2009 CFL Western Preview - Saskatchewan Roughriders

Football Betting Lines

06/23/2009 - Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record - 12-6. Playoff Result: Lost, 33-12, to British Columbia in the West Division semifinals. Stadium - Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. Capacity - 30,945. Colors - Green, white, black and silver

The Roughriders captured the 2007 Grey Cup, but following that accomplishment head coach Kent Austin departed for a position at Ole Miss and offensive coordinator Ken Miller became the man in charge. Despite countless injuries, Miller's squad jumped out to a 6-0 start in 2008 and looked the part of defending champions. The Roughriders, though, went just 6-6 the rest of the way and had to settle for a second-place finish in the CFL's Western Division. Although they boasted the second-best record during the regular season, the Roughriders were quickly ousted by British Columbia in the playoffs.

If Saskatchewan hopes to compete for another championship, it will need to find stability at quarterback. Darian Durant is expected to be the go-to guy this season after being part of last year's quarterback carousel. The ultra- athletic Durant can be electric, but he has been prone to mistakes and that is the biggest fear with letting him loose. Last season, Durant threw for 1,122 yards and seven touchdowns prior to suffering broken ribs. He should only improve on those numbers as the starter and he shouldn't be looking over his shoulder as backups Steven Jyles, Juan Joseph and Dalton Bell are all relatively inexperienced.

The return of Wes Cates will surely help ease Durant's transition into a full- time starter, as the 6-0, 215-pound tailback is one of the elite players in the CFL. Cates ranked second in the league in rushing yards (1,229) and first in rushing touchdowns (12) last year, and he is the type of player that can do it all. He carried the ball a whopping 216 times last season, so finding a serviceable backup will be important in order to keep Cates fresh.

Along the offensive line, Gene Makowsky and Jeremy O'Day return to form a solid nucleus and they should receive help from 2008 draft choice Jonathan St. Pierre. The Roughriders were one of the top rushing teams in '08 and they figure to be strong again thanks to this solid group of linemen.

At wideout, the Riders have several intriguing options and none more exciting than Weston Dressler. The 5-9, 164-pound import burst on to the scene last season, catching 56 balls for 1,123 yards and six touchdowns, earning CFL Rookie of the Year honors. Mix in slot back Andy Fantuz (36 catches, 488 yards) and prized free agent signee Jason Clermont (a three-time 1,000- yard receiver) and Saskatchewan has group it can certainly count on from week to week.

Saskatchewan relied on its stout defense to win games last season, but the departure of defensive coordinator Richie Hall and several key contributors will make things more difficult this time around. New coordinator Gary Etcheverry, however, has plenty of experience in the CFL and enough pieces in place to make this a solid group once again. Scott Shultz anchors the defensive line and the veteran tackle will be counted on to stop the run as well as provide valuable leadership.

The Riders lost two of three linebackers from a year ago, but the return of Sean Lucas gives the team some stability in the middle. Lucas really came into his own in 2008 and led the team in tackles with 95. He, however, will be accompanied by a relatively inexperienced group, putting more pressure on the rising star.

In the secondary, Saskatchewan will again be guided by Lance Frazier, who paced the team with five interceptions last season. Frazier, along with Eddie Davis (66 tackles) and a few new acquisitions, will help fill out a secondary that may need some time to gel before becoming effective.

As for the special teams, Jamie Boreham will once again handle the punting chores, while Luca Congi will continue with the kicking duties after making 38-of-44 field goals last season.

The Riders have some talent on the offensive side of the ball, but they will need Durant to play like a veteran if that unit is to be successful. Defensively, there is a lot of uncertainty considering the change of coach and several new faces, so this unit can not be counted on like last season. Overall, this year's club has a lot of question marks surrounding it and that could lead to a bit of a decline.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Finish: Third

Jazzspots Football Betting News

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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Big Ten Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa

Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.

Should be in:

Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?

Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.

Work left to do:

Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.

Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.

Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.

Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.

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