`LAUGHABLE' OVER-UNDER
Elks QB thinks 5.5 win betting line is a joke
Quarterback Trevor Harris calls it “laughable.”
The Edmonton Elks head to training camp Saturday and Sunday with an over/under betting line of a mere 5.5 wins for the pandemic-shortened 14-game season.
“An over-under of 5.5 is hilarious,” said offensive lineman Matt O'donnell.
As the newly minted Elks head to training camp, that seemed to be a good place to start.
“Five and a half over 14 games? I'm not sure if they're counting on us losing eight games to COVID and then going 5-1,” said O'donnell. “I would have us competing for the top in the West, if not the top in the league. We have a lot of returning guys. There's a lot of good chemistry there.
“We have the best quarterback in the league. We have Aaron Grymes back on defence. We've added a stud running back in James Wilder Jr. and the return of receiver Derel Walker. It's like our offensive line, we have tons of returning guys, lots of chemistry and we're all excited to be back. It's kind of like that first day of school again.”
O'donnell offered his own prediction and projection.
“We're going to be doubling that 5.5, at least,” he said.
Quarterback Harris said he's not sure how the betting-line people came up with such an over-under to start the season.
“I don't think many guys would know about that 5.5 thing coming to camp. I didn't know about it. But that really is laughable,” said Harris. “If I were a betting man and wanted to make some money, I know what I would do,”
This is the first year of government legislation approving single proposition betting.
“I don't think it has any bearing on how things are going to go,” Harris said. “It's fun stuff to talk about and if that helps move the needle and get us fired up, that's fine.”
Veteran receiver Greg Ellington said it's a new thing to be able to comment on betting propositions, but why not?
“I would say empty the bank accounts and put it all on us this year if it is only 5.5,” said the player who racked up 1,170 receiving yards in 2019.
Ellingson looks at his newly named team with a new head coach and says maybe that plays into it somewhere. But he doesn't see it.
“We have a new head coach that our starting quarterback has already worked with before and is pretty familiar with that offence. That will immediately be an advantage when you already have that chemistry with your play-caller and with your quarterback.
“We have retained a lot of top players that we had before and added a lot of new parts that should be pretty explosive — names like Derel Walker.
“We have defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe that our head coach has worked with before and had a couple Grey Cup runs with Ottawa. To me, that sounds like a recipe for some success — at least more than five wins.
“You have to build that chemistry and make sure everybody is ready for the season. But I find it a little bit ridiculous.”
The B.C. Lions are also listed at 5.5 and the Ottawa Redblacks at 3.5.
Neither new head coach Jaime Elizondo or general manager Brock Sunderland were going to add to their players' comments about it being “laughable,” “hilarious” or “ridiculous,” during the opening press conference.
“This is the first I heard of it,” said Sunderland. “I don't pay any attention to that sort of thing. We have 14 games. That's why you play the games.”
It took a couple runs at phrasing the question. Finally, I settled with this: Do you think you have a good football team going into training camp?
“Yeah. We're confident in everything we're building,” said Sunderland. “Everybody we have here this season is somebody in whom we have confidence from top down to help us win football games."
Said Elizondo: “Yes, I think we have assembled a talented team. I think there are quality players and quality coaches in our locker-room. I think Brock has done a great job assembling a very talented team that we're excited to get to work with.”
So, if an over-under line of 5.5 is ridiculous, hilarious and laughable, what should the over-under be for the Edmonton Elks' inaugural season with the new name? I believe it should be 8.5.
And if it was, I'd still bet the over.