Underdogs have covered on the road in the first two games of Week 8 of the CFL season, as the Alouettes won outright at Calgary on Thursday night and the Elks had a respectable loss to the Roughriders last night. Tonight, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will look to cover on the road as a favorite against the Toronto Argonauts (7:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network).
Will Winnipeg (3-2) get back on track after consecutive 21-point losses to the Stampeders? The Argos (1-5) are off to a miserable start without the injured Chad Kelly, but they are coming off of a near-upset in Montreal. Read on for a prediction and expert picks for tonight’s matchup in the Queen City and find out which top online sportsbooks you should turn to for the best betting value.
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Collaros Back for Blue Bombers After Injury Scare
After opening the season with three wins in June, the Blue Bombers have not had the most pleasant July thanks to two ugly losses against the Stampeders.
Three weeks ago, they went down 37-16 in Calgary, falling by three scores in the first half and managing just one touchdown. Last week, they had a chance to get some revenge at home, but they instead lost by the same margin, with 31 consecutive points by Calgary fueling a 41-20 win.
The Blue Bombers were without starting quarterback Zach Collaros for much of the game quarters after he suffered a reported upper body injury on a hard hit with six and a half minutes left in the second quarter, and the offense was not the same after Chris Streveler took over.
But despite initial concerns of another concussion for Collaros, who has suffered several concussions, the veteran signal-caller will be taking the snaps tonight in Toronto, where his CFL career started in 2012.
Collaros has thrown multiple picks in three of the four games he has played season, but the Blue Bombers are a much better team with him than they are without him, and his availability for tonight’s game is key.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Toronto Argonauts Odds
Odds are courtesy of BetOnline.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | -6 (-110) | -245 | Over 52.5 (-102) |
| Toronto Argonauts | +6 (-110) | +203 | Under 52.5 (-118) |
Blue Bombers vs. Argonauts Prediction and Picks
While Collaros will be on the field for Winnipeg, Toronto is still waiting on the return of Kelly, who suffered a brutal leg injury in last year’s playoffs and then dealt with a toe infection during training camp.
But while the reigning Grey Cup champions have had a horrid start without Kelly, there are signs that they could make a run when he returns, whether that is next week when these two teams meet in Manitoba or sometime beyond that point.
Last week, they led 25-7 late in the third quarter at Montreal, only for the Alouettes to rally for 19 unanswered points and a 26-25 win.
It was the fourth consecutive game in which the Argos scored 25+ points, and until things fell apart, it was an encouraging defensive performance after allowing a league-high 51 points in a loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 4.
They should be able to put some points on the board tonight against the Blue Bombers, but will it be enough? With Collaros potentially not at 100%, it feels like a risk to take the spread even against one of the poorer defenses in the CFL. But we should at least see some points on both sides in this one, and taking the over for both the first half and the full game is a sound choice.
Blue Bombers vs. Argonauts Prediction: Blue Bombers to win
Blue Bombers vs. Argonauts Picks: 1) Blue Bombers/Argonauts over 52 (-115 at Bovada) 2) Blue Bombers/Argonauts first half over 25 (-123 at BetOnline)
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