Stampeders.com
Welcome back to Blitz Picks, the game that will be sweeping the nation by the first snow of the fall!
This year is different as each team has been assigned to provide their weekly questions, allowing us to pick one from each squad. We are each 0-0 as Week 1 finally starts on Thursday, so let’s unveil the questions, shall we?
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1) Will Toronto pivot Cameron Dukes get over 0.5 touchdowns?
Yes. Dukes (eight rushing majors in 2023) will be the Argos’ top option near the goal line. So, while questions remain on how effective a passer Dukes can become, know that his nose for the goal line as a runner assures he will account for a score against the Lions on Sunday evening.
2) How many yards for Edmonton quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson? (0-149/150-224/225-299/300-374/375-plus)
We will play it safe and go with 225-299 for Bethel-Thompson, who returns to the CFL after spending 2023 in the then-United States Football League. The 2022 Grey Cup winner has one of the best — if not the best — receiving corps in the league, and it won’t take long for him to get accustomed to Eugene Lewis, Dillon Mitchell, Kyran Moore, and newcomer Hergy Mayala .
3) Will BC’s Alexander Hollins have over 72.5 receiving yards?
Um, consider that a yes. Hollins will pick up where he left last season’s All-Star performance and continue to be the top option for quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. Remember, we predicted Adams Jr. would pass for 5,000 yards this season, and facing a revamped Argonauts secondary is going to give him a great start toward that goal.
4) Will Hamilton’s Jamal Peters have over eight total tackles?
No. Peters averaged just under four total tackles per game last season, and while he will have his share of meetings with Calgary running backs Dedrick Mills and Peyton Logan, the smarter bet might be if Peters, who had four interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2023, creates a turnover that swings the game against the Stamps in the direction of the visiting Tiger-Cats.
5) Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira rushed for over 100 yards against the Alouettes in both regular season meetings in 2023. Will he be over or under the 100-yard mark against Montreal on Thursday?
Yes. Winnipeg’s offence runs through Oliveira, and the 2023 Most Outstanding Canadian will take advantage of Montreal’s concerns about the Blue Bombers passing game and open 2024 over the century mark. We predicted Oliveira to record consecutive 1,500-yard seasons, and an impressive showing against the defending Grey Cup champs jumpstarts him on the right path.
6) Will Calgary defensive back Demerio Houston record an interception in his first game as a Stampeder?
Yes. Bo Levi Mitchell has been interception-prone over his past two seasons (16-15 INT-TD margin with Calgary and Hamilton). Mitchell will throw north of 30 attempts on Friday, and we’re betting one is going to land in the hands of Houston, who led the CFL with seven interceptions as he earned CFL All-Star honours with Winnipeg.
7) How many passing yards will Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo finish with (Less than 300 yards or more than 300 yards)?
Less. Fajardo had only two games of better than 300 yards last season, and while it didn’t matter as the Als won the Grey Cup, those numbers didn’t make Fajardo a fantasy favourite. In his two regular season matchups against the Blue Bombers last season, Fajardo threw for 270 yards in Week 4 before throwing for just 137 yards in Week 12. Bonus number: Fajardo did not throw for a major in either regular season game versus Winnipeg.
8) How many receiving yards does Saskatchewan receiver Shawn Bane Jr. finish with against Edmonton (Under 70.5 yards or Over 70.5 yards)?
We predict under for Bane Jr. as the Roughriders will look put their focus on the running game. The receiver will be a part of the Saskatchewan offence, yet Week 1 is going to be a heavy dose of new running back AJ Ouellette grinding out yardage and controlling the clock against an Elks defence that was last against the run in 2023.
