CFL Eastern Division: Tiger-Cats on a roll

Football Betting Lines

09/10/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hamilton began the year meekly, but has now won four straight to finally get over .500 on the season. Two of those wins came against the Toronto Argonauts, who have slipped in the standings and are now playing closer to what many had expected of them before the start of the season. Montreal still leads the division, but a loss to the league's worst team suddenly makes the footing atop that perch all the more shaky.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

You know things are good when three of the top four players of the week are on your team.

Hamilton's Kevin Glenn (best offensive player), Markeith Knowlton (special teams), and David Stala (top Canadian), all received honors for contributing towards a 28-13 win over the Argos in Week 10.

Glenn and Stala were both great - the pivot went 27-for-33 for 313 yards while Stala had 90 receiving yards and a touchdown, but it was Knowlton who stole the show.

His blocked punt and subsequent recovery for a touchdown late in the first half proved to be the game's turning point.

The play is indicative of the way Hamilton has turned its season around. With their backs against the wall and in dire need of some kind of momentum shift, the Ti-Cats got it in a resounding win over Winnipeg in Week 7.

Knowlton's special teams performance puts an exclamation point on that turnaround, and the East division race is a whole lot more interesting because of it.

Offensive key to the next game (Montreal Alouettes): With all that momentum, this is the perfect time to face Montreal. BC preyed on Montreal's early season weakness of defending its own red zone. For Hamilton to capitalize in front of its home crowd, DeAndra Cobb's running abilities need to be present not necessarily to dominate, but enough to mix up the attack.

Defensive key to the next game: Anthony Calvillo is out for another game which is good news for the Ti-Cats. Unfortunately, backup Adrian McPherson is off the injured reserve and is expected to start in Calvillo's place. While Hamilton would have loved a chance to beat up Chris Leak like BC did last week, the plan remains the same - attack the quarterback and force mistakes. McPherson is likely to show rust and Hamilton must take advantage.

Look ahead: After Montreal, Hamilton suits up for four West division games in a row. The Ti-Cats' recent quality of play has come at the expense of Eastern opponents. This stretch will either make or break the Grey Cup hopefuls.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

No one expected Chris Leak to step in and play to the level of Anthony Calvillo in his CFL debut as starting quarterback, but a 135-yard performance to go along with two interceptions is not what Alouette fans were hoping for.

Whether the game is just a sign of inexperience or a true display of Leak's potential is a question that will receive a delayed answer, as second-stringer Adrian McPherson makes his return and will lead Montreal in Week 11.

Perhaps more discouraging than the Alouettes' offensive woes last week was the play of the defense, which allowed 38 points against the league's worst offensive team.

While BC has historically given Montreal trouble, the Als hadn't lost at home since the 2008 season.

Two losses in three games is hardly a sign of a downfall, but traveling to Ivor Wynne Stadium against the East's hottest team may not be the kind of contest the Alouettes are looking at to right the ship.

Offensive key to the next game (Hamilton Tiger-Cats): McPherson holds all the cards as he comes off the injured reserve to make the start. His performance, like Leak's last week, will be the determining factor in whether Montreal stops Hamilton's win streak or suddenly finds itself falling from first place to possibly third in the division.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Hamilton may have been their opponent in last week's loss, but the greatest threat of all for the Argos in Week 10 was themselves.

The Boatmen turned the ball over on five occasions and were sacked three times.

Cleo Lemon did throw for 334 yards - the most in his CFL career so far - but he added three interceptions to go with no touchdowns, a sign he still has work to do in learning the nuances of the Canadian game.

The loss dropped Toronto into a tie for second with Hamilton. As either one of the Als or Ti-Cats will lose this week, it's an excellent opportunity to gain ground on at least one of those teams when it travels to BC for Week 11.

Offensive key to the next game (BC Lions): The Lions are coming off their best game of the season by far. For the Argos to score some points against a decent defense, they will need to play efficient, turnover-free football and hold the advantage in possession. BC has shown all season what can happen if it doesn't find its rhythm early, so having a big first quarter is the ultimate goal.

Defensive key to the next game: The big receiving stars for the Lions (Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson) played well last season and will likely be a handful again. If the passing game is working for BC, look out, despite what the 2-7 record might tell you. Control these two receivers and Toronto is sitting pretty.

Look ahead: After a week on the west coast, the Argos can look forward to a three-game homestand. With two of those games against sub-.500 teams - Winnipeg and Edmonton - the Argos have a good opportunity at keeping their unlikely playoff hopes alive.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Not only is Winnipeg the only team dropping out of the playoff picture in the East, it may also be without its starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

The injury-prone Buck Pierce dislocated his elbow last week and though he is optimistic about returning before season's end, he will still be missing a substantial amount of games for a squad in need of more consistency.

Winning knew what it was getting into when it acquired Pierce. In his last 27 starts, Pierce has left the game with injury 10 different times. This year, he has started just five of nine.

The shuffle at quarterback is a big reason why the Bombers are suddenly three games back of both Hamilton and Toronto.

With Pierce out for another game and the 6-3 Saskatchewan Roughriders looming this week, Winnipeg will need Steve Jyles to have the biggest game of his career and try to start a Hamilton-like turnaround on its season.

Offensive key to the next game (Saskatchewan Roughriders): Jyles is the key, but more specifically, it's about making the most of his receivers. Jyles loves to run the ball, and though he has shown some ability in that regard, the Bombers' best results have come when they move the ball around in the air. Against Saskatchewan and its formidable defensive line, this becomes even more important.

Defensive key to the next game: The Bombers came close to beating Saskatchewan last week, and the reason was their shutdown of the Riders' running game. Only 58 yards rushing for Saskatchewan in the game, and 43 of them were from quarterback Darian Durant. Limit running back Wes Cates' ability to attack on the ground and the game will be up for grabs once again.

Look ahead: Every game is a must-win for Winnipeg now if it hopes to see the postseason. Challenging for an Eastern playoff spot should remain the goal, but with both BC and Edmonton sharing similar records, a Western crossover is a very real possibility.