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The Ottawa Redblacks take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a game where both teams are trying to claw out of the East Division basement.
The pregame narrative: Ottawa won its first game of the season last week and is getting a big boost with the return of Jeremiah Masoli. We’re picking the visitors to win as underdogs and backing the under.
Check out our Redblacks vs. Tiger-Cats picks and odds for the Week 5 game on July 8.
CFL odds as of 10:53 a.m. ET on 07/08/2023.
Redblacks vs. Tiger-Cats picks
Best Bet : Redblacks moneyline (+114)
Hamilton is coming off a much-needed bye week, but unfortunately for the team, rest isn’t enough to solve its problems.
The Tiger-Cats are hurting at quarterback with offseason acquisition Bo Levi Mitchell on the six-game injured list. Matthew Shiltz has been starting in his place and the results haven’t been great. In two games, he’s completing 62.3% of his passes for 463 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
He led the Ti-Cats to just 12 points (zero touchdowns) in their most recent game, a 38-12 loss to the Montreal Alouettes.
Ottawa, meanwhile, is coming off a result it can feel good about. The Redblacks dismantled the Edmonton Elks, 26-7, stifling Edmonton’s offence. They forced the Elks into four turnovers while also recording four sacks.
Jeremiah Masoli is also making his season debut after missing the first four weeks while recovering from a leg injury suffered one year ago. A healthy Masoli is a massive boost to Ottawa’s offence in a game where he has an opportunity to stick it to his ex-team.
Key stat: No team in the CFL is allowing more yards per play (7.25) than Hamilton entering Week 4.
Quick pick
Under 44.5 points (-110) : In a contest with a QB making his first start of the season and a backup suiting up, fading offence isn’t a bad strategy.
Not only is this Masoli’s first outing of the year, but it’s also just his fifth for Ottawa since joining last season. We’re expecting some bumps out of the gate, especially considering the severity of the injury he’s returning from.
Shiltz was lacklustre in Week 3, and while the bye week may help, he’s proven to be a very middling QB at best in this league.
The Redblacks have also been pretty stout on defence, holding opponents to fewer than 20 points in two of three games.
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Disclaimer This content was produced as part of a partnership and therefore it may not meet the standards of impartial or independent journalism.
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