CFL best bets: The elements of an under

If you’ve been tuning into the CBS Sports Network for a fix of real football on Thursday nights, you’re well aware of the CFL’s worst team. The Edmonton Elks not only sit at a woeful 0-9, but tonight also marks their fifth game in that coveted prime-time spot since the start of July. As they try to earn a breakthrough win on the road versus the 3-5 Hamilton Tiger-Cats, several factors lead us to go against a regressing receiver for our top prop:

The bet: Under 42½ receiving yards for Edmonton Elks wide receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. (DraftKings)

With third-string quarterback Tre Ford making his first start of the season in last week’s loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Dunbar recorded just one catch for 10 yards. He hasn’t achieved more than half of this yardage total for three straight games, and he has been targeted exactly twice in each of them.

Now the Elks welcome back prized free-agent signing Eugene Lewis, who will play in his first game since Week 3. He was a 1,300-yard receiver for the Montreal Alouettes last year, and his addition to the receiving corps puts Dunbar even lower in the pecking order. Ford attempted just 16 passes last week, with primary targets Kyran Moore and Dillon Mitchell seeing six throws apiece.

Further limiting the Edmonton air attack will be the weather conditions, as there’s rain in the forecast and the wind is expected to gust at about 25 miles per hour. This matchup also pits the league’s two worst rush defenses, so the ground game figures to be prevalent on both sides.

Since Ford is clearly a better runner than a passer at this stage of his young career, Dunbar should stay under the bar.