Hard to believe Winnipeg opened 2-6 with the way the Blue Bombers are playing now. They've won eight in a row and top the CFL power rankings.

I'm not going to stand in the Blue Bombers' way as they host Toronto on Friday. Not only are the Blue Bombers looking to lock up the Western Division, but this is a revenge spot. The Argonauts nipped Winnipeg, 16-14 in overtime, at home on July 27. The Blue Bombers haven't lost since.

Toronto is 6-2 at home, but 2-5 on the road. The Argos are 4-4 during their past eight games.  

The Argos have a below average pass defense. If they load up on pass coverage trying to stop Zach Collaros, who has come up big during the second half of this season, they'll be vulnerable to Brady Oliveira, who leads the CFL in rushing.

Winnipeg has a 1 1/2-game lead in the CFL West. Hamilton is last in the East and needs this game more and has revenge. 

The Tiger-Cats are playing their best ball of the season with a four-game win streak. Their last defeat came against the Blue Bombers by 3-points as 10 1/2-point road 'dogs on Aug. 23. The Blue Bombers are playing well, too, but they traditionally struggle at Hamilton. 

Hamilton has won the past five regular-season games against Winnipeg at home with the average victory margin being by 10.1 points.

Bo Levi Mitchell, at 34, still remains good with a league-leading 4,359 passing yards and 26 TD's for Hamilton.  

Don't be fooled by Edmonton's 5-8 record. The Elks are 5-1 SU, 6-0 ATS in their last six games, peaking at the right time. Their ground game has picked up and speedy dual threat Tre Ford is back at quarterback.

The Elks are averaging 35.1 points in their last six games. They are the best offensive team in the CFL now ranking first in points, rushing yards and No. 2 in total yards. The Elks are playing with tremendous confidence. Being at home is another plus.

Winnipeg can't match Edmonton's speed. The Blue Bombers are averaging 22.7 points in their last seven games. 

It is telling that five of the six writers on CFL.com, the official web site of the CFL, pick Edmonton to win. I concur. 

Kudos to Ottawa on going 8-3-1. The Redblacks are clearly in the playoff hunt looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2018.

But this is a rough spot for the Redblacks traveling to Hamilton to face the rested and desperate Tiger-Cats. Hamilton has had two weeks to rest and game plan after an impressive, 31-28, win on Labour Day weekend against Toronto.

The key for the Tiger-Cats is playing clean football. Their quarterback, veteran Bo Levi Mitchell, has been doing that lately.

Ottawa nipped Hamilton at home, 24-22, when the teams met early in the season. Now the Tiger-Cats are home, rested and getting more than a field goal. That's enough for me to back them.

This is strictly a value play at this number. Toronto defeated BC when the teams met earlier this season. BC has looked good offensively in its last two games. But I don't trust the Lions in this price range. 

The teams just met this past Monday in Calgary. Edmonton soundly beat Calgary, 35-20, rolling up 586 yards of total offense.

The Elks are 4-1 in their last five games. They've covered five in a row.

The Stampeders have lost and failed to cover in their last three games.

I see no reason not to back the Elks at home for the rematch.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson lit up Calgary's secondary throwing for 486 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Elks intercepted Stampeders QB Jake Maier four times.

Edmonton has surrendered an average of just 19.7 points in its last four games, playing its best football. The Elks lead the CFL in points per game and are No. 2 in yards gained.

The fading Stampeders are playing their worst football. They have lost and failed to cover in four of their last five games. They have allowed an average of 35 points during their past three games and rank second-to-last in both total offense and total defense.

Perhaps it's a leap of faith. But I think Nathan Rourke regains his star status and BC stops the pain with a victory against Ottawa after losing to the Redblacks on the road last week, 34-27. Even though Rourke didn't play well in that loss, the Lions did some things right. They had more first downs than Ottawa and out-rushed the Redblacks, 165-63.

The setting should help BC. The game is being played on Vancouver Island in Victoria in a makeshift 14,000 seat stadium. It's the first CFL game played at this venue. Ottawa is 6-0 at home, but 2-2 on the road.

Rourke should have the rust off. He played in the NFL after his superstar 2022 CFL season. This will be his third game since returning to the league.

The Lions opened the season 5-1, but have lost five in a row. This is a circle-the-wagons game for them and it's quick revenge.

Montreal has the best record in the CFL at 9-1. I'm not fading the Alouettes. This is a play on Edmonton, which has won three in a row for the first time in six years.

The Elks have battled into playoff contention by posting impressive victories against Saskatchewan on the road, BC at home and on the road vs. Hamilton. They've done this by finding a strong ground attack averaging 199.3 rushing yards during the past three games. The Elks lead the CFL in scoring at 29.6 points per game.

The Elks can keep this game close by staying on the ground, keeping the ball away from Montreal. The Elks were playing much worse when they lost to Montreal earlier this season, 23-20, as a four-point home 'dog.

This is a dangerous spot for Winnipeg. The Blue Bombers are off consecutive victories against BC and play Saskatchewan next week. Saskatchewan is tied for first in the CFL's West Division. So that's a much bigger opponent for the Blue Bombers than the 2-8 Tiger-Cats.

Hamilton, though, can be dangerous. The Tiger-Cats lead the CFL in yards and are fourth in scoring. Their weakness has been defense.

The Tiger-Cats took a big step to improve their defense bringing in highly-regarded Chris Jones to be a senior defensive assistant. The Blue Bombers are averaging only 17 points in their last four games.

This is a battle of 2-7 teams. But there's a difference. Edmonton has momentum with two straight victories, while Hamilton is reeling after consecutive losses to Montreal.

The Elks upset Saskatchewan, 42-31, on the road two weeks ago. Edmonton then knocked off BC, 33-16, this past Sunday. Elks QB Tre Ford was injured. But I'm fine with Edmonton even if Ford doesn't play. I trust veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson and a balanced Elks attack.

The Elks piled up more than 450 yards against the Lions last week, picking up more than 200 through the air and on the ground. Bethel-Thompson was 14-of-18 passing.

Edmonton is averaging 34.3 points in its last three games.

Morale is low in Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats also have a quarterback controversy. Hamilton coach Scott Milanovich is going to keep starting Taylor Powell instead of veteran Bo Levi Mitchell, who was benched last week. Powell can't expect much from a ground attack that ranks last in the league.

The Tiger-Cats also surrender the most points per game at 31.9.

No weather concerns here so expect a lot of scoring. Edmonton is averaging 31 points in its last two home games. Most impressive, though, is the Elks racing to a 42-31 upset road victory against Saskatchewan last Saturday. 

The Roughriders brought in the CFL's top-ranked run defense. But the Elks exploded for 276 yards rushing. Running back Javon Leake and wide receiver Tevin Jones combined for 292 rushing/receiving yards and five touchdowns against the Roughriders. 

