CFL.ca Photo/Trevor Hagan
Week 4 was an ugly one for a lot of #TotalPickEm players; a pair of genuine upsets in Regina and Toronto, plus Montreal’s failure to manufacture any kind of offence equalled a failed upset pick, left us with a season-worst 1-3 record.
The top of the leaderboard remains the same, with oilslick holding firm in first place; he went 3-1, swinging and missing on Hamilton, and now sits at 15-1 overall. Week-2 leader eyeofthetigercats had a tough 2-2 week, dropping him to 13-3 overall and 450-odd points off the lead.
Thursday | Calgary at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. ET)
This week’s edition of Thursday Night Football is a rematch of the 104th Grey Cup, though both teams have undergone significant changes since that fateful night in Toronto two years ago.
Calgary (3-0) and Ottawa (2-1) sit atop their respective divisions, and feature big-time playmakers on both sides of the football.
The two teams have played to a regular-season tie in each of the last two seasons, and given their Week-3 result — a 24-14 Stamps win at McMahon — maybe they are, as people have joked on Twitter, due for a tie.
The Stamps are naturally favoured, but not as highly as they would have been last season against an East Division opponent.
That said, Calgary is 16-0 off a bye since 2005. Woof.
Take the safe bet, but know that if history is any precedent, this one will go down to the wire.
PICK: CALGARY
Friday | Toronto at Edmonton (9 p.m. ET)
The Argos spoiled a lot of #TotalPickEm stacks last week with their 20-17 win over the Esks at BMO Field.
Marc Trestman’s group will make the trek west to the unforgiving confines of Commonwealth Stadium this week for a rematch with Mike Reilly and the Esks.
At 1-2, Toronto is right back in the mix in a tight East Division; the 2-2 Eskimos know a loss on home turf could spell the end of any kind of race for the West Division title.
The vast majority of pick’em players are taking the Eskimos, and so should you.
A quarterback like Mike Reilly, with the weapons at his disposal, is unlikely to lose back-to-back starts against James Franklin.
The Argos did look vastly improved last week, but this is still an Edmonton team with a litany of all-stars that will be looking for a quick vengeance.
PICK: EDMONTON
Saturday | Winnipeg at BC (10 p.m. ET)
There are no if’s and’s or but’s about it: Winnipeg annihilated BC in Week 4.
The 41-19 scoreline was generous to the Lions, who couldn’t move the chains on offence and couldn’t stop Andrew Harris, Matt Nichols and co. when on defence.
Wally Buono’s team is in a difficult spot, adrift at the bottom of the West Division standings and at risk of falling further if they can’t find an answer at quarterback.
Mike O’Shea’s Bombers, meanwhile, are trending up following the return of Nichols under centre and the monster performance of Adam Bighill in the heart of their D last week.
Frankly, the fact 32 per cent of #TotalPickEm players are sticking with BC is remarkable.
Perhaps there’s a renaissance for Jonathon Jennings in store; maybe Travis Lulay gets a clean bill of health, or one of Cody Fajardo or Ricky Lloyd suddenly blossoms into a starting quarterback.
But until there’s proof of that on tape, stick with the safe bet.
PICK: WINNIPEG
Week 4: 1-3
2018: 11-5
