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The Edmonton Elks are going for their first win of the season as they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It is now time to continue our CFL odds series with Tiger-Cats – Elks prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Tiger-Cats are coming off their first win of the season. After a few close losses to open the season, the Tiger-Cats grabbed their first win over the Ottawa Redblacks last week. In the game, Matthew Shiltz shined. He went 19 for 26 passing for 233 yards and a touchdown in the victory. The defense did its job as well, forcing four turnovers in the win. The Tiger-Cats are now in third in the East and are back in the thick of the playoff chase.
Meanwhile, the Elks lost a close game. It was a costly error that led the Elks to their fifth loss of the year. Late in the game, the Saskatchewan Roughriders went on a 78-yard drive, capped with a two-point conversion to tie that game at 11. On the kick-off, the ball went over the head of returner CJ Sims and rolled into the endzone. Sims went to the ball and took a knee, taking the one-point rouge that would give the Roughriders the lead.
Here are the Tiger-Cats-Elks CFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
CFL Odds: Tiger-Cats-Elks Odds
Hamilton Tiger-Cats: -2.5 (-115)
Edmonton Elks: +2.5 (-105)
Over: 42.5 (-110)
Under: 42.5 (-110)
How To Watch Tiger-Cats vs. Elks
TV: CBSSN/TSN
Stream: CFL+
Time: 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
*Watch CFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Tiger-Cats Could Cover The Spread
For the Tiger-Cats to win it it needs to start with Matthew Schiltz. Since taking over for an injured Bo Levi Mitchell, he has been solid. In relief, he went 13-14 with 115 yards and a touchdown against Toronto. The next week against Montreal he struggled some but did throw for 345 yards while throwing two interceptions. Last week he was solid again. He completed over 73 percent of his passes while throwing for 233 yards.
Needing to help Schiltz out will be D'haquille Williams. Williams is currently fourth in the CFL in receiving yards at 303 yards, and he has done this in just four games. He has two games over 100 yards this season, but has yet to find the end zone this season. If he can get into the end zone, it could be a victory for Hamilton.
The only man on the team with multiple touchdowns that is not a quarterback is James Butler. The running back has two touchdowns on the season with 199 yards rushing. Last time out he rushed a season-high 17 times for 62 yards. He has not found the endzone in his last two games though, and will be looking to score again in this one.
The defense is going to need to step up as well to get a win. On the season the Tiger-Cats are last in the CFL in opponent points per game. They average giving up 31.5 points per game this year and are not creating enough turnovers regularly. This year the Tiger-Cats only have three interceptions, and all three of them came last week in the win. Richard Leonard will be looking for his second pick of the season. He leads the team in passes defended and had four interceptions last year. If he can grab one today, the Tiger-Cats should score enough to win.
Why The Elks Could Cover The Spread
For the Elks, it is all about finding a way to score. On the season the Elks are scoring just 12.4 points per game, which is last in the CFL. They average just 241.5 yards per game this year, which is also last in the league. Both the rushing offense and the passing offense have struggled, sitting in the bottom two of the league in those regards as well.
Taylor Cornelius returned to the feild last week and had one of his best games of the year. He went 17-29 for 226 yards and an interception. For the second time in four games, he failed to throw a touchdown pass though, resulting in the loss for the Elks. Cornelius has shown the ability to have good games against poor defenses in the past. Last year against Calgary he went for 549 yards while completing 69.2 percent of his passes and four touchdowns in two games combined. Cornelius has also been good on the ground this year, running for 108 yards, and scoring the only touchdown on the ground of the season for the Elks.
Vincent Forbes-Mombleau has scored twice this year on the receiving end of things. They both came in one game earlier this year. Against Toronto, Forbes-Mombleau scored twice on two receptions. He had an 84-yard touchdown and a two-yard score in the game. He was only targeted twice, but made the big play in the game, leading to the most points the Elks have scored all year.
If the Elks are going to get their first win of the season, the defense has to be better. They give up the seventh most points per game in the CFL, while being towards the bottom in the league in yards allowed as well. The Elks have done a fair job getting turnovers this year though. They have intercepted six passes so far this season, led by Loucheiz Purifoy with two.
Final Tiger-Cats-Elks Prediction & Pick
Both teams this year have struggled on defense. This is two of the worst defensive units in the CFL. Meanwhile, neither offense is great either. Still, the Elks have shown some sparks of offense this season. Meanwhile, Matthew Schiltz has shown he can throw some interceptions. The Elks defense is much better at forcing turnovers than the Tiger-Cats. The Tiger-Cats have had all their interceptions in one game, and have not shown any consistency in getting pick. Still, the Tiger-Cats can hit more big plays against a bad defense and will get points in this game. While neither team is fantastic, it should still be a good game. Expect a lot of points even with two bad offenses, and this low total is hit with ease. The Elks get their first win of the year in this one as well.
Final Tiger-Cats-Elks Prediction & Pick: Elks +1.5 (-105) and Over 42.5 (-110)
