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+9½ -110 +9 -105   +9½ -110

Posted at 12:15 PM EST and are subject to change.

There are many different numbers around town, but SportsInteraction is tops at +9½ +110. You can play Edmonton at +9½ -104 at Pinnacle or +9½ -110 at Bet365 if you choose.

Edmonton +9½ B.C. Lions

10:00 PM EST. The Elks return to the scene of their Week 1 massacre at B.C. Place in Vancouver, where Edmonton was blasted by the Lions 59-15. Since then, the Elks have managed to wrangle two wins to their five losses. Expectations were low in Edmonton, and for the most part, head coach Chris Jones and crew have fulfilled that futility. The Elks sat idle last week, but the last time we saw them, they actually played a pretty damn good ball game against a pretty damn good team in the now 9-0 Blue Bombers. If one were to only look at the box score and not the scoreboard, one might think the Elks had won that game.

Edmonton moved the ball well against Winnipeg, racking up 23 first downs to the Bombers' 12. The Elks would also own the time of possession by nearly 15 minutes. In the yardage department, Edmonton was better as well, going for 83 more total yards, including third-string quarterback Taylor Cornelius out dueling the Bombers’ Zach Collaros 270 yards to 188. As we know, life and football are not fair, and so the Elks would lose that one by double digits, 24-10.

The 5-1 Lions burst onto the scene with two lopsided victories, adding a 44-3 Week 3 waffling of Toronto to their impressive opening night showing. Since then, the Lions have come back down to earth. B.C. edged out then winless Ottawa 34-31 in Week 4. The Lions were fortunate to win that one after losing the turnover battle 3-0. Next, the Lions were set to see where they stood against the Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers. The final, 43-22 Winnipeg. The Lions would rebound somewhat in a 17-12 win over Hamilton, but that was an ugly game, too, with B.C. being a 10-point favorite. Last week, the Lions appeared to get back on track with a frog stomping of the Roughriders in Saskatchewan to the tune of a 32-17 final. As impressive as it was, the Lions were slow out of the gate going down 10-1 before roaring back. We wagered on B.C. as it was undervalued in Regina, but in Week 9, that is not the case. The Lions are back on the market’s radar.

It’s been six games for the Lions since Week 1, where they were a 4½-point choice over these Elks. Now, that number is 9½. Are the Elks worse today than they were in Week 1? One has to figure that Edmonton will not be surprised by what B.C. has to offer on both sides of the ball. One must also look ahead at what the Lions have on deck next week, which is a trip to Calgary to play the Stampeders. Let’s not forget that B.C. was 5-9 last year and so this team is still looking to see where it measures up against the rest of the best in the West. For the last decade or so, that trail has led to the Stampede City.

Prior to their showdown with Winnipeg, we faded the Lions in Week 4 against the Redblacks, but we ripped up those tickets. Not because the Lions weren’t rusty, they were, turning the ball over three times, but because the Redblacks were unable to capitalize on those mistakes.

It’s a long season and it is only human nature to potentially look past an inferior opponent in the middle of the year. Look at the Blue Bombers on Thursday night. For 45 minutes, Winnipeg played like it wanted to be anywhere else with Montreal racking up the turnovers and sacks, however, the Alouettes could not make them pay.

We cannot predict how the chips will fall here, but we do know that this is a pile of inflated points and a hell of a big number for any team to cover. If the Elks somehow go up by a touchdown or 10-0, that’s a long swim back for Lions backers.

We know it’s not easy to back a bad football team, but one can acquire a taste for it over time because more often than not, those bad teams are undervalued and therefore are value plays. We are purveyors of value, so let's see where this cookie crumbles tonight. We’re going to scoop up these inflated points, but we would not be shocked if the Elks won this game.