The oddsmaker set the opening total too low for this game, perhaps influenced by BC not having starting QB Vernon Adams Jr. Replacing the injured Adams is 6-foot-7, 242-pound Jake Dolegala. He played in 13 games, nine starts, for Saskatchewan last year throwing for 2,641 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also wasn't afraid to run. 

The Lions had scored at least 24 points in every game this season until suffering a 25-0 road loss to Winnipeg last week. That game was back on Aug. 1 so Dolegala has plenty of practice time to get adjusted to being first-string with his new team. The Blue Bombers are the top defensive team in the CFL. 

It's quite a drop in defensive class going from the Blue Bombers to the Elks, who give up the most yards in the league while ranking second-to-last in scoring defense and pass defense. BC was averaging 29.4 points until losing to Winnipeg. 

Aside from upsetting Montreal, Toronto has done nothing on the road this season. The Argonauts, plagued by the worst passing attack in the CFL, lost to Saskatchewan and Hamilton in their other two away games. They were favored in both of those games, too.

Calgary is 3-0 SU and ATS at home this year. The Stampeders upset BC in their previous home game two weeks ago.

The Stampeders also have won and covered the past two seasons at home against Toronto winning, 20-7, last year and 29-2 in 2022.

Calgary has the second-most takeaways and the second-fewest giveaways in the CFL.

The Argonauts have been relying on defense and kicker Lirim Hajrullahu. But that won't be enough to score an upset road win here.

Toronto is last in passing yards and second-to-the-bottom in total yards per game. Argos quarterback, Cameron Dukes, has thrown just one TD pass in his last five games. Backup Nick Arbuckle isn't any good either. He has one touchdown pass and one interception on 42 attempts this year.

Quarterback Zach Collaros and the Blue Bombers found their offense in beating Calgary, 41-37, last week. The Roughriders are averaging 32 points this season if you toss out last week's, 35-20, loss to BC.

That's enough evidence for me to go Over.

Winnipeg remains without wide receivers Dalton Schoen and Kenny Lawler, but Ontaria Wilson has stepped up in major fashion. He had 13 receptions and 201 receiving yards against Calgary.

Saskatchewan should be in a high-scoring, attack mode following its first loss of the season. The Roughriders have gone Over in all five of their games.

The Blue Bombers rank last in run defense. The Roughriders have one of the better running backs in the CFL in A.J. Ouellette.

Short revenge. Home field. The expected return of starting quarterback Zach Collaros and a superior defense. These factors put me on the Blue Bombers. I'm not misled by Winnipeg being 1-4 compared to Calgary's 2-2 mark. Neither is the oddsmaker, who has installed the Blue Bombers as a solid favorite.

The Blue Bombers are the better team and they'll prove it at home after suffering a 22-19 overtime road loss to the Stampeders on June 29. Collaros suffered a thorax injury in the first half and missed the rest of the game along with Winnipeg's, 25-16, victory against Ottawa last Friday. But Collaros practiced on Monday, taking the starting reps.

Winnipeg also signed former CFL All-Star wide receiver Lucky Whitehead, who caught 58 passes for 728 yards and three TD's for BC last year.

Collaros is past his prime, but I like him better than Calgary QB Jake Maier. The Stampeders rank second-to-last in yards gained while giving up the most yards per game in the CFL.

Winnipeg, by contrast defensively, surrenders the second-fewest points per game in the league and also ranks No. 2 in pass defense.

Strange to see Winnipeg at 0-3. This one figures to be close, but taking points with rested Calgary at home is the way to go.

Only twice in the last 13 meetings between these two teams has the game not been decided during the final three minutes.

The frustrated Blue Bombers could be pressing while in action for the fourth straight week. They not only have lost each of their first three games, but failed to cover in any of them.

Calgary opened the season with a home win and cover against Hamilton in an eight-point victory. The Stampeders lost as a road 'dog to BC two weeks ago before enjoying a bye last week.

The Blue Bombers' passing attack is missing wide receivers Dalton Schoen and Keric Wheatfall due to injuries, while Calgary QB Jake Maier has four TD passes in two games and entered the week with the third-best passer efficiency ranking in the league.

Edmonton has yet to win going 0-3. The Elks are in a terrible situational spot, too. They just played their hearts out against Toronto on the road and lost, 39-36, on a last-second field goal. That game was played this past Saturday.

Now, just five days later, the Elks are involved in another away game this time against British Columbia, which has beaten Calgary and Winnipeg after an opening-week loss to Toronto. The Lions are not only home but had an extra day to rest and prepare having last played this past Friday.  

BC leads the CFL in offense. Vernon Adams Jr. has the most passing yards. Wide receiver Alexander Hollins leads the league in receiving yards and William Stanback is No. 1 in rushing yards. So the Elks' defense is really going to be tested by this firepower.

The Lions held the Blue Bombers to 24 points and Stampeders to 17 points, respectively, in their last two games.

Montreal is off to a 2-0 start with a pair of road wins in pursuit of winning a second straight Grey Cup. Now the Alouettes play at home for the first time this season where their Grey Cup banner will be raised. That could have a distracting effect on the Alouettes.

Ottawa looks improved at 1-0 following a 23-19 victory against Winnipeg last Thursday. Montreal also defeated the Blue Bombers, 27-12, opening week.

The Redblacks enter this matchup with confidence. They had a balanced attack against Winnipeg. Montreal barely got past Edmonton, 23-20, last Friday. So the Redblacks enter this matchup with an extra day of rest.

The combination of Ottawa improvement and Montreal being in a potential, distracting flat spot puts me on the underdog Redblacks.

I saw enough of quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell and Trevor Harris opening week to like this total to go Over.

Hamilton put up 468 yards of offense - best in Week 1 - in a 32-24 loss to Calgary. Mitchell threw for 300 yards despite several dropped passes and James Butler rushed for 119 yards on 13 carries.

Harris was 22-for-31 passing for 305 yards and three touchdowns in leading Saskatchewan to a 29-21 victory against Edmonton. The Roughriders got rolling late scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter. Shawn Bane Jr. caught five passes for 125 yards and three touchdowns. Harris and Bane should team up big again here.

Look for running back AJ Ouellette, a key free agent signing, to perform better for Saskatchewan.

Two veteran quarterbacks, a new coach and a terrible defense should spell enough points to go Over this total in this season opener.

Saskatchewan would like to make a good impression in Corey Mace's first game as its head coach. Trevor Harris is back from a knee injury and has one of the best running backs in the league, A.J. Ouellette, who was the fourth-leading rusher in the league for Toronto last year. Edmonton was last in run defense in 2023. Defenses have to respect Harris more with Ouellette in the backfield.

The Roughriders will need to score a lot to off-set a defense that allowed 30.6 points a game, worst in the CFL last season. Saskatchewan's secondary appears especially vulnerable.

