TORONTO @ HAMILTON (TOR -7.5, 50)
CFL ODDS, CFL PREDICTIONS, CFL PREVIEWS
JA CAVALIER REVIEWS
ARGONAUTS vs. TIGER-CATS 7/21/23
In CFL Week 7 action at Tim Hortons Field, the Toronto Argonauts (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS) will travel to face their rival Hamilton Tigers-Cats (2-3, 2-3) in an attempt to maintain their perfect record in 2023.
The Argos, who have covered in six straight games since October of last year, head to Steeltown after dominating the Montreal Alouettes in a 35-27 victory last weekend. Following their 37-29 victory over Edmonton last week, the Tiger-Cats have now won two straight games and seven of their previous nine home contests.
The Argonauts have gotten off to a quick start, going unbeaten through their first four games, as well as rising to the top of the league standings averaging 38.8 points per game. The season opener saw them defeat Hamilton easily 32-14.
However, over their last three games, the Toronto defense has allowed 27.3 points per game. While that has led to a 3-0 run for the OVER, it raises questions going into a matchup with a Hamilton defense that is consistently getting better.
Last weekend, QB Chad Kelly finally achieved his long-awaited breakthrough, throwing three touchdown passes and throwing for a total of 351 yards. The Argonaut ground game also had a strong night, topping 100 yards for the fourth time in as many games, led by AJ Ouellette's 95-yard effort.
In last week's 37-29 victory over the struggling Elks, the Ti-Cats put up their best scoring performance since last September. This was also their second straight outright victory as betting underdogs. With quarterback Matthew Shiltz suffering a leg injury that has put him on the six-game injured list, the victory was bittersweet. Shiltz's demise follows that of veteran QB Bo Levi Mitchell, who suffered an injury during the team's loss to Toronto last month.
Shiltz's departure comes at a bad time for Hamilton which has lost all three of its games thus far by sizable double-digit margins. The Tiger-Cats have also scored 21 points or fewer in three of their last five games.
The Argonauts defense will be looking to take advantage of the Tiger-Cats offense being in disarray at quarterback. Taylor Powell, who is expected to make his first CFL start for the Ti-Cats, could be in for a long night. He completed 2-of-4 passes for 47 yards after replacing Shiltz. The Hamilton run game can take some of the pressure off of Powell. James Butler rushed for a game-high 127 yards and a touchdown last week. Butler is second in the CFL in rushing with 327 yards. In the loss to Toronto last month, Butler managed just 60 yards on 16 carries.
Get free CFL picks and CFL predictions for the top games on the daily 2022-23 CFL schedule from JA Cavalier, one of the industry’s premier expert CFL handicappers. JA Cavalier has been bringing the betting community the best CFL free picks and predictions for nearly three decades. Visit daily for the best CFL moneyline and point spread odds and game totals.
FREE PICK: OVER 48.5
Toronto leads the CFL in scoring, averaging 38.75 points per game. The Argonauts defense has given up 31, 24, and 27 points over the last three weeks and an average of 24 per game this season. Hamilton’s defense has been awful, allowing almost 31 points per game. Last week, Hamilton gave up 29 points to the worst team in the CFL - Edmonton. In 12 of the last 17 head-to-head meetings, the total has gone Over. The Over has cashed in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games and in 8 of Hamilton’s last 12 at home.