Which Mark’s Labour Day Weekend game does Nye believe is the closest to a toss up?
Last week, Nye went 2-2 in his predictions. This week, he is feeling confident in two matchups.
Let’s start with an explanation of the confidence percentage. The feature in CFL Pick ‘Em is an extra bonus to show just how confident you are a team will win. For instance, if you think the Argonauts will win but think the Tiger-Cats also have a good chance you may only want to put an extra 10 points, but if you think there is a slim chance the Tiger-Cats can win, you likely want to slide that gauge into the 90s or all the way to 100.
BC vs. Montreal
Hello! The Montreal Alouettes have come alive with back-to-back wins. Their most impressive win of the season was against Hamilton last week with Jim Popp on the sideline as head coach for the first time since the dismissal of Tom Higgins. B.C. is coming off the bye week and would love some revenge on the Alouettes for the Als upset at B.C. Place two weeks ago. We’ll see if the Lions are re-energized, although I think the Alouettes continue to ride the wave of momentum.
PICK: Montreal with 66% confidence
Winnipeg vs. Saskatchewan
I don’t think anybody can truly predict what either of these teams will bring on Sunday when the two rivals meet, though the enthusiasm of the crowd should bring out the best in two teams going through some difficult times. The Riders will have Bob Dyce leading the way as Head Coach for the first time after replacing Corey Chamblin this week. Teams can either respond well to a coaching change, like the Riders did on Labour Day of 2011, or they fall apart, like the Bombers did on Labour Day in 2012. The Bombers need their offence to stop handing the other team points with mistakes. This is a hunch but I think we see the Riders first win in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
PICK: Saskatchewan with 20% confidence
Toronto vs. Hamilton
It’s a sell out for Tim Hortons Field for a battle of top spot in the East Division in one of the most historic rivalries in the CFL. Hamilton suffered their first defeat at home since they moved in at the new stadium. It’s tough to see that happening twice but with injuries on defense their could be hole open for the Argonauts. Included as a bonus for the Argos, they saw how to beat the Ticats and that is with unbelievable speed and aggression on defense. I’m going with the averages and that’s the Ticats not losing back-to-back at Tim Hortons Field.
PICK: Hamilton with 50% confidence
Edmonton vs. Calgary
The Eskimos didn’t beat Calgary at all last season and it cost them a chance at their first Grey Cup title. That is going to be a major motivator for the team this week. They are sick of losing to the Stampeders and with James Franklin at quarterback, I’m interested to see if he can pull off a second straight win to start his career. However, Bo Levi Mitchell’s 22-4 record as a starter is tough to compete with. I’m hesitant to go with the Stamps so I’ll predict the slight upset.
PICK: Edmonton with 10% confidence