Edmonton should produce its share of points with former star Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson behind center. Bethel-Thompson played in the USFL last year and led the league in passing. Bethel-Thompson has a pair of excellent receivers, Eugene Lewis and Kurleigh Gittens Jr.

Winnipeg was upset by Toronto in last year's Grey Cup. I can see the Blue Bombers getting upset again by a hot Montreal team. I'll certainly take more than a touchdown to find out. All the pressure is on the Blue Bombers.

No defense has played better down the stretch than Montreal's. The Alouettes have won seven in a row. They've given up only 14.1 points a game during this seven-game stretch. Montreal's defense really got good with mid-season acquisitions of middle linebacker Darnell Sankey and defensive lineman Shawn Lemon.

Some of the Blue Bombers' offensive edge is lessened by their best wide receiver, Dalton Schoen, dealing with an ankle injury.

Winnipeg beat Montreal in both regular season games, 17-3 and 47-17. But that was back in July and August. The Alouettes are a different team now particularly on defense. So I'll take the better defense and the points.

The spot sets up perfectly for Winnipeg to get a semblance of revenge against Toronto. This is the first meeting between the two teams after the Blue Bombers lost by one point to Toronto in last year's Grey Cup. Winnipeg was a five-point favorite in that game.

Now the Blue Bombers, off a bye, get the Argonauts at home when Toronto will be resting key players after wrapping up first place in the East Division.

Among those Toronto players sitting out is QB Chad Kelly and linebacker Wynton McManis, a key defensive cog.

BC may not have much left in the tank after pulling out a 41-37 victory against Ottawa last Saturday after staging their greatest home comeback. The Lions were down 19 points after the third quarter and trailed by 16 with 2:22 left. The Lions' final points came on a TD pass with 16 seconds left.

Now the Lions have to travel to Edmonton. They are 2-0 against the Elks beating them by a combined, 49-0. That was part of Edmonton's 0-9 start. However, Edmonton has turned around its season with a QB change to Tre Ford.

Sparked by Ford, the Elks are 4-1 in their last five games and highly motivated. Edmonton is averaging 30.5 points in its last four games. BC is surrendering an average of 31.5 points in its last four games.

The teams just met six days ago in Toronto. It wasn't pretty for Montreal. The Argonauts carved up the Alouettes winning, 39-10.

I'm expecting even more points in today's rematch.

Toronto has scored 31 or more points in 10 of its 11 games. The Argos are averaging 40.7 points in their last four games. Their quarterback, Chad Kelly, has accounted for 26 TD's on the season, including a league-high eight on the ground.

Montreal isn't going to be able to slow down Toronto's balanced attack. But I expect the Alouettes to do their share of their scoring to help get this total Over.

The Argos have surrendered an average of 25 points during their last four games. Montreal has scored at least 25 points in six of its last eight games.

Montreal QB Cody Fajardo is mobile and has the CFL's receiving yardage leader, Austin Mack. William Stanback is one of the better running backs in the league. So Montreal doesn't lack weapons.

Desperation versus exhaustion should spell a win and cover for host Ottawa.

The Redblacks are in circle-the-wagons mode having lost five in a row with three of those defeats coming by a combined seven points. They have double revenge against Hamilton and fully realize this is their last week at getting an opponent that has a losing record. The rest of Ottawa's schedule is against foes that currently all have winning records.

There should not be any excuse for the Redblacks because this is a golden spot for them. They were idle last week, while the Tiger-Cats are on a very short week having played rival Toronto this past Monday. The Tiger-Cats went all out trying to come back from a 17-0 deficit before losing to the Argonauts, 41-28.

Hamilton gives up the second-most points per game in the league at 27.5 while ranking third-from-the-bottom in total defensive yards.

Ottawa dual threat Dustin Crum is a good enough quarterback to take advantage.

I'm expecting more scoring than the oddsmaker is anticipating with both BC and Montreal off humiliating losses the previous week.

BC was hammered, 30-13, by Hamilton as a 10 1/2-point home favorite. The Lions have now surrendered an average of 38 points in their last three games if you discount the nine points they gave up to Calgary during this span.

Montreal is the fourth-highest scoring team in the CFL at 24.1 points per game. That average climbs to 27 if you go by the Alouettes' last six games. Montreal QB Cody Fajardo has weapons with running back William Stanback and Austin Mack, who leads the league in receiving yards.

The Alouettes, though, were just torched, 47-17, to Winnipeg. BC is the No. 1 passing team in the CFL behind QB Vernon Adams Jr., while ranking third in points and total yards. The Lions had scored at least 24 points in six of their past eight games until getting stunned by Hamilton.

Look for Adams and his host of excellent wide receivers to bounce back with a big-scoring performance.

Edmonton is the worst team in the Canadian Football League and has lost 22 straight home games.

But I'm counting on the Elks to put an end to those two horrible marks.

Edmonton is riding momentum for the first time this season following a 24-10 road upset victory against Hamilton last week. That road upset win looks even more impressive after Hamilton upset BC - the third-best team in the CFL - as a 12-point road underdog Saturday night.

The Elks finally appear to have a decent QB in dual-threat Tre Ford. He threw for 174 yards and two TD's while rushing for 60 yards on five carries in Edmonton's win against Hamilton. The Elks are averaging 26.5 points in their last two games versus Hamilton and Winnipeg, which has the most victories in the CFL this season and gives up the second-fewest points, with offensive coordinator Jarious Jackson taking over the play-calling for Edmonton.

Edmonton gets to go against an Ottawa defense that gives up the most passing yards and third-most overall yards.

The Redblacks are 0-4 SU, 1-3 ATS in their last four games.

So the arrow finally is pointing up for an Edmonton home victory.

This total has come down a little since Winnipeg won't have starting QB Zach Collaros, who has a neck injury. I find the Over/Under too low, though. The Blue Bombers lead the CFL in yards gained per game and are No. 2 in the league in scoring at 30.9 points. They have a very capable backup QB in Dru Brown.

Brown threw for 307 yards and four TD's to lead Winnipeg past Edmonton, 38-29, on the road last week. It was the fifth time in their last six road games the Blue Bombers went Over the total.

Calgary has permitted 24 or more points in six of its last seven games. The Stampeders just gave up 320 passing yards in a 37-9 loss to BC this past Saturday. BC averages five fewer points per game than Winnipeg. I expect the Blue Bombers to produce plenty of points here.

The key is if Calgary can keep up with Winnipeg's point production.

Stampeders QB Jake Maier is inconsistent. But he has weapons with running backs Ka'Deem Carey and Dedrick Mills and receivers Reggie Begelton and Tre Odoms-Dukes. It's promising for the Stampeders that the Blue Bombers surrendered 29 points to a 1-9 Edmonton team last week after the Elks had been shut out by BC in their previous game.

