The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are looking for their first win of the 2023 CFL season as they host the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday night. CFL betting odds for this Week 5 matchup opened with the Ticats as 3-point home favorites but have slimmed to -1.5.
Will the Ticats finally get that elusive victory or is there another betting angle to consider? I let you know with my best free CFL picks and predictions for Redblacks vs. Tiger-Cats on July 8.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats best odds
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats picks and predictions
Hamilton Tiger-Cats wide receiver Tim White entered this season as the betting favorite to lead the league in receiving yards. While the team has been a complete disappointment, White has seen plenty of throws his way. He was targeted 10 times in Week 1 and while he reeled in just four of those throws he still put up 71 yards.
White had a quiet five catches for 44 yards against Toronto's stingy defense in Week 2 but he was targeted often by Matthew Shiltz after the backup replaced the struggling Bo Levi Mitchell in the fourth quarter.
Shiltz and White have tremendous chemistry which we saw last year when Shiltz started a pair of games and White went over 100 yards in both contests. That trend continued in Week 3 with the speedy wideout going off for 11 catches and 145 yards with Shiltz starting against the Alouettes.
Shiltz threw a pair of costly interceptions in that contest but still passed for 345 yards and he did an effective job of throwing the ball last year when called upon.
The Ottawa Redblacks are allowing the second-most yards per pass attempt (9.5) in the CFL which is especially concerning when you look at the quality of receivers they've played against. With three starters in Ottawa's secondary (Money Hunter, Sherrod Baltimore, and Cariel Brooks) sidelined by injuries and another (Brandin Dandridge) listed as questionable, expect White to have another sensational performance on Saturday.
My best bet: Tim White Over 69.5 receiving yards (-114 at DraftKings)
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats same-game parlay
Tim White Over 71.5 receiving yards
Matthew Shiltz Over 229.5 passing yards
Tiger-Cats -1.5
FanDuel has White's receiving yards number a tick higher but it does give you the option of playing that prop in a parlay which could prove very profitable.
If White has a big game it's also very likely that Shiltz will go Over his passing yards total. Sure he might not throw the ball as much as in Week 3 since the Ticats fell behind early in that contest, but the O/U of 229.5 is still too low. Especially when you consider how productive he was in limited reps last year and how banged up Ottawa's secondary is.
I'll add the Ticats on the small spread into this parlay as well. After all, while Jeremiah Masoli is an upgrade under center for the Redblacks he'll likely be rusty after missing almost a full year of action.
Let's not forget that this Hamilton squad was talented enough to enter this year as East Division favorites. Their offense has actually made it into the red zone a league-high 14 times and if they are able to cash in on those opportunities they'll start winning games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats spread and Over/Under analysis
This line hit the board with the Ticats at -3 but has since shortened to -1.5 or -2 depending on the book. The total opened at 43.5 and has ticked up to 44.5.
The Redblacks won their first game of the season last week, beating the winless Elks 26-7. Tyrie Adams started at quarterback in that contest but he suffered an ACL injury. Luckily for the Redblacks, Masoli is now ready to return to the lineup for the first time since Week 4 of last year when he suffered a fractured leg.
The Redblacks were 0-4 with Masoli last season but they were extremely competitive in all of those games and completely fell apart without him. Even a rusty Masoli should be an upgrade under center but Ottawa's lack of weapons will hurt.
The Ticats are fresh off a bye and embarrassingly lost by 26 points at home to the Alouettes in Week 2. They have now started the year 0-3 straight up and against the spread despite entering the season as favorites to win the East Division.
It doesn't seem to matter who is under center for the Ticats. Whether it was Dane Evans last year, Mitchell at the start of this season, or Shiltz in Week 3, turnovers have been killing them. If they clean up that sloppy offense and get healthier on the line they could be an intriguing team to back over the next few weeks.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats trend to know
The Tiger-Cats are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a bye week. Find more CFL betting trends for Redblacks vs. Tiger-Cats.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats game info
| Location: | Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, ON |
| Date: | Saturday, July 8, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats key injuries
Redblacks: Brandin Dandridge DB (Questionable), Shaq Evans WR (Out), DeVonte Dedmon WR (Out), Money Hunter DB (Out), Sherrod Baltimore DB (Out), Cariel Brooks DB (Out), Jovan Santos-Knox (Out), Tyrie Adams QB (Out), Bralon Addison WR (Out).
Tiger-Cats: Tyrone Riley RT (Out), Tunde Adeleke DB (Out), Joel Figueroa LT (Out), Alex Fontana C (Out), Bo Levi Mitchell QB (Out), Kyle Saxelid G (Out), Dylan Wynn DT (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
