CFL.ca Photo/Walter Tychnowicz
Week 3 proved to be a tricky one for #TotalPickEm players, as Montreal stunned the Riders in Regina and Winnipeg crumpled in Hamilton.
There is a new player atop the global leaderboard, as oilslick‘s 12-0 record has propelled him to a first-place 3,296 points.
Let’s take a look at this week’s matchups:
Thursday | Hamilton at Saskatchewan (9 p.m. ET)
There is little doubt the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders are trending in different directions; the Tabbies are first in the East, while Saskatchewan has lost back-to-back contests to eastern opponents.
Let’s see what #TotalPickEm players are thinking:
Unsurprisingly, the red-hot Jeremiah Masoli is the hot hand for three-quarters of all players this week; Brandon Bridge and David Watford did little to instill confidence during last week’s 23-17 loss to Montreal.
The Riders do have a ton of playmakers on both sides of the ball, but haven’t figured out how to consistently use them.
Hamilton, on the other hand, has already proven it can go punch-for-punch with the best of the West.
PICK: Hamilton
Friday | Ottawa at Montreal (7:30 p.m. ET)
The REDBLACKS are coming off a forgettable performance at McMahon Stadium, while the Alouettes will be bolstered by their victory in Regina last week.
It looks as though #TotalPickEm players are unswayed by Montreal’s road win last week, and once again are giving the Als — 1-13 in their last 14 contests dating back to last season — virtually no chance come Friday.
Both teams have some uncertainty under centre; Trevor Harris left Ottawa’s game against Calgary, as did Drew Willy in the Alouettes’ win over Saskatchewan. Willy was reportedly not practicing early in the week.
Historic trends point in Ottawa’s favour: The REDBLACKS have won all four meetings at Molson Stadium between the two since 2016.
Then again, Rich Stubler’s Montreal defence looked great last week. If you want to go all-in on an upset pick, why not bet against the 96 per cent and take the Als at home?
PICK: Montreal
Saturday | Edmonton at Toronto (5:30 p.m. ET)
The Esks and Argonauts are teams in very different places at the moment.
Led by the dependable Mike Reilly, Edmonton smashed BC 41-22 last week; the Argos were on a bye following a 34-point hammer job suffered at the hands of Calgary, and are now handing the reins to backup James Franklin.
As expected, the Esks are heavily favoured by #TotalPickEm players.
There is the off chance that Franklin comes in and sparks a thus-far-stagnant Argos offence — he has the tools and has been biding his time — but the smart money is on Edmonton to continue rolling offensively and win. Based solely on starting quarterbacks. Oh, and the fact C.J. Gable ran for 165 yards last week in green and gold. That too.
PICK: Edmonton
Saturday | BC at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. ET)
The final matchup of Week 4 pits the Winnipeg Blue Bombers against the BC Lions at Investors Group Field on Saturday night.
The Lions sit at 1-1, having been soundly defeated in Edmonton last week, while Winnipeg’s offence plummeted back down to earth in a Week-3 loss at Hamilton.
Despite the fact both are coming off a loss, the Bombers are heavy favourites amongst #TotalPickEm players.
The difference? BC’s Jonathon Jennings has not broken the 200-yard passing mark in either of his first two starts this season, while rookie Chris Streveler has racked up eight touchdowns (six passing, two rushing) under centre for Winnipeg in place of Matt Nichols.
This is a tough call, because both teams have serous playmakers on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball but as it stands Winnipeg has shown more than the Lions early in 2018 and should be a safe pick on home turf.
PICK: Winnipeg
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Week 3: 3-1
Season: 10-2