Being able to stop the run and run the ball effectively with a mobile quarterback is a strong combination when taking double-digits on the road against an overrated opponent.

That's how I see things in backing the Ottawa Redblacks against Toronto.

The Redblacks are No. 1 in the CFL both in rushing and run defense. Ottawa's QB Denny Crum has given the team a huge lift with his exciting play since taking over from injured Jeremiah Masoli. Crum averages 8.5 yards per carry, highest in the CFL. Crum should present a strong dual threat as Toronto ranks eighth out of nine teams in the league in pass defense.

Only once have the Redblacks lost by double-digits. They are capable of springing a major upset like they did against Winnipeg, also as a double-digit 'dog. The Redblacks defeated Calgary three weeks ago, too.

Calgary upset Toronto last week. That loss looks worse now for the Argonauts after BC thrashed Calgary, 37-9, last night.

That was the Argos' first loss of the season. They are 6-1 and have played only two above .500 opponents. The Argos rank sixth in total yards and yards allowed. That's below average.

Toronto will have Chad Kelly at quarterback. Kelly suffered an ankle injury last week, but has been cleared to play. However, Kelly - like Crum - relies on mobility and that mobility could be compromised by his ankle injury. Toronto also is banged-up on defense.

I don't see Calgary doing much damage against a BC defense that ranks No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. The visiting Stampeders have some respect on this line after upsetting Toronto last week. But Calgary caught Toronto when the Argos were flat and lost their QB, Chad Kelly, to injury during the game.

BC isn't going to lack motivation after suffering a 50-14 blowout road loss to Winnipeg last week. The Lions have starting QB Vernon Adams back from injury now.

The Lions are 3-0 SU and ATS at home this year. They've covered six straight home games going back to last season.

The teams met opening week in Calgary and BC won, 25-15. I see another double-digit win for the Lions here.

Winnipeg could come close to covering the Over just by itself. The Blue Bombers are averaging 30 points and rank No. 1 in total yards and passing yards Edmonton gives up the most total yards and rushing yards. The Elks give up the second-most points per game, too, at 26.5.

The Blue Bombers just produced 50 points against BC last week. The Lions had the best defense in the league entering that matchup. So I don't see how the Elks can keep Winnipeg from piling on points. Blue Bombers QB Zach Collaros leads the CFL in TD passes. He has four excellent receivers.

The key is how many points can the Elks put up? I believe they will contribute to this total going Over. They made a QB switch to dual threat Tre Ford and had a bye last week. Look for the Elks to show more on offense now.

This is what Ford said, "I like our offensive scheme going into this week. I feel like we've done really well in practice just executing the plays and moving the ball. Offensively, I feel like we're looking pretty strong right now. It's super exciting. ..."

They began the season as backups. But quarterbacks Dustin Crum of Ottawa and Mason Fine of Saskatchewan have earned my trust.

The highly mobile Crum has helped turn the Redblacks into the top rushing team in the CFL. Saskatchewan has struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks. The Roughriders are giving up 27.6 points in their last three games.

Fine has thrown for 302 and 284 yards, respectively, in his last two games going against Toronto and BC, who are a combined 12-3. Now he's stepping down in class. Ottawa will be without defensive back Brandin Dandridge, who has four interceptions. The Redblacks give up the third-most yards per game.

The Over has cashed six of the past eight times when the teams have played in Saskatchewan.

There are three elite teams in the CFL - Toronto, BC and Winnipeg. The other six CFL teams are all below .500. Calgary is 2-4. Montreal is 2-3.

The Stampeders have a higher ceiling than Montreal. Their won-lost record is a bit misleading with two of their losses coming to BC and Winnipeg. The other two defeats occurred in overtime by a combined five points.

Montreal has lost three in a row. Those defeats were to Toronto, Winnipeg and BC by an average of 12.6 points.

This really is a must-win spot for the Stampeders since their next four games are against Toronto, BC, Winnipeg and Toronto again. Calgary can't take a loss here to the Alouettes with that murderous schedule ahead of them.

The Stampeders rank fifth in both offense and defense yardage. They are the fourth-highest scoring team. QB Jake Maier is off his finest game throwing for 450 yards and four TD's in a 43-41 overtime loss to Ottawa last week.

I like the Stampeders to win the battle of the trenches in this one. The Alouettes have allowed a league-worst 26 sacks in just five games.

Calgary has covered 75 percent of its last 21 road games going 15-5-1 ATS.

Even with backup QB Dane Evans, BC should beat winless Edmonton by more than a touchdown.

The Elks have lost an unbelievable 20 straight home games, going 3-17 ATS in those games.

The Lions are 5-1 this season. All of their victories have been by double-digits. Their average victory margin is 16.4 points. They have the No. 2 defense in the CFL. This includes a 22-0 victory against the Elks at home in Week 2.

Edmonton has lost by double-digits when playing the elite teams of the CFL - Toronto, BC and Winnipeg. The Elks rank second-to-last in the league defensively.

Evans won't have Dominique Rhymes, but he still has other good receivers in Keon Hatcher, Justin McInnis and Lucky Whitehead. The Lions are deep at receiver. Evans also should be able to rely on a ground attack. Edmonton has the worst run defense in the CFL.

The Elks also have the worst offense in the league, ranking last in yards per game and scoring at 15 points per game.

Seems strange to say, but the Redblacks might have found their best quarterback in Dustin Crum following season-ending injuries to starter Jeremiah Masoli and Tyrie Adams.

You may recall Crum from his Mid-American Conference days with Kent State. He was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. Crum rallied Ottawa from a 25-6 deficit to a 31-28 upset overtime victory against Winnipeg last week. Crum accounted for 261 yards passing and another 103 yards rushing. This was against a Blue Bombers defense that gives up the second-fewest yards per game in the CFL.

Ottawa is now 2-3, same as Calgary. The Stampeders needed to pull out a 33-31 win against Saskatchewan last week to reach that mark. The Stampeders have not shown to be very good this season.

Calgary is giving up an average of 28 points its last three games. The Stampeders haven't faced many mobile QB's such as Crum either.

Ottawa ranks No. 2 in the CFL in fewest points allowed per game. The Redblacks defense should hold up against Calgary QB Jake Maier, who ranks in the bottom half among the passing yardage leaders in what has been a down year for CFL quarterbacks.

The Redblacks not only hold quarterback and defensive edges, but also get the checkmark on special teams. Calgary has given up a league-worst seven big return plays on special teams. The Stampeders have fared poorly spread-wise at home, too, covering only 25 percent of their last 28 home games going 7-21 ATS.

There are three powerful teams in the Canadian Football League this season - BC, Winnipeg and Toronto. 

Saskatchewan is at least two tiers below the Lions and could sink even more with its starting quarterback, Trevor Harris, out with injury. 

