The unbeaten Toronto Argonauts head to McMahon Stadium on Friday night to take on the Calgary Stampeders.
The Argos are the defending Grey Cup champions and are title favorites again while the Stamps have stumbled to a 2-5 start to the year.
CFL odds for this Week 9 showdown opened with the Argos as 7.5-point road favorites before that number grew to -8.5. Here are my best free Argonauts vs. Stampeders CFL picks for August 4.
Argonauts vs Stampeders best odds
Argonauts vs Stampeders picks and predictions
The Argos are fresh off a 31-13 beatdown of the Roughriders in Halifax last Saturday. That improved their record to a perfect 6-0 straight up and against the spread with five of those victories coming by at least 12 points.
Meanwhile, the Stamp are fresh off a 25-18 road loss to Montreal on Sunday and are just 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five.
It stands to reason that the Argos won't go unbeaten all season and certainly won't be able to keep covering the spreads that are growing larger with every week. That said, it's tough to see this current Calgary squad keeping this close, especially on just four days of rest.
There really isn't any area where the Stamps match up well against the Argos. Jake Maier has been inconsistent and turnover-prone at quarterback (11 interceptions) while their ground game has been limited to just 56 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry over their last three contests.
That's bad news against an Argos defense that leads the CFL with 14 interceptions and allows the second-fewest yards per rush attempt (3.9).
On the other side of the ball, Toronto has been even more dominant. Despite playing conservatively in last week's win against Saskatchewan, they still easily lead the league in yards per play (7.19) and points per game (36.2).
Chad Kelly is the highest-graded QB in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, and he does an excellent job of spreading the ball behind a stout offensive line.
Calgary's defense has been statistically impressive but sloppy offense and poor special teams coverage has given opponents great field position. With the Argos boasting an explosive punt returner in Javon Leake and leading the league with an incredible +16 turnover margin, back them to win and cover once again.
My best bet: Argonauts -8 (-110 at BetRivers)
Argonauts vs Stampeders same-game parlay
Check back later this week for our Argonauts vs. Stampeders same-game parlay pick!
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Argonauts vs Stampeders spread and Over/Under analysis
The spread opened with the Argos at -7.5 and has ticked up to -8.5 at most books as of 11 a.m. ET. With the Argos dominating every opponent this season and the Stamps looking like a team in disaster mode, don't be surprised if the spread grows even more.
The total for this contest opened at a whopping 52.5 before ticking down to 51. That big number makes sense when you consider that the Argos have scored more than 30 points in every game this season.
The Stamps have allowed the second-most points per game in the league (27.4), which is a bit surprising when you consider they're allowing the second-fewest yards per play (5.79).
Argonauts vs Stampeders trend to know
Argonauts are 17-5-2 ATS in their last 24 games while the Stampeders are 7-22 ATS in their previous 29 contests at home. Find more CFL betting trends for Argonauts vs. Stampeders.
Argonauts vs Stampeders game info
| Location: | McMahon Stadium, Calgary, AB |
| Date: | Friday, August 4, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Argonauts vs Stampeders key injuries
Argonauts: Maurice Carnell IV DB (Questionable), Henoc Muamba LB (Questionable).
Stampeders: Ka'Deem Carey RB (Questionable), Tre Odom-Dukes WR (Questionable), Peyton Logan RB (Out), Malik Henry WR (Out), Jalen Philpot WR (Out), Hugh Thornton OT (Out), James Vaughters DE (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
