BEST LINES: Pinnacle -9½ -112 Bet365 -9½ -115 SportsInteraction -10 -110  5DIMES -9½ -110

Posted at 12:30 PM EST.

9:30 PM EST. Winless in five attempts this season and coming off one of the most embarrassing losses in CFL history, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats look un-bettable. The question this week is if this team is really as bad as it looks. We say they are. At best, it appears the ‘Cats have quit on head coach Kent Austin. Austin is on the hot seat after an 0-5 start, the team's first since 2007. The Cats went 3-15 that season. In 2017 expectations were high for Hamilton in the wide open East Division. So far, the Tabbies rank dead last or close to it in every offensive and defensive statistical category. The CFL has 72 statistical categories it tracks and Hamilton is last in 36. We could list them here but that would take up the rest of this write-up. Where it matters most, on the scoreboard, the Tiger-Cats have put up just 91 points while allowing 201 this season. When things turn sour, firing the coach is always the simplest solution and the players know it. If Austin's words are falling on deaf ears, it's not going to matter what the message is. Where there's smoke, there's fire and rumblings out of the Steel City say Austin has lost his bench. Teams’ are scoring at will on the Tigercats and they cannot keep pace. We don’t see that changing here.

The Eskimos are surrounded by more scrutiny than your average undefeated squad. This week, the Eskies are answering questions about injuries, slow starts and their inability to dominate games on the scoreboard. The tone locally is not that of your usual undefeated team. This contest has been called a “trap” game in the local papers but with the Redblacks on deck, this is not a look ahead spot. If a 5-0 team can claim they’re being disrespected, the Eskimos may have a case. The Eskies had a huge 37-26 over previously unbeaten B.C. but that win was totally overshadowed by their biggest rival, the Stampeders hanging the third largest loss in league history on these Ti-Cats.

The talking heads are going to babble about the many story lines coming into this game including Hamilton's ability to rebound after getting humiliated last week but they will ignore the biggest factor that points to another double digit loss for the Tiger-Cats. This line opened with the Cats getting 14 points but that has now moved to just 9½. We've heard the case against the Eskimos. They are banged up and featuring a few too many practice squad players in the starting lineup. The Eskies have failed to blowout anyone this season and they barely escaped Hamilton in Week 5 with a 31-28 win as a three point favorite. In fact, Edmonton has had its hands full with Hamilton lately with their last three games all decided by a field goal or less. That might sound nice if you're trying to make a case for the Ti-Cats, but none of those past results matter here. The oddsmakers had to put up a big number to entice the market to look at the Tiger-Cats this week, but not even they could have predicted this kind of movement. While laying a big number isn't usually in our toolbox, we are all about playing value and with Edmonton opening up as a 14-point choice, we know for sure that we’re going with the best of it here by spotting -9½. If the Cats cover this game then so be it but this team is not adequately equipped to compete. In other words, don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

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