The Roughriders are 3-2. But two of those victories were against 0-6 Edmonton and the Roughriders only beat the Elks by a combined five points.

BC ranks No. 2 in points per game and yards per game. But the Lions really shine on defense, which is bad news for untested Saskatchewan backup QB Mason Fine. 

The Lions have the best defense in the CFL ranking No. 1 in fewest points and yards allowed. They also are No. 1 in pass defense and have the second-most sacks. 

BC also has a scheduling break coming off a bye. The Lions have film on Fine since he played after Harris suffered a serious knee injury in last Saturday's loss to Calgary. 

The Roughriders are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games and 0-5 ATS in their past five games versus above .500 opponents. BC has covered its last five home games.

Saskatchewan is 3-1 this season while Calgary is 1-3. But don't be deceived by those records.

The Roughriders own two victories against 0-5 Edmonton by a combined five points. Their other win was a 29-26 upset overtime win against Calgary three weeks ago.

Look for the Stampeders to get their revenge in this rematch. The Stampeders' other two losses were to powerful BC and Winnipeg, whose combined record is 8-2.

Saskatchewan is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games and has failed to cover its last four home games.

"We know we have to be better,'' Roughriders coach Craig Dickenson admitted.

Calgary is in near must-win mode. This is the Stampeders' fifth game. Their offensive line and QB, Jake Maier, should start showing improvement by this stage. Calgary is more talented than Saskatchewan. The Roughriders are dealing with a heavy injury list, too.

The Roughriders had a dozen players held out of practice among them kicker Brett Lauther, defensive back Rolan Milligan and defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II.

The Stampeders are 11-2-1 ATS the last 14 times following a loss. They have covered in six of their last eight visits to Saskatchewan.

This price is too short. Unbeaten Toronto has outscored its three opponents by an average of 17 points in going 3-0 SU and ATS.

Montreal opened with victories against Ottawa and Hamilton - whose combined record is 2-6 - but got crushed the past two weeks when stepping up in class losing to BC by 16 points and to Winnipeg by 14.

Toronto is another step-up game for Montreal. I don't see the Alouettes hanging within single digits.

The Argonauts should dominate the line of scrimmage. They are averaging nearly four sacks a game and have a ballhawking secondary. Montreal hasn't been able to protect QB Cody Fajardo giving up more than five sacks per game.

Toronto has the top rushing attack in the CFL with AJ Ouellette and Andrew Harris along with an athletic QB in Chad Kelly.

Montreal is the home team, but this spot is very much against the Alouettes. Toronto is off a bye. The Alouettes had to play in Vancouver this past Sunday and then make the nearly 3,000-mile trip back to Montreal. All of this on a short week with this being a Friday game.

Neither Ottawa nor Hamilton has been especially explosive this season. But I'm expecting a loose game between two bad teams.

The Redblacks should be pumped as their starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, will make his season debut after being injured. He's facing an 0-3 Hamilton team that gives up 37.3 points a game and has not come up with one takeaway yet.

Masoli should provide a needed spark operating against a defense that gives up the most points and yards per game of any team in the CFL.

The Tiger-Cats are off a bye giving backup QB Matthew Shiltz more time to prepare. Shiltz threw for 345 yards, but had two interceptions in his first start of the season replacing injured Bo Levi Mitchell two weeks ago. That was against Montreal, which gives up the fewest points per game in the league.

Hamilton scored 31 points in its opener against Winnipeg.

Coming off a bye, 1-2 Calgary has a chance to get back into contention in the tough West Division. Teams off a bye are 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS this season in the CFL.

Winnipeg is 3-1. But its offense and defense have yet to both play well in a game. The Blue Bombers gave up an average of 29.3 points during their first three games. They held Montreal to three points in a 17-3 win last week. The Alouettes average just 20 points. They rank fourth-from-the-bottom in points and yards gained per game. Montreal picked up 363 yards despite scoring only three points. There was bad weather in that game, too.

So I'm looking for the Stampeders to put up their share of points against a Blue Bombers defense that ranks below average in opponent yards per play. Calgary QB Jake Maier has played much better after struggling opening week against BC's top-ranked defense. The Stampeders have scored 26 points in each of their past two games while averaging 418 yards during this span. Maier averaged 310 yards passing in the last two games while throwing four touchdowns.

Calgary suffered wide receiver injuries, but gets back Reggie Begelton this week from a rib injury that kept him out of the Stampeders' last game.

The Blue Bombers have scored just 23 points in their last two games.

There are some strong trends that favor Calgary: The Stampeders are 11-1-1 ATS after not covering in their previous game, which they failed to do with an overtime loss to Saskatchewan, and they are 12-3-1 ATS during their last 16 road games.

Toronto is the defending Grey Cup champion. But I have both BC and Winnipeg ranked higher in my power ratings than the Argonauts.

BC is 3-0. The Argos are 2-0, but their victories were against Hamilton and Edmonton. The combined record of Hamilton and Edmonton is 0-7.

The Lions showed just how dominant they are with a 30-6 road win against Winnipeg in their last game on June 22. That was a monster victory for BC. But the Lions have had ample time to get ready for this matchup. They won't be having a letdown going against the defending champions.

BC is far and away the best defensive team in the league giving up just seven points a game and 236.3 yards. That's nearly 100 yards fewer per game than the No. 2 defensive yardage ranking team.

Edmonton averaged 6.6 points in three of its four games. The Elks scored 31 points against Toronto in its other game, although two of Edmonton's TD's came late when the game already had been decided. The final ended up, 43-31.

So that score wasn't as close as it looked. However, I see BC winning the battle of the trenches against the Argos and thus winning the game. The Lions are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 road games.

Montreal is 2-0. Winnipeg is off an embarrassing, 30-6, home loss to BC. Yet the Blue Bombers are around a touchdown favorite on the road against Montreal.

What does that tell you?

It tells me the Alouettes are a bogus 2-0 with victories against Ottawa and Hamilton, who are a combined 0-5.

I don't see Montreal successfully stepping up in class against what's sure to be an angry Blue Bombers squad. Even being dominated by BC, I still rank the Blue Bombers as the second-strongest team in the CFL. One terrible performance in two years against the best team in the league doesn't erase how potent their offense is. I fully expect Winnipeg to clean up its offensive line and for Zach Collaros to play much better. He has the weapons.

Montreal has good defensive statistics. However, Ottawa is the lowest-scoring team in the league at 13.5 points and Hamilton ranks third-from-last in points and yards.

Winnipeg is 6-2 ATS after not covering in its previous game. The Blue Bombers also have covered in seven of their last 10 visits to Montreal.

These teams are close to even. But Calgary's home field isn't worth this many points. Saskatchewan has a quarterback edge, too, with Trevor Harris against Jake Maier. The Stampeders also have a pair of key skill position injuries.

