Around the CFL: Montreal trying to win big one at home

Football Betting Lines

11/21/2008 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Alouettes will definitely have home-field advantage for the Grey Cup.

The Alouettes will have the support of 60,000-plus rabid supporters on Sunday when they take on the Calgary Stampeders at Olympic Stadium.

Grey Cup organizers are hopeful that this year's game will attract more spectators than the 68,000-plus that turned out to watch Montreal defeat Edmonton 41-6 in the '77 CFL championship game. That year, the Grey Cup was played outdoors on a frozen turf that, appropriately enough, better resembled an ice hockey rink than football field.

Defensive back Tony Proudfoot's idea to put staples through the bottom of his shoes for better traction proved to a novel one as the Alouettes were much better able to get their footing on the slippery playing surface than the Eskimos.

Weather won't be a factor this time around, though, as Olympic Stadium is now a domed facility. But that will create a definite advantage for Montreal.

The partisan Alouettes gathering will definitely be a noisy one, living on the home team's every move. However, Montreal fans are definitely educated fans, having learned the value of being quiet when the home team has the ball, then perking up once the defense takes the field.

Home field was very important this season to Montreal, who finished in a four- way tie for the CFL's top home record at 7-2. However, the Alouettes were just 3-5 against West Division teams and 0-2 versus the Stampeders.

Montreal also has history working against it. The last CFL team to win the Grey Cup at home was the 1994 B.C. Lions. But a year after Montreal posted a dismal 8-10 record and bowed out of the first round of the CFL playoffs, it finds itself playing in is sixth Grey Cup game in nine years, thanks to an innovative rookie head coach.

The Alouettes decision this off-season to hire Marc Trestman was certainly met with some skepticism. After all, Trestman had spent time coaching with eight NFL teams over 17 years, including four terms as an offensive coordinator, and came to Montreal with no previous coaching experience in Canada.

But Trestman installed a quick-passing offense that has very much suited Anthony Calvillo. The 15-year CFL veteran threw a CFL-high 43 touchdown passes and was second overall in passing with 5,633 yards to capture the league's outstanding player for a second time.

And Trestman's offense certainly has the ability to give its home fans plenty to cheer about. The Alouettes were tops in the CFL in scoring, (32.4 points per game), yards per game (429) and passing percentage (69.5 percent).

Montreal also featured three 1,000-yard receivers in Jamel Richardson (98 catches, 1,287 yards, league-high 16 TDs), Ben Cahoon (league-best 107 catches, 1,231 yards, seven TDs) and Kerry Watkins (84 catches, 1,178 yards, 10 TDs).

Running back Avon Cobourne gives Montreal a double threat. Midway through the season he was threatening to become the first player in CFL history to accumulate 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.

Injuries ended Cobourne's historic run, but he's back and healthy now, having rushed for 950 yards and caught 66 passes for 616 yards.

Montreal also fields a tough defense that was second in sacks (43) and third in fewest points allowed (23.5 points per game). Linebacker T.J Hill finished fifth overall in tackles with a team-high 84 while cornerback Davis Sanchez, a former San Diego Charger, led the squad in interceptions with three.

Special teams are in good hands. Damon Duval was second in the CFL in scoring (206 points, good on 44 of 53 field goals) and third in punting with a 46.2- yard average.

Larry Taylor was a one-man show in Montreal's 36-26 East Division win over Edmonton, returning two punts for touchdowns.

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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com