The Toronto Argonauts begin their defense of the Grey Cup against their rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 2 of CFL action on Sunday. The Argos were idle in Week 1 while the Ticats went out west to get hammered by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
CFL betting odds opened with the Boatmen as 2.5-point home favorites but the line has jumped the fence with the Ticats now at -2.5. Here are my best free Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts CFL picks and predictions for June 18.
Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts best odds
Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts picks and predictions
I can understand why the Argonauts are catching points at home to begin the year. Quarterback Chad Kelly is still largely unproven and they haven't had a week to shake off the rust like every other team in the CFL. That said, this line is still pretty disrespectful to the defending Grey Cup champs, especially when you consider Hamilton's struggles in Week 1.
Sure the Tiger-Cats made the final scoreline look somewhat respectable against the juggernaut Blue Bombers, but they trailed 32-4 early in the third quarter before putting up points in garbage time.
Their secondary was shredded through the air and Bo Levi Mitchell struggled at QB, completing just 17 of 33 passes for 197 yards with a pair of interceptions. Those were both areas of concern entering the season since they said goodbye to three starting defensive backs and Mitchell (despite his two-time MOP resume) hadn't played well over the last couple of years and lost his starting job in Calgary last season.
Their offensive line has also been decimated by injuries and when a pair of starters went down last week they were forced to stick a defensive tackle into the mix. That's bad news against an Argonauts stop unit that was one of the stingiest in the league last year and should be even better this season.
Linebacker Chris Edwards and defensive end Ja'Gared Davis left Toronto for Hamilton in the offseason. However, the Argos actually upgraded at those spots by adding Alouettes’ Most Outstanding Defensive Player Adarius Pickett and Folarin Orimolade, who led the CFL with 69 QB pressures.
In addition, Jamal Peters who led the league in interceptions last year, rejoined the team earlier this week after being released by the Atlanta Falcons.
Kelly doesn't have much of a CFL sample size but he was an SEC star, looked great in the preseason, and most importantly led the Boatmen to a Grey Cup win after incumbent quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson was injured. He won't have to carry this team, just play smart and let Toronto's strong ground game and defense lead it to victory in Week 1.
My best bet: Argonauts moneyline (+130 at bet365)
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Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts spread and Over/Under analysis
This line hit the board on Monday with the Argos installed as slim 2 or 2.5-point faves for their season opener. Money has come in on the Ticats who are now at -2.5 despite a poor performance in Week 1.
The Ticats entered the season as East Division favorites after adding Mitchell, running back James Butler, and left tackle Joel Figueroa in the offseason. However, the offense looked awful in Week 1 with three interceptions and a pair of fumbles. Turnovers killed the Ticats last year, and if sloppy play remains a problem this year it will prove very costly.
The Argos ended last year on a roll, going 9-2 straight up and 7-4-1 against the spread in their final 11 games. That culminated in an upset win against the Bombers in the Grey Cup with Kelly coming on in relief to throw for 43 yards and spark a comeback.
With McLeod gone, Kelly has the keys to the offense and he looked phenomenal in a brief preseason appearance, completing 4-5 passes for 105 yards. He will be helped by a strong ground game and a deep set of receivers, although last year's second-leading receiver Markeith Ambles is questionable for Sunday.
National linebacker Henoc Muamba is another key starter that is questionable due to an injury but the Argos added another ratio-breaker LB in Jordan Williams during the offseason, and he'll be a force.
The Over/Under has stayed steady at the opening number of 46.5. If the Argos play conservatively with Kelly at the helm and lean on their formidable defense the Under might be the play, especially with how out-of-sync Hamilton's offense looked in Week 1.
Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts trend to know
The Tiger-Cats are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against East Division opponents while the Argos are 5-1-1 ATS in their previous seven contests against teams in the East. Find more CFL betting trends for Elks vs. Lions.
Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts game info
| Location: | BMO Field, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Sunday, June 18, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts key injuries
Tiger-Cats: Kyle Saxelid G (Questionable), Tyron Riley RT (Questionable), Alex Fontana C (Out), Chris Van Zeyl RT (Out), Dylan Wynn DT (Out), Sean Thomas Erlington RB (Out).
Argonauts: Markeith Ambles WR (Questionable), Dewayne Hendricks DT (Questionable), Henoc Muamba LB (Questionable), Shane Richards OT (Questionable), Robert Priester DB (Questionable).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
