The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have had a firm grip on the East Division lead for quite a while, but the door is very much still open for the Montreal Alouettes. At the other end of the spectrum, the door is almost closed for the Toronto Argonauts, who will hope to keep their slim playoff chances alive with a victory vs. the visiting Tiger-Cats this afternoon (3:00 p.m. ET, CFL+).
After an ugly 40-3 loss at Winnipeg last week, the Ticats (9-6) are now only two points ahead of the Alouettes (8-7) in the division with three games remaining for each team.
Following today’s game at BMO Field, Hamilton closes at home with the Calgary Stampeders next Saturday (3:00 p.m. ET, CFL+) and the Ottawa Redblacks on October 24 (7:00 p.m. ET, CFL+), while Montreal, who is off this week, finishes up with two games against the 4-11 Redblacks and a trip to Winnipeg.
The Tiger-Cats do have the benefit of the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Alouettes in case the two teams end up tied atop the East, but a win today vs. the Argonauts will leave Montreal likely needing to win out to snatch the division and a bye through to the East Final.
Toronto (5-10), meanwhile, is about to board a train bound for Elimination Station. With a loss today, the defending Grey Cup champions will be certain to miss the playoffs, while the fourth-place team from the West Division (either the Stampeders, Blue Bombers, or BC Lions) will take the crossover spot in the East.
Will Toronto pass by its stop at the station this week? Read on for our Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts prediction and picks, and get the best value odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Toronto Argonauts Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | -2.5 (-115) | -145 | Over 57.5 (-110) |
| Toronto Argonauts | +2.5 (-105) | +125 | Under 57.5 (-110) |
Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts Betting Trends
- The Tiger-Cats are 5-3 SU and ATS on the road this season, including 4-1 SU and ATS as a road favorite.
- Hamilton is 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS overall as a favorite this season.
- The under is 4-4 in the Ticats’ road games this season.
- In Hamilton games this season, when the previous game has gone under, the next game has gone over in five of seven instances.
- The Argonauts are 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS as a home underdog this season.
- Overall, Toronto is 4-8 SU and 7-5 ATS as an underdog this season.
- The over is 5-3 in the Argonauts’ home games this season.
Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts Prediction and Picks
Prediction: Tiger-Cats to win
Last Saturday, the Ticats were woeful in Winnipeg in a 40-3 loss to the Blue Bombers. Their lone points came on a second-quarter field goal by Marc Liegghio, while Winnipeg ran away with the win behind a big game by Zach Collaros and three rushing touchdowns by backup quarterback Chris Streveler.
The loss ended a three-game win streak for Hamilton, who is now 2-5 against the West Division.
That may spell trouble next week for the Tiger-Cats, but the forecast for their matchup vs. the rival Argonauts is much more positive.
Hamilton’s lone loss in eight East Division games is a 35-33 loss to Toronto in Week 13, a loss in which the Ticats went up 33-32 with 18 seconds left only to be beaten on the final play at home.
They are 4-0 on the road against division foes, including a 51-38 win at BMO Field in Week 5, and they are 5-1 against the CFL’s three sub-.500 teams.
This bodes well for today’s tilt, even if the Argonauts have been better at home than on the road. Since losing their first three home games this season, the Argos are 3-2 at home with wins over the Blue Bombers, Lions, and Elks and close losses to the Redblacks and Alouettes.
Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts Picks
1) Kenny Lawler Over 80.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Lucky Rebel)
Last week, Lawler was targeted nine times but had only two catches (for 34 yards) against the Blue Bombers.
Expect a lot of targets again this week but much more success for Lawler. In the first two Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts matchups this season, Lawler has gone off for 15 catches (from 16 targets) for 330 yards and five touchdowns.
The last time he was at BMO Field, Lawler had six catches for 207 yards and touchdowns of 35, 79, and 46 yards.
Given his success against Toronto this season, Lawler is also a great option for first touchdown scorer, which is +800 at Lucky Rebel.
2) Tiger-Cats Team Total Over 30.5 Points (-120 at Bovada)
Last Saturday’s loss was just the second time all that Hamilton was held to fewer than 20 points. Don’t expect another dud from Bo Levi Mitchell and the offense this afternoon, especially with what the Tiger-Cats did vs. the Argonauts in the first two meetings.
In Week 5, they had six offensive touchdowns (five on touchdown passes by Mitchell, who was 19 for 24 for 332 yards) and 415 total yards. And in the Week 13 loss at home, Mitchell was 27 for 37 for 405 yards and three touchdowns as the offense did its part to set up a potential win.
3) Tiger-Cats ML (-145 at BetOnline)
While the spread is small, the Ticats’ penchant for finding themselves in close games makes the moneyline the smarter choice if you are backing Hamilton to win.
It is not often that these recommendations feature a ML or odds of -140 or shorter, but sometimes a serving of juice must feature as part of your betting diet.
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