two straight weeks and the Alouettes can definitely do it as well. It’d be nice to have Calvillo at QB, but I was impressed with McPherson in his debut last week against a tough Ti-Cats defence. Edmonton hasn’t shown me anything on defence this season and McPherson is going to look to have a huge game.

The over/under is going to be decided by the Eskimos and their ability to put up a few points. They managed to score 20 points last week after only scoring 5 the week before. If they can score another 20 points or so then this game should easily go over the total, as McPherson and the Als should have no problem putting up 35-40 points. I’m going to go with the over in the 4 PM game today, as I really think McPherson and Cobourne will shred apart the Eskimos defence.

My CFL Betting Picks – Alouettes –13 & Over 52.5