So I find good value taking Saskatchewan at more than a field goal.

Calgary showed a good run defense against Ottawa last week. However, the Roughriders can hurt the Stampeders through the air. Harris has four quality receivers. He passed for 413 yards and three TD's in a 45-27 shootout loss to Winnipeg last week. Saskatchewan opened its season with a 17-13 upset road victory against Edmonton.

The Stampeders have just one TD pass in their two games. Maier will be without star running back Ka'Deem Carey again and wide receiver Reggie Begelton is out, too. Begelton is Calgary's leading in receptions and receiving yards.

Calgary has failed to cover during 20 of its past 27 home games.

I like Montreal to spring a minor upset here. The Alouettes are off a bye and have the superior QB in Cody Fajardo, who looked good in his Montreal debut in Week 1.

Hamilton is without starting QB Bo Levi Mitchell, who is injured. Montreal has tape on Tiger-Cats' backup QB Matthew Shiltz.

The extra week of preparation should really help the Alouettes and Fajardo as he gets more in sync with his new team and receivers.

Montreal's defense looked good in its 19-12 opening week win against Ottawa. It was the top defensive performance of the week, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Alouettes are a strong road team covering 24 of the past 35 times. Hamilton has covered just once in its last eight Eastern Conference games.

These are the two best teams in the Canadian Football League. I expect offense to dominate.

Winnipeg is averaging 43.5 points and 447 yards, both league-leading marks. BC is second in yards per game at 427.

The Blue Bombers averaged 30 points last season and ranked No. 3 in yards. The Lions led the league in yards per game last year while also averaging 30 points.

So this is a heavyweight offensive matchup.

I don't see BC being able to stop Blue Bombers QB Zach Collaros, who has thrown for the most yards and TD's in the league so far this season. Collaros turns 35 this season, but is in top form. He has an elite receiver in Dalton Schoen. Winnipeg also has a dangerous return specialist in Janarion Grant.

BC QB Vernon Adams Jr. is second in passing yardage. The big question is can Adams fill the shoes of departed star QB Nathan Rourke. I believe he can because of his mobility and big arm.

So I'm expecting Adams to trade points with Collaros resulting in a high-scoring game.

BC is home after posting a 25-15 road win against Calgary opening week on June 8. The Lions led the CFL in points scored at home last season, averaging 32.1 points in nine games.

Look for the Lions to produce a big point total in this matchup based on how good QB Vernon Adams Jr. looked during preseason and in Week 1 throwing for 300 yards. BC rolled up 421 yards of offense. The Lions' found a good running back in Taquan Mizzell, who rushed for 81 yards on 12 carries.

Adams won't have injured Lucky Whitehead, but he has other quality wideouts, including star Dominique Rhymes. I see Edmonton have difficulty trying to cover Rhymes, Alexander Hollins and Jevon Cottoy while also having to pay attention to Mizzell.

The Elks have gone Over in eight of their last 10 road games.

Edmonton opened its season with a 17-13 home loss to Saskatchewan. I'm expecting Elks QB Taylor Cornelius to play better than he did against the Roughriders. He was comfortable throwing to Eugene Lewis, who hauled in five receptions for 148 yards.

Winnipeg and Saskatchewan each opened the season with victories. But that's where the similarities end.

The Blue Bombers are much better than the Roughriders. So I have no qualms laying a touchdown with them on the road. The Blue Bombers came within two points of winning the Grey Cup last season going 16-4 on the season, including playoffs.

Winnipeg has most of its core players back, including QB Zach Collaros, RB Brady Oliveria and WR Dalton Schoen. The Blue Bombers have defeated Saskatchewan seven straight times, including going 3-0 last season. They rolled past the Roughriders by a combined 52 points during the past two meetings.

Collaros was in good form in Winnipeg's, 42-31, opening week victory against Hamilton throwing for 354 yards and three TD's. The Blue Bombers compiled 499 yards of offense. Hamilton's 31 points were misleading. Defense and special teams played a big role in accumulating that total. The Blue Bombers held Ticats' QB Bo Levi Mitchell to 200 yards passing, picking him off twice.

Saskatchewan was 6-12 last year, 3-6 at home. The Roughriders nipped Edmonton, 17-13, on the road in Week 1. The Roughriders forced three turnovers, but gave up 202 passing yards. The Roughriders also suffered some key injuries. Wide receiver Derel Walker, who scored their lone TD last week, is out with a knee injury and QB Trevor Harris suffered a bruised hip late in the game.

Harris is likely to play, but he may not be 100 percent. I don't see him and Saskatchewan's offense keeping up with Winning's attack. I expect the Blue Bombers to be sharper in Week 2 after committing four turnovers against Hamilton yet still winning by 11 points.

I'm not a fan of either of the team's quarterbacks. The teams met once last year and Calgary beat Ottawa, 17-3.

I see another low-scoring game in this matchup.

Ottawa QB Jeremiah Masoli isn't ready to play yet so that means another week of Nick Arbuckle behind center. He's terrible. Arbuckle was 19-of-35 passing for 176 yards with no touchdown throws and three interceptions in a 19-12 loss to Montreal in last week's opener.

The Redblacks scored the second-fewest points in the CFL last season and failed to produce a TD against Montreal. Not a good sign.

Calgary lost, 25-15, to British Columbia as a small home favorite in its opener last week. Stampeders QB Jake Maier was 20-of-36 passing for 166 yards with one TD pass and one interception.

The Stampeders' defense is dropping way down in class going from BC's offense to Ottawa's.

Note that six of the past seven games in this series have gone Under.

Having clinched the top seed in the Western Conference and home field advantage in the playoffs, Winnipeg has nothing to gain in this game. So, not surprisingly, the Blue Bombers will be sitting out numerous starters, including QB Zach Collaros.

BC, however, is battling Calgary for the No. 2 seed in the West and home field advantage in the playoffs. This also is fan appreciation night in British Columbia so the Lions will be far more motivated than the Blue Bombers.

Ottawa has covered during each of its last NINE visits to Montreal. That's a strong historical trend. But there is much more as to why I like the underdog Redblacks to cover if not win straight-up.

Hamilton is the road team, but taking points with the Tiger-Cats is a bonus. I see Hamilton as the better team with the return of QB Dane Evans. He didn't play in Hamilton's last two games because of a shoulder injury. Evans had the second-most passing yardage in the CFL this season behind only BC QB Nathan Rourke. 

The two teams met July 30 in Calgary. There were 63 points scored in that game with Winnipeg winning, 35-28. That's the most points the Blue Bombers have allowed all season.

The Stampeders have the offense to produce points like that even with the QB change to Jake Maier. This is Maier's opportunity after he completed 14 of 18 passes for 156 yards to lead Calgary to a come-from-behind road victory against Toronto last week. The Stampeders rank No. 2 in the CFL in scoring at 29.8 points. They lead the league in rushing. So Maier has ground support.

The Blue Bombers are the third-highest scoring team in the CFL at 26.7 points. They were idle last week so they should have plenty of energy and a strong offensive game plan.

Edmonton and Ottawa are the two worst teams in the CFL. This should be a loose game featuring two mobile quarterbacks - Taylor Cornelius and probably Caleb Evans of the Redblacks. Evans played poorly against Calgary in Ottawa's last game. But he led the Redblacks to a victory against Toronto two games ago while being named CFL Top Performer for that week.

Ottawa ranks No. 2 in the CFL in total yardage yet averages only 19.8 points. Expect that to change here as Edmonton has the worst defense in the league. The Elks are giving up a whopping 36 points per game in nine games. So the Redblacks should finally produce points no matter if Evans or Nick Arubuckle, a former Elk player, should start.

Cornelius should be in line for a big game on the ground as Ottawa ranks third-from-the bottom in run defense. He has a top wide receiver in Kenny Lawler, who is tied for the most receptions in the CFL.

Ottawa has a very misleading 1-6 record. The Redblacks have lost five games by a combined 21 points. They lost twice to powerful 8-0 Winnipeg by an average of 4.5 points. Calgary just played Winnipeg twice and lost by seven points in each game against the Blue Bombers.

The Redblacks have their confidence up after getting that much needed first win against Toronto this past Sunday. Caleb Evans was effective for the Redblacks completing 24-of-29 passes for 286 yards and two TD's against the Argonauts. Evans has steadily been improving.

Calgary could be without its star running back, Ka'Deem Carey because of a hamstring injury. Carey is the second-leading rusher in the CFL and is tied for the most running TD's with five.

Hard to believe Ottawa is 0-6. The Redblacks have only been out of one game. All but one of their losses was by more than seven points. Ottawa is improving each week and due for positive regression.

Ottawa QB Caleb Evans has been improving as he gets more comfortable running the Redblacks' offense with starter Jeremiah Masoli out. Jaelon Acklin has the second-most receiving yardage in the league and Richie Leone has the second-highest punting average in the CFL at 48.2. Those are key weapons for the Redblacks.

Toronto has taken advantage of some scheduling breaks to go 3-2. But the Argos are not impressive. They have been outscored by 25 points and are minus 8 in turnover ratio. Toronto's last two wins were both against Saskatchewan and in one of those contests the Roughriders were short-handed due to a COVID outbreak.

You have to go back nine games to last season to find the last time the Argos were favored by more than three points. They are 1-5 ATS the last six times they've been chalk.

Saskatchewan could be far closer to full strength than it was last week because of injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak. The Roughriders aren't a very good team, though, even if healthy. They lost and failed to cover against Toronto in their last two games. The Roughriders gave up an average of 30.5 points to the Argos in those two games. 

The Roughriders have played an easy schedule. BC is the first strong Western Division foe Saskatchewan has faced. BC is 4-1 with the lone loss occurring to two-time defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg. The Lions rank No. 1 in totals yards and points per game. They also give up the fewest yards per game on defense along with ranking first in pass defense.

Roughriders QB Cody Fajardo sat out last week due to a knee injury. Jake Dolegala filled in for Fajardo and completed just 46 percent of his throws. Fajardo is likely to return here, but his mobility may be limited. 

Saskatchewan last played this past Sunday. So the Roughriders are on a short week. BC, by contrast, last played on July 21. So the Lions are on extra rest and prep time. 

Winnipeg is coming off a season-high 43-point scoring performance against BC, who gives up the fewest yards per game in the CFL. Now the Blue Bombers step way down in defensive class facing Edmonton. The Elks have the worst defensive numbers in the league, including allowing a CFL-worst 36.7 points per game.

QB Zach Collaros is off to an excellent start despite the Blue Bombers breaking in many new faces on offense. Winnipeg hasn't found a bell cow running back, but Collaros has found chemistry with his old receiving target from Hamilton, Greg Ellingson, and Dalton Schoen. Those two receivers have combined for 699 receiving yards, 44 receptions and six TD's in five games. Collaros has a 5-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 68 attempts during his past two games.

The Elks rank last in pass defense while also surrendering the most passing TD's. So Collaros is in line for another big performance.

Edmonton should do its part to help get this total Over. Winnipeg gives up the fewest points per game. However, the Blue Bombers' defensive statistics don't match that lofty No. 1 mark as Winnipeg ranks eighth in pass defense and sixth in total defense.

Montreal (1-4) and Ottawa (0-5) are the two worst teams in the Canadian Football League. Montreal is better. The oddsmaker certainly believes that making the Alouettes a road favorite. I'm on board with that thinking.

The Alouettes have only been outscored by two points on the season. They have covered 20 of their last 28 road games and are a perfect 6-0 ATS during their last six trips to Ottawa. 

The situation is slanted toward Montreal. The Alouettes last played this past Thursday. This will be just their third game since July 2. It's Montreal's second game under new coach Danny Maciocia. So there should be fewer mistakes and sloppiness. 

Ottawa is on a short week having suffered a tough two-point road loss to Hamilton this past Saturday. The Redblacks have problems at quarterback with Jeremiah Masoli out. Caleb Evans hasn't impressed with his lack of accuracy and newcomer Nick Arbuckle hasn't fully learned Ottawa's offense and remains unproven. 

The Alouettes may have found a quality runner in Walter Fletcher. He showed promise in his first start with Montreal, averaging 7.3 yards rushing and 9.0 yards per reception. Ottawa has struggled to stop the run and its secondary has injuries, which could mean a big game, too, from QB Trevor Harris. 

Both Winnipeg and British Columbia are unbeaten.

But statistically and situational-wise these teams are not that close. BC is much superior.

The Lions rank first in the CFL in the major categories in both offense AND defense. They have allowed just two sacks in three games. Nathan Rourke has opened the season with the highest completion percentage in any three-game span in CFL history going 88-for-105 for 83.8 percent.

The Blue Bombers average fewer than 22 points. They rank second-to-last in yards and are last in pass defense. They were fortunate to nip 1-2 Toronto last week in a 23-22 victory.

The Lions average the most yards in the league while giving up the fewest yards per game. They are the No. 1 passing and scoring team. Their defense is No. 1 against the pass and No. 2 against the run.

Winnipeg is getting a lot of respect based on its 4-0 record and being the defending Grey Cup champions. Right now, though, BC is the best team in the league. The spot sets up well, too, for the Lions as the Blue Bombers will be making the 1,318-mile, cross-country journey.

This was supposed to be a down season for two-time defending CFL champion Winnipeg. But the Blue Bombers are 3-0. Their stout defense is giving up just 13 points per game in victories against Hamilton and Ottawa twice.

