Week 14 in the CFL kicks off on Friday night with a clash in the nation's capital between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Redblacks.
The Ticats have already beaten the Redblacks twice as slim underdogs this year, but that hasn't deterred oddsmakers who have made Ottawa a 3-point fave on the CFL betting lines for this contest.
Will Hamilton sweep the season series or can the home side snap its five-game losing streak? I let you know with my best free Tiger-Cats vs. Redblacks CFL picks and predictions for September 8.
Tiger-Cats vs RedBlacks best odds
Tiger-Cats vs RedBlacks picks and predictions
Since the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beat the Ottawa Redblacks 21-13 as 1.5-point home underdogs in Week 5 before edging them 16-12 as 1.5-point road pups in Week 8, it's a bit surprising to see them catching even more points this time around.
Especially with Hamilton rookie quarterback Taylor Powell coming off the best performance of his career and the Redblacks mired in a five-game losing streak. That said, this is a really tough schedule spot for the Ticats, who are playing on just three days of rest after losing 41-28 to the Argos on Labour Day.
CFL Teams with fewer than five days of rest are 2-9 SU and ATS this year, and Hamilton has to go on the road to face a well-rested Redblacks squad fresh off a bye. This is an Ottawa side that is as healthy as it's been all season. Yes, they're still playing third-string rookie QB Dustin Crum but the defense has almost its ideal starting lineup in place (with corner Money Hunter the only notable absence at the moment) and the wide receiver corps is close to full strength as well.
Crum is coming off his worst performance as Ottawa's signal-caller, throwing for 172 yards and adding a modest 28 on the ground against Edmonton's pathetic defense in Week 12. He also underperformed in that Week 8 loss to Hamilton but he looked incredible in upset wins against Winnipeg and Calgary earlier this season and also played lights out against the Argos three weeks ago. With his dynamic mobility and live arm, Crum has a future as a very good starting QB in the league.
However, I'm not sold on Powell, who threw for a career-high 296 yards on Monday but piled up yards in garbage time after the Argos had a commanding lead. Powell doesn't have a strong enough arm to stretch defenses vertically and he's unable to make plays with his legs. I'm selling high on Powell's stock and buying low on Crum while fading a tired Tabbies team.
My best bet: Redblacks -3 (-110 at DraftKings)
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Tiger-Cats vs RedBlacks spread and Over/Under analysis
This line hit the board on Tuesday evening with the Redblacks as 3-point home favorites with a few books even installing them at -2.5 before quickly shifting that number. As of Wednesday, that number has moved to -3.5 at most books although some still have the -3 line available.
The Redblacks franchise appeared to have new life after Crum led them to back-to-back victories against the Stampeders and Bombers in Weeks 6 and 7. However, they have since lost five in a row (1-4 against the spread during that span), a streak that began with that previously mentioned loss to the Ticats at the end of July.
The Ticats had a massive upset win on the road against the BC Lions two weeks ago, but they're still just 1-3 SU and ATS since that Week 8 victory in Ottawa.
The total opened at 47.5 and hasn't seen any early movement. That O/U looks a bit high when you consider that these teams combined for just 34 and 28 points in the two earlier meetings this season. That said, both defenses have struggled this year and Powell and Crum have been starting long enough to get comfortable within their respective offenses.
Tiger-Cats vs RedBlacks trend to know
The Under is 5-1 in Hamilton's last six games overall. Find more CFL betting trends for Tiger-Cats vs. RedBlacks.
Tiger-Cats vs RedBlacks game info
| Location: | TD Place, Ottawa, ON |
| Date: | Friday, September 8, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Tiger-Cats vs RedBlacks key injuries
Tiger-Cats: Ja'Gared Davis DE (Out), Tyrone Riley OT (Out), Matthew Shiltz QB (Out), Bo Levi Mitchell QB (Out), Kyle Wilson LB (Out).
RedBlacks: Jackson Bennett RB (Questionable), DeVonte Dedmon WR/KR (Out), Jeremiah Masoli QB (Out), Tyrie Adams QB (Out), Money Hunter DB (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
