Doc’s Sports Free Picks & Handicapper Review

4-unit play. Take 231 Montreal Alouettes -3 over Hamilton TigerCats Saturday, Nov. 8th, 3:00 p.m. EST CFL+

Montreal enters the Eastern Final with a decisive upgrade at quarterback and momentum on both sides of the ball. Davis Alexander returns after missing both regular-season losses to Hamilton, and his impact is immediate. Undefeated in 12 career starts, Alexander's playoff line against Winnipeg, where he went 24 of 34 for 384 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT, showcased his precision and poise. Earlier matchups saw Montreal score just 9 and 17 points without him. With Alexander back, the offense regains balance and can exploit Hamilton's porous run defense, which ranks last in the league at 111 yards allowed per game. Stevie Scott III, fresh off a 133-yard, two-touchdown performance, is well-positioned to control tempo and limit Hamilton's offensive possessions.

Defensively, Montreal matches up well against Bo Levi Mitchell and Hamilton's explosive passing game. The Alouettes allow just 5.4 yards per carry, often forcing opponents into predictable passing downs. While Zach Collaros posted 306 yards against them last week, Montreal's secondary, led by Lorenzo Burns, Kabion Ento, and Marc-Antoine Dequoy, has the range and discipline to contain Kenny Lawler, Kiondre Smith, and Tim White. Pressure will be critical, and Montreal's edge rushers Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Geoffrey Cantin-Arku have already proven disruptive, combining for multiple sacks and forced fumbles a week ago.

Montreal's recent stretch reinforces its edge. They've won six of their last seven games with an average margin of nearly 10 points, including a commanding 35-20 playoff victory. Hamilton's 2-2 finish came against backup quarterbacks from non-playoff teams, which inflated their defensive statistics. Their pass defense ranks sixth in yards allowed per attempt, but struggles against top-tier starters, giving up over 9 yards per throw. Even with injuries to Ciante Evans and Austin Mack, Montreal's depth remains intact, as Charleston Rambo stepped up with 95 receiving yards last week.

In a postseason environment where execution outweighs regular-season narratives, Montreal's health, versatility, and defensive pressure give them a clear path to success. This version of the Alouettes mirrors the early-season squad that opened with three straight wins, now peaking at the right time with a trip to the Grey Cup within reach.

5-unit play. 308947 Villanova Wildcats -6.5 over Towson Tigers (Sat., November 8st, 1:00 p.m. )

Villanova arrives at Johnny Unitas Stadium with sharper form and a defense trending upward. Graduate transfer Pat McQuaide leads the Wildcats with a 63.1 percent completion rate, 1,727 passing yards, and 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions. His efficiency peaks in multi-score outings, including five touchdowns on 13 attempts against Hampton. Towson counters with freshman Andrew Indorf, who has shown promise with 1,796 yards and 11 touchdowns; however, his three interceptions and vulnerability to pressure expose a steep learning curve. Villanova's front has surged with three or more sacks in five straight games, anchored by linebacker Shane Hartzell's 50 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

The Wildcats' offensive balance stresses Towson's defense, which allows an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Running back David Avit averages 5.6 yards per rush with 667 yards and eight scores, pairing well with McQuaide's arm to keep defenses off balance. Wideout Luke Colella ranks seventh nationally in receiving yards and has posted five 100-yard games, stretching a secondary that gave up 233 passing yards in last year's meeting. Towson's receiving duo of Jaceon Doss and John Dunmore has combined for 1,141 yards and 10 touchdowns. Still, Villanova's coverage has held opponents under 270 total yards in three of the last four games, forcing third-and-long situations where the Wildcats allow just a 35 percent conversion rate.

Villanova's defense has fueled a five-game win streak, boasting a 182-82 scoring margin, including a 29-16 victory over Albany. Special teams add another layer of advantage, with Jabriel Mace averaging 34.1 yards per kick return and scoring twice, while Braden Reed flips field position with 19.7 yards per punt return. Towson counters with standout punter Bryce LaFollette and reliable kicker Caden Williams, but their 4-5 record and winless home slate reflect inefficiency in the red zone and struggles against ranked opponents. Their 62-9 blowout of North Carolina A&T last week padded stats against a weak defense, but the Tigers remain winless in four games as underdogs.

After Thursday’s debacle, the Clippers are close to being on our No Play list. But not yet. This situation sets up nicely as a revenge spot after their Clips lost bad in Phoenix on Thursday. Now this one is back in LA. The Clippers should have a better roster with Harden likely to return to the court after missing Thursday’s game for personal reasons. LA is almost in Must Win mode after a poor start to the season. We just think everything is pointing in the direction for the Clippers to score a massive win here.

Anaheim have the best offense in the league, averaging over four goals per game, and they have been even better as they have scored seven in each of their last two. Their offense is humming as a well-oiled machine recently and we don’t see Vegas slowing them down. They have 23 goals in their last four games. Vegas has a pretty good offense themselves, and they are a team that won’t shy away from a shootout. Nine goals have been scored twice in their last four games, one of which was a win and one that was a loss. We see Anaheim continuing to thrive offensively but Vegas will be able to keep pace and this one looks like a probable shootout.

2 Unit Play. Take #204 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors over San Diego State Aztecs (11p.m., Saturday, November 8 The MWC) The Aztecs are not as good as their record would indicate and we will grab the points with the home team. Playing on the island is always a tough task and Hawaii is decent this year and they are already bowl eligible. They have won 5 of their last 7 games and were competitive in both of their losses during this span. The Aztecs have played a very weak schedule in 2025 and they have Boise State in deck. This is a go through the motions game that will go right down to the wire.

2 Unit Play. Take #180 Arizona Wildcats over Kansas Jayhawks (3:30p.m., Saturday, November 8 ESPN2) Kanas and Iowa State seem to always have the hot coaches earlier in the season but then lose steam as the season goes on. The Jayhawks beat Oklahoma State last week, but were blown out by Texas Tech and Kansas State before that (both games 42-17). Arizona has a solid defense, and they have been competitive in all by one game this season. The winner of this game will become bowl eligible, and I see the home team coming out on top. The home team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 games Arizona has played. The Wildcats have the 15th ranked defense compared to the 85th ranked Jayhawk defense. Enough said, lay the points with the home team.

5 Unit Play. Take #173 Oregon Ducks over Iowa Hawkeyes (3:30p.m., Saturday, November 8 CBS) TOP COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAY OF THE WEEK Iowa is a hot underdog pick for a lot of people this week, but I am not seeing it. Oregon already has a loss this season and cannot afford to take this game lightly if they have hopes of reaching the Big 10 Championship Games. Iowa is not the type of team that can threaten the Ducks where they are susceptible by throwing the football down the field. Iowa has one way to win this game and that is to keep the scoring low and control the football. Oregon is 6-0 in their last 6 games in the central time zone. At some point in this game Oregon will get the offense going and Iowa will not be able to keep it close. Oregon is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games when they are a road favorite.

2 Unit Play. Take #138 Clemson Tigers over Florida State Seminoles (7p.m., Saturday, November 8 ABC) Hard to believe this game has been relegated to the ACC Network, as both teams are fighting for bowl eligibility (not an ACC title). Clemson fell apart last week against Duke and had a bad call go against them late in that game. Florida State got back on track against Wake Forest last Saturday, but before that they lost 4 straight games including a game against Stanford. Clemson is competitive in their losses and when they win it tends to be big. I still have not given up on Cade Klubnik and feel if he plays like he did last week against Duke, Clemson can win this home game.