Ticats All Access Game Day Predictor, presented by Sports Interaction: Week 17 vs. Stampeders
Think you know Tiger-Cats football inside and out? In the hours leading up to every Tiger-Cats game, Ticats All Access members can log in and lock in their picks as part of our Game Day Predictor contest, presented by Sports Interaction. Prove you’re the most knowledgeable fan by answering a series of props questions prior to kickoff. The more questions you get right, the more yards you collect for your All Access account, which increase your chances for game day and weekly prizes. Each week, the Predictor player with the most correct answers wins four Club Level tickets to an upcoming Tiger-Cats home game.
Here are five of the questions for this week’s game, and which answers I’ll be choosing. For a full list of questions and to participate in the game, sign up for Ticats All Access and get your answers in: allaccess.ticats.ca/gameday
- How many points will both teams score combined? Over or under 56.5?
This week the over/under is set at a lofty 56.5 points. In fact, that value is the second highest the over/under has been all season. The highest was for the Labour Day Classic when it was set at 59.5 points. The Tiger-Cats and Argos fell well short of that total, combining for just 46 points. In the rematch later the same month, the Ticats and Argos combined for 78 points and obliterated the over/under.
Last week, the Tiger-Cats stumped the high-scoring Blue Bombers, and the teams combined for just 43 points, falling well short of the over/under.
So what does all this mean?
Well, the over/under can be a fickle mistress, and it is often difficult to predict how teams are going to perform on any given week.
So many variables can have an impact on the complexion of the game, including: matchups, injuries, momentum, standings, and even weather.
Do you think the week 14 Redblacks would have mustered just nine points against a porous Bomber pass-defence if it weren’t pouring rain?
As of right now, Hamilton’s skies are looking rain-free on Friday.
Do you think Calgary could have scored 59 points and three rushing touchdowns if they weren’t playing a week 15 Montreal team that ranked dead-last against the run, and conceded an average of 115 rushing yards per game?
As of right now, the Ticats and Stamps are much more evenly matched. The Ticats have the second best run defence in the league since Labour Day, and the Stamps love to run the ball. A lot of Calgary’s offensive success comes from its run game, and the Tiger-Cats stand to increase their chances of victory if they can shut down Messam’s replacement, Terry Williams.
There are many variables, but the one that decides it for me, is intensity.
Do you think the week 15 Roughriders could have battled back from a 17-point road deficit to defeat the Redblacks – and in doing so, double the game’s scoring – if they weren’t fighting for their playoff lives?
As of right now, the Stampeders are in line for a home playoff game and a first-round bye. They are firmly in first place in the CFL’s West Division. If the Ticats win the remainder of their games, they are ensured a playoff berth. When it comes to intensity, I side with the Ticats. I side with a team that will battle for every point it can earn.
What I see is a high-intensity, streaking team in the Ticats, and the highest-scoring team in the league in the Stamps.
In the murky world of point prediction, I think the choice is clear.
Prediction: Over
- How many yards will Alex Green rush for? Over or under 69.5?
Ticats’ running back Alex Green has impressed in his two CFL starts. In his first game on the road against the BC Lions, Green rushed for 140-yards. After the Tiger-Cats traded C.J. Gable to the Eskimos, Green became the feature-back in Hamilton. He did not disappoint in his second start, rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Bombers last week.
Green faces a steep challenge in the Calgary run-defence. Calgary has allowed just 60.6 rushing yards per game since Labour Day. They are a convincing first place in the league in that category. The only team that comes close is the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
If the first six games of Head Coach June Jones’ Ticats tenure have been any indication, Green won’t be left wanting touches.
It just comes down to what he does with them.
Prediction: Over
- How many receptions will Shamawd Chambers record? Over or under 4.5?
Shamawd Chambers looked good in his first start with the Tiger-Cats, posting 57 yards on six receptions.
The Ticats didn’t use Chambers nearly as regularly the following week against the Argos, as he was held off the stat sheet and didn’t post a single reception.
Chambers returned to prominence in the Ticats’ offence last week against the Bombers, posting 81 yards on seven receptions.
So which Chambers will it be?
One clue to his potential success is the way Coach Jones seems to like using him.
43 of Chamber’s 81 yards last week came after the catch, as Coach Jones seemed to favour getting Chambers the ball in space near the line of scrimmage and letting his rangy receiver do the rest. Chambers accumulated yards by breaking tackles and making things happen with the ball in his hands, generally not by getting open downfield. That type of usage bodes well for Chamber’s reception totals, as a stingy Calgary secondary will have less of an impact.
Prediction: Over
- How many Stampeder two-and-outs will the Ticats’ defence force? Over or under 2.5?
In Calgary’s last game against the Alouettes, the Stamps did not commit a single two-and-out. That being said, Calgary’s Labour Day rematch against the Eskimos may be a better benchmark for competitiveness. In that game, the Stamps were occasionally stymied by the Eskimos’ defence which forced a two-and-out three times.
The Ticats’ defence had a strong outing against the Bombers, giving up just 13 points and a single major – the result of a trick play.
Despite the Ticats dominant defensive performance in that game, they were unable to force the Bombers into any two-and-outs.
The bottom line is that a team can be a defensive force and fail to generate two-and-outs.
Prediction: Under
- Who will score the Tiger-Cats first touchdown of the game?
- Alex Green
- Brandon Banks
- Luke Tasker
- Jalen Saunders
- Andy Fantuz
- Other
Long-drive. Three-yard line. Option play. Hand-off. Defence respects Masoli’s legs. Green has an open field. Touchdown.
Prediction: Alex Green
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