Football (Almost) in the Air!

We're only a couple of weeks away from football season. I'm not talking about "soccer," nor the NFL preseason. Rather, I'm referring to the beginning of the Canadian Football (CFL) season, which begins on Canada Day, July 1st. On that note, let's get caught up on what's been going on around the league.

Before providing a brief look at some offseason personnel changes, I'll begin by providing a review of last season.

2009 Year in Review

The Montreal Alouettes were the class of the league in 2009. They finished with a 15-3 regular season record, dominating the Eastern Conference. They were 9-1 vs. Eastern Conference teams and a perfect 9-0 at home. They scored the most points (33.3) per game and gained the most (407.3) yards. On the other side of the ball, they allowed the fewest number of points (18.3) while giving up the fewest number (320.9) of total yards. Despite seeing inflated pointspreads, Montreal still managed a profitable 11-7 mark at the betting window.

Not surprisingly, the Als would go on to win the Grey Cup. It certainly wasn't easy though. In fact, they were very fortunate to do so. Trailing the entire game, Montreal finally came to life in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points. That was enough to win knock off Saskatchewan a score of 28-27, thanks to a field goal at the buzzer. The Als would have lost that game, as they originally missed the final field goal. However, they were given a new life, when the Roughriders were called for having too many men on the field. Given a second chance, the Als made the most of it.

While the Als were the "best" team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were both the most profitable and the most improved. After going 3-15 in both 2007 and 2008, the Ti-Cats roared back to respectability in 2009, finishing the regular season at 9-9. That was good enough for a lucrative 13-5 record, against the spread, including an impressive 9-2 ATS mark, when getting points.

From a betting perspective, the Calgary Stampeders were last year's most disappointing team. In 2008, in addition to winning the Grey Cup, they finished the regular season, having gone 13-5, both SU and ATS. Last season, they finished at 10-7-1 SU, which was tied for top spot in the Western Conference. However, they dropped all the way down to a money-burning 6-12 ATS. The Stamps were a profitable team for 'under' bettors. The 'under' was 11-6-1 in their 18 regular season games.

The Toronto Argonauts were the league's worst team. They closed the season on an 8-game losing streak, finishing a dismal 3-15 SU and 6-11-1 ATS. The Argos' biggest problem was an inability to score, as they averaged a mere 18.2 points per game. Not surprisingly, they saw 12 of their 18 games finish beneath the total.

Odds to win the 2010 Grey Cup

While I am not recommending any "futures" plays, I always like to pay attention to what the sportsbooks are offering, prior to the beginning of the season. Beneath are the odds from a couple of books, which currently have lines. As always, if interested in playing any futures, make sure to "shop around," as lines often do vary, sometimes significantly.

From 5-Dimes
Montreal Alouettes: +175
Saskatchewan Roughriders: +330
Calgary Stampeders: +600
BC Lions: +650
Edmonton Eskimos: +700
Hamilton Tigercats: +1200
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: +2400
Toronto Argonauts: +3300

From Bodog
Montreal Alouettes: 7/4
Saskatchewan Roughriders: 10/3
Calgary Stampeders: 5/1
BC Lions: 6/1
Edmonton Eskimos: 7/1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats: 10/1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 22/1
Toronto Argonauts: 25/1

Key Personnel Changes in 2010

Montreal Alouettes

After having so much success last season, the Als didn't make too many changes in the offseason. Offensive lineman Bryan Chiu retired, defensive lineman Keron Williams was lost to free agency and kick returner Larry Taylor departed to the NFL. While Calvillo and co. are a year older, as seen above, the Als are still considered the preseason favorites.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

We often see NFL teams, which lost the previous Super Bowl, take a step back the following season. Off such a bitter Grey Cup defeat, one has to wonder if the same thing will happen to the Roughriders this season. Making matters more difficult, they lost both John Chick and Stevie Baggs to the NFL.

Calgary Stampeders

The Stamps need to rebuild their offensive line as Dimitri Tsoumpas departed to the NFL and both Jesse Newman and Jeff Pilon retired. The hope is that Canadians Matt Sheridan and Dan Comiskey will be able to step up to help fill the void.

BC Lions

The Lions acquired Keron Williams and running back Jamal Robertson via free agency. Robertson rushed for 1000+ yards last season while Williams, a defensive-lineman, was considered among the top free agents. They lost pass rusher Ricky Foley, who led the league with 12 sacks, and running back Martell Mallett to the NFL. Note that for the first time in 28 years, the Lions will be playing outdoors (at Empire Fields) while the roof at BC Place Stadium is being refurbished.

Edmonton Eskimos

The Eskimos allowed more passing yards (284.5 per game) than any other CFL team last season. Therefore, it's no surprise that they revamped their secondary, during the offseason. Defensive back Chris Thompson was picked up from Hamilton while Lenny Walls and Lawrence Gordon were also acquired.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The Ticats figure to have a much improved secondary. They picked up defensive backs Will Poole, Jason Shivers from Toronto and Jerome Dennis from B.C. Sandro DeAngelis should provide an upgrade in the kicking department and receiver Maurice Mann should help the offense.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

After a poor 7-11 season, the Bombers made numerous changes this offseason. The changes start at the top. They've got a new GM (Joe Mack) and Paul LaPolice replaces Mike Kelly as head coach. Gone are QB's Michael Bishop, Stefan FeFors and Ricky Santos. They're replaced Buck Pierce and Steven Jyles. While those additions, among others, should be a positive, note that the secondary lost shutdown cornerback Jonathan Hefney and Lenny Walls.

Toronto Argonauts

After last year's debacle, the Argos are rebuilding. While they may improve from last year, we shouldn't expect any instant miracles. They lost Jamal Robertson to the Lions. None of their four quarterbacks (Dalton Bell, Cleo Lemon, Ken Dorsey and Danny Brannagan) have any CFL experience and only one receiver (33-year old Jermaine Copeland) has ever caught a pass in this league. New coach Jim Barker is perhaps the biggest addition.

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