2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Montreal Alouettes
Football Betting Lines
06/23/2009 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 11-7. Playoff Result: Lost, 22-14, to Calgary in Grey Cup Championship. Stadium - Percival Molson Stadium. Capacity - 20,202. Colors: Red, blue, silver, white, and black
Since 2000, the Montreal Alouettes have made six appearances in the Grey Cup Championship Game, but five times the club was sent away empty handed. Last season, the club finished 11-7 during the regular season, the only Eastern Division team to post a winning record. The Alouettes reached the title tilt only to be defeated by Calgary in a 22-14 final.
So what does the 2009 season have in store for Marc Trestman's squad? Well, there aren't many new faces in the fold, but some consider that to be a good thing. After all, there is enough talent on the roster to put the team back in the championship race.
Of course, it all starts with veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who completed 69.2 percent of his passes in 2008 for 5,633 yards with 43 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. He is thrilled to have Jamal Richardson back in the fold, as the talented receiver tallied 98 receptions for 1,287 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. Some though Richardson might be playing in the NFL this season, but his return to the Alouettes cements them as a serious Grey Cup contender.
There are other dangerous weapons on the offensive side of the football, such as tailback Avon Coburne and wideout Ben Cahoon. Coburne rushed for 950 yards and six touchdowns on only 145 carries a year ago, and he also caught 66 passes for 616 yards and two more scores. As for Cahoon, he had a team-high 107 receptions for 1,231 yards and seven scores, proving more than capable of moving the chains with clutch catches.
Montreal did a good job of locking up Anwar Stewart and Mark Estelle, rather than allowing those players to find new homes. T.J. Hill led the club with 84 tackles last season, while Keron Williams posted 10 sacks. This is not an elite defense, but there is obviously enough talent in place to complement the explosive offense.
What can be expected by fans is another successful season, a first-place finish in the East and a likely return to the Grey Cup title game. Still, expect the team to come up just short once again.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Finish: First
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 3-15. Playoff Result: None. Stadium - Ivor Wynne Stadium. Capacity - 29,600. Colors: Black and Gold The 2008 season was one to forget for the Hamilton Tigerca
<< 2009 CFL Western Preview - British Columbia Lions
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record
- 12-8. Playoff Result: Lost, 22-18, to Calgary in divison finals. Stadium -
B.C. Place. Capacity - 29,706. Colors - Orange, black and silver
Last season, had
<< Roddick, del Potro reach second round at Big W
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time runner-up Andy Roddick and
fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro were a pair of first-round
winners Tuesday at Wimbledon.
The sixth-seeded Roddick hiccupped in the third set in an othe
<< 2009 CFL Western Preview - Saskatchewan Roughriders
Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record -
12-6. Playoff Result: Lost, 33-12, to British Columbia in the West Division
semifinals. Stadium - Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. Capacity - 30,945.
Colors - Gree
<< 2009 CFL Western Preview - Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record
- 10-8. Playoff Result: Lost, 36-26, to Montreal in division final. Stadium -
Commonwealth Stadium. Capacity - 60,081. Colors - Green, gold, black and white
De
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 4-14. Playoff Result: None. Stadium - Rogers Centre. Capacity - 53,000. Colors: Oxford blue, Cambridge blue, White The 2008 season was a disaster for the Toron
2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Winnipeg Blue Bombers >>
Winnipeg, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record:
8-10. Playoff Result: Lost, 29-21, to Edmonton in division semifinals. Stadium
- Canada Inns Stadium. Capacity - 29,533. Colors: Blue and Gold
The good news f
Red Wings part ways with Chelios >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will not re-sign
veteran defenseman Chris Chelios, ending his nearly decade-long run with the
team.
The Detroit News reported that Red Wings general manager Ken Holland met wit
Safina, Venus win Wimbledon openers >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Dinara Safina and two-
time defending champion Venus Williams were a pair of straight-set
victors in opening-round action Tuesday at the Wimbledon Championships.
The French Open and
Bulls midfielder Richards called up by Jamaica >>
Secaucus, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards has
been called up by the Jamaican national team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and
will miss time with the Red Bulls starting July 1.
The Red Bulls have only one ma
2007 NFL Football Betting Preview
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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