Welcome to the official ‘back nine’ of the 2018 CFL season.
With Labour Day and its rematches behind us, we now have a clear picture of who the playoff races will feature and which teams will almost certainly have home-field advantage.
Friday | BC at Montreal (7:30 p.m. ET)
With both teams coming off key victories against the first-place Ottawa REDBLACKS, the Lions and Alouettes will feel they have a new lease on their playoff lives.
BC sits a single win behind Winnipeg for what would be a cross-over playoff spot in the East, while Montreal sits two wins behind Winnipeg with a game in-hand on the Bombers.
Needless to say, Friday night’s contest at Percival Molson Stadium will have serious consequences — especially for whichever team takes the loss.
PICK: Montreal…because Antonio Pipkin has shown himself to be a capable starter of his last two wins, and BC’s situation with Travis Lulay is TBD…regardless of who wins, expect a defensive battle in Montreal.
Saturday | Calgary at Hamilton (4 p.m. ET)
While it is unsurprising to see the Stamps favoured, it is surprising to see the hottest team in the East Division — Hamilton — as such a heavy underdog on home turf.
Granted, the Ticats’ sweep of their home-and-away set with Toronto was against a rudderless Argos team that’s anchored to the bottom of the East Division. But wins are still wins.
PICK: Hamilton, as an upset pick…because Calgary isn’t especially dominant on the road (3-2) and the Ticats offence has hit its stride with Jeremiah Masoli, Brandon Banks and dual-threat running back Alex Green.
Saturday | Ottawa at Saskatchewan (9:30 p.m. ET)
On paper, this is a lopsided matchup: The Riders have won four in a row, while the REDBLACKS have dropped two straight and looked offensively incapable in the process.
While Ottawa has had success in Regina — Rick Campbell’s team is 2-1 in its last three trips to Saskatchewan — its offence has found the end zone just once in its last two outings.
Facing a red-hot Riders team that’s led by a turnover-magnet defence, this doesn’t seem like the kind of game in which Trevor Harris and the REDBLACKS will figure it out.
PICK: Saskatchewan…because the Riders defence is terrifying and Ottawa’s offence has put in two terrible performances against Montreal and BC — two teams who had a combined 5-14 record when they faced Ottawa.
Week 13: 3-1
Season: 31-19 (.620)
