Argos and Roughriders Open their 2018 CFL Season

Argos Start Defense of CFL Title Against Roughriders

The Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders open their 2018 CFL Season at Mosaic Stadium on Friday. The reigning Grey Cup Champ, Argos, begin defending their title tonight. This a rematch of last year’s Eastern Final at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The bitter defeat from November still lingers for Roughriders players and fans. It was a devastating loss at the hands of the Argos. Saskatchewan was less than three minutes away from a Grey Cup berth.

Then future hall of famer Ricky Ray worked his magic. He orchestrated a late touchdown drive that pulled the Argos ahead. The rest is history as Toronto went on the stun the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw. The Argos claimed their 17^th CFL title.

Oddsmakers have the Argos favored by 2.5 points. The total is at 49.5. Kickoff is at 9 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN2.

Can Argos Trestman Work Magic Again?

Marc Trestman and Jim Popp came in last year after Head Coach Scott Malinovich left for the NFL right before the season. In just one season, they turned the Double Blue from worst to first in the CFL. The Argos are considered by many as the top team in the East heading into the 2018 season.

The Argos’ core group from last years’ squad is intact. Ray will lead the charge on offense. He is flanked by last year’s Most Outstanding Rookie James Wilder Jr. at running back, and the seemingly ageless S.J. Green as a top target.

The Argos bolstered their already-strong defense with some strong additions. T.J. Heath is back with the Boatmen after the team traded him two seasons ago to Winnipeg. Ex-BC Lion Ronnie Yell will be making his Argos debut at cornerback on Friday.

Roughriders Have Questions Heading into Week One

The biggest question heading into Week 1 for the Riders is at quarterback. Will it be Zach Collaros or Brandon Bridge taking the snaps against the Argos?

Collaros is listed as the starter on the team’s depth chart, there is still no definitive answer.

It’s expected that Collaros will make his first start as a Rider. The veteran pivot is back to wearing his old number 17. He is looking to bounce back after a pair of disappointing seasons in Hamilton. The 29-year-old suffered a devastating knee injury back in 2015. He was on pace to be named Most Outstanding Player.

Collaros will have two of the top receivers in the league with Carter and Roosevelt at his disposal. Saskatchewan’s offense is a force to reckoned with. Riderville was shocked by the release of three veteran receivers last week.

Many Changes to the Roughriders Offense

Rob Bagg, Bakari Grant, and Chad Owens were sent packing just days before the start of the season. Bagg was a favorite in Riderville and a mainstay for almost a decade. Grant was coming off of a plus 1000-yard season. Owens brought a wealth of knowledge to the locker room.

The Riders also released offensive guard Travis Bond. Jarvis Harrison beat him out for the starting job. The Riders’ O-line will be under the microscope on Friday with the changes and some uneven preseason play.

Despite some tough cuts on offense, the Riders appear stronger on both sides of the ball. New addition Jerome Messam will look to make a statement in his return to Saskatchewan. He previously played for  them in 2014 and 2015. The 33-year-old running back is coming off of his third 1000-yard season.

On defense the Riders have added last year’s sack leader and four-time CFL All-Star Charleston Hughes. The one-two punch of Hughes and Willie Jefferson will be imposing. With the duo on opposite sides of the defensive line could cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.

They hope it starts with Ricky Ray, who’s not known for his foot speed.

Recent Form

Yards Per Pass

Yards Per Rush

Toronto Argonauts

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	26.70	6	23.75	2
Away Team Road Passing vs Home Team Home Passing Defense	296.33	2	267.22	4
Away Team Road Rushing vs Home Team Home Rushing Defense	72.33	8	71.11	2
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	28.10	4	25.05	3
Home Team Home Passing vs Away Team Road Passing Defense	302.67	4	270.44	2
Home Team Home Rushing vs Away Team Road Rushing Defense	87.00	9	93.00	5

Head To Head Summary

Head To Head Detail

Betting Odds Trends

Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 9 games
Toronto is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Roughriders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saskatchewan’s last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan’s last 6 games at home
Saskatchewan is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Saskatchewan is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Toronto
Saskatchewan is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saskatchewan’s last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

Toronto Argonauts

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Next up:
Toronto home to Calgary Saturday, June 23
Saskatchewan at Ottawa Thursday, June 21

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