CFL Picks/Division Semi-Finals

The CFL Division semi-finals kick off on Sunday, November 28, with an exciting clash between Tiger-Cats and Alouettes, followed by a meeting between Roughriders and Stampeders.

Here is our free betting preview for the two games, with our thoughts and predictions on how the games will play out.

Montreal at Hamilton

Date & Time: November 28, 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 109.953; Hamilton 120.829
Dunkel Line & Total: Hamilton by 11; 40
Vegas Line & Total: Hamilton by 4 ½; 46 ½
Dunkel Pick: Hamilton (-4 ½); Under

Montreal is coming off a surprising loss last week. Losing to the worst team in the league is not a good sign. This team has the second-best offense in Canadian football! Ranking top two in total yards, total points, and rushing offense.

William Stanback, the league's leading rusher, is coming into this game with "fresh legs" and hopes to get the ball rolling.

The Alouettes have been great at limiting yards, but they give up too many points. The Red Bird defense allows over 20 points per game, and they will not be able to win this game if they give up too many points.

Montreal has won three games while allowing 20+ points per game. They are unable to hold the end zone, so it seems hard to pick them in this matchup.

This game lies in the hands of Jerimiah Masoli. Masoli has been playing his best football this season. Masoli, only playing nine games this season, has over 2400 yards, ten touchdowns, and has a QBR of over 100!

The Tiger-Cats have been very successful, even with three different quarterbacks in the driver seat. Tim White has been this team's top target and has not disappointed. On 56 receptions, he has over 700 yards and two scores.

Now, this offense is nowhere near that of the Alouettes, but their defense is the true imposing force in Ontario. Allowing the third least amount of receptions allows the least amount of yards per carry and leads the CFL in interceptions. Hamilton seems to be the clear favorite to dominate Montreal!

Calgary at Saskatchewan

Date & Time: November 28, 4:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 117.724; Saskatchewan 110.300
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 7 ½; 37
Vegas Line & Total: Saskatchewan by 1 ½; 41 ½
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+1 ½); Under

The Stampeders find themselves in a post-season despite early struggles. You can never count out Bo Levi Mitchell, eh? In eleven games he played in this year, he managed to find himself near the top in the league in most passing categories.

He ranks 4th in yards, 7th in passing touchdowns, and 6th in yards per attempt. Bo Levi Mitchell knows what it takes to win and has brought two Grey Cups back to Alberta! His key weapon has to be former NFL running back Ka'Deem Carey.

He has taken a big role on this Stampeders team. Not only is he a running back, but he is getting an increase in targets which makes him a weapon on any given play!

The receiving corps has been near the top of the CFL in total receiving yards and have a very high first down percentage. Calgary's defense has been a huge factor in their success. They have been eating in that backfield by hitting QBs and getting a ton of TFLs.

They have also been jarring that ball loose and recovering it at a high rate! Next week should be a very tough game for this Stampeders team but take it one game at a time! 

Saskatchewan is still one of the premier teams in the CFL. Offensively, they are statistically only slightly worse than the Stampeders. William Powell and Cody Fajardo have been carrying the offense in Regina.

Their one-two punch on the run game has been a nightmare for teams to stop. They have a combined total of 93 YPG, which ranks 5th in the league; however, this is a very balanced team, unlike Montreal and Edmonton. Saskatchewan allows 20 PPG, which is fine.

But their inability to outscore 20+ points in those games is near impossible for them. They've won 3 games where they've allowed 20+ points, and all three of those games came against non-playoff teams. This defense and offense have not been able to be up to par with their opponents in most games.

Keep up with your latest CFL news coverage and game previews at The Dunkel Index.