#TotalPickEm Preview: Week 3
Week 3 of the 2018 CFL season brings us a quartet of enticing matchups in #TotalPickEm.
Thursday Night Football sets the table for the week with a grudge match between the promising Ottawa REDBLACKS and the perennial powerhouse Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.
Facts | Ottawa has not won in Alberta (0-4) since rejoining the CFL in 2014; the Stampeder defence leads the league in sacks (6) and forced fumbles (3); Calgary’s Don Jackson leads the league in rush yards (210); both the REDBLACKS (1-0) and Stamps (2-0) are undefeated in 2018.
The Skinny | The fact remains that Calgary is 17-2 at home since 2016, and McMahon is a place Ottawa has not had success — especially defensively. The vast majority of players are taking the Stamps, but the REDBLACKS do have enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to be a viable upset pick.
This week’s Friday Night Football doubleheader starts in Hamilton, where the red-hot Tiger-Cats will finally play their home opener against the intriguing Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Facts | Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is second in the CFL in pass yards (676); Winnipeg rookie gunslinger Chris Streveler leads the league in pass touchdowns (6); the Bombers are 14-5 on the road dating back to 2016; the Ticats are 5-13 at home since the same year.
The Skinny | It’s fairly tight, but more players are sticking with the Ticats in their home opener. Jeremiah Masoli inched closer to earning his ‘elite’ label in last week’s win at Edmonton, and the return of Terrence Toliver could make a big difference. That said, Winnipeg has elite players of its own — hello, Andrew Harris — and Streveler continues to impress under centre.
The Friday Night Football nightcap features the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium.
Facts | The Eskimos defence has given up the second-most points (68) in the CFL; despite having played just one game, BC is second in the league in sacks (5); Edmonton is 2-4 in its last six competitive contests at Commonwealth;
The Skinny | Both teams have a ton of new faces on defence — the Lions via offseason moves, the Eskimos due to injury woes — and could be vulnerable in the secondary. BC’s Week-1 win against Montreal has been taken with a large grain of salt given the opponent, while Edmonton’s 17-point loss on home turf to Hamilton last week hasn’t impacted #TotalPickEm players.
The final game of Week 3 pits the struggling Montreal Alouettes against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina.
Facts | Montreal has given up a league-worst 78 points through two games; the Alouettes have allowed a league-high eight sacks; Saskatchewan is 6-4 at home dating back to last season.
The Skinny | The Alouettes have been a massive underdog in #TotalPickEm virtually every week dating back to the beginning of last season, and this week is no different. Mike Sherman’s team has not been able to move the chains in either of its first two games; Saskatchewan will see this as a must-win on home turf following last week’s disappointing performance in Ottawa.
Four games, three of which have clear favourites and underdogs.
Will you play it safe with the Stamps, Esks and Riders? Or are you willing to roll the dice on teams like BC, Ottawa and Montreal?
Don’t forget to lock in your picks for #TotalPickEm this week!