The Blue Bombers are disciplined, well-coached under Mike O'Shea and won't beat themselves. That should prove to be enough to win by more than a touchdown against Toronto.

The Argos nipped Montreal, 20-19, in their opener failing to cover as 3-point home favorites. However, the 1-1 Argos were buried by BC, 44-3, in their last game raising a huge red flag about just how good they are.

Toronto surrendered 583 yards and 35 first downs in that loss. The Argos' defense last forced a two-and-out during the opening drive of their season-opener.

The Blue Bombers feature two top pass rushers in Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffocats. Toronto has a banged-up offensive line and a vulnerable defense.

So I see Winnipeg covering for the ninth time in the last 11 meetings against the Argos.

Both Edmonton and Hamilton are 0-3 on the season. But these are different types of 0-3.

Rebuilding Edmonton averages 18 points a game and has the worst defense in the CFL.

Hamilton's three losses have come to Calgary, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. Those three opponents have a combined record of 8-1.

Now the Tiger-Cats finally get to step down in class - way down in class. This is the Tiger-Cats' second home game. They were nipped by Calgary, 33-30 in overtime, during their first home game.

Hamilton is 14-6-1 ATS in its last 21 home contests.

Edmonton is giving rookie QB Tre Ford his first start. This is a tough road setting for Ford, who replaces Nick Arbuckle. Ford couldn't beat out Arbuckle during preseason. Ford has thrown three passes, completing one throw for eight yards. One of his passes was intercepted. The Elks are going to be without injured James Wilder Jr., their best running back.

Note, too, that the Tiger-Cats have covered the last four times they've played Edmonton.

The spot isn't great for British Columbia traveling on a short week. But the Lions' offense has gotten off to a great start averaging 51.5 points and 526 yards per game. Both lead the CFL. Nathan Rourke has quieted any critics so far with his quarterback play for BC.

The Over has cashed in seven of the Lions' last eight games going back to last season.

Ottawa should do its part to push this total Over behind QB Jeremiah Masoli. The Redblacks have played two games - both against defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg and its stout defense.

The Lions' defensive numbers are inflated because they played a pair of weak offenses, Edmonton and Toronto. Those two teams rank last and second-to-last offensively. Ottawa and the veteran Masoli should produce much better numbers against the Lions than the Elks and Argonauts did.

Expect the Redblacks to be fresh and have a strong offensive design since they were idle last week.

I saw enough improvement from Edmonton last week to feel confident they will cover this road game and provincial rivalry matchup getting more than a touchdown.
The Elks held Saskatchewan to 26 points last week after permitting a hideous 59 points to British Columbia opening week.

The Elks have been hurt by seven turnovers. They have several wideouts, though, who have displayed talent helping the Elks to the third-most receiving yards in the CFL. Kenny Lawler, for instance, enters this week with the second-most receiving yards in the league. Calgary surrenders the second-most passing yards in the CFL. The Stampeders are young in the secondary and are without their star cornerback, Tre Roberson. 

Calgary had to exert a lot of effort in posting a 33-30 comeback overtime victory against Hamilton last week. The Stampeders came back from a 24-3 deficit. The Stampeders' skill position players got beat up in that game, too, with Ka'Deem Carey, their best running back, knocked out in the first quarter. Backup RB Peyton Logan was injured in the second half. QB Bo Levi Mitchell is dealing with a foot injury. Carey is likely to play although Mitchell could be a game-time decision. 

Saskatchewan has one of the best defenses in the CFL. The Roughriders have held their first two opponents, Edmonton and Hamilton, to a combined 29 points.

Montreal is down its starting QB, Vernon Adams. He's in COVID-19 protocol. There's not much of a dropoff from Adams to backup Trevor Harris. Adams is more dynamic, Harris less turnover prone. The Alouettes are without their top running back, injured William Stanback.

Roughriders QB Cody Fajardo wasn't too sharp last week despite playing a horrible Edmonton defense. Saskatchewan is averaging only 17.2 points in its last seven road games going back to last season.

Montreal lost some key defensive players from last season. But the Alouettes held the Tiger-Cats to 20 points last week. They catch a break in that the Roughriders have far less practice time having just played last Saturday also on the road at Edmonton.

This is my Game of the Week.

This figured to be a rebuilding year for Edmonton. But it was shocking just how bad the Elks looked opening week in getting blasted by British Columbia, 59-15. The final score wasn't exaggerated. The Elks looked that bad on both sides of the ball. 

Edmonton didn't win one home game last season. Don't look for the Elks to end that streak here. 

Saskatchewan rolled past Hamilton, 30-13, in its opener last week. The Roughriders forced five turnovers and had eight sacks. This wasn't a fluke as the Roughriders have one of the top defenses in the CFL. 

I don't see Edmonton putting much - if any type of dent - into the Roughriders' defense. Saskatchewan QB Cody Fajardo should be in line for a big game against an Edmonton defense that couldn't tackle anyone last week. Those problems aren't going away so soon for Edmonton. 

Now that Bo Levi Mitchell is OK, I'm confident in taking the Stampeders. Calgary was the No. 3 scoring team in the CFL last year. They have a strong wide receiving corps and the top scoring running back in the league with Ka'Deem Carey. Linebacker Cameron Judge was brought in to strengthen the defense.

The Stampeders opened the season with a 30-27 win against Montreal. That game showed the Stampeders don't need Reggie Begelton, their top wide receiver, to have a big game. Begelton was quiet, but Richard Sindani had seven catches for 101 yards.

Hamilton didn't look good in its opener, losing, 30-13, to Saskatchewan. The Tiger-Cats gave up eight sacks, had no sacks and only rushed for 26 yards. QB Dane Evans was ineffective and his receivers weren't getting separation.

Calgary is 23-9 ATS (72 percent) the last 32 times as a road 'dog.

There were plenty of concerns entering this season about two-time defending CFL champion Winnipeg. Those concerns were well justified after the Blue Bombers escaped with a 19-17 home win against Ottawa this past Friday.

The two teams meet again this Friday in Ottawa. The Redblacks look much improved from last season. They outplayed Winnipeg putting up 142 more yards than the Blue Bombers.

The Blue Bombers aren't nearly as dynamic at receiver and running back like they were last season. They also are missing a key cog in their secondary with All-Star safety Braxton Alexander out with a knee injury. Redblacks QB Jeremiah Masoli threw for 380 yards against the Bombers and their struggling secondary.

Both teams had losing records last season. But Edmonton is worse. The Elks went 3-11 and are in rebuild mode with a new coach, Chris Jones.

I like Jones. He's a strong defensive coach. But it's going to take time for the Elks to improve. That was apparent in preseason when they looked terrible against Calgary in a 30-point loss.

QB Nick Arbuckle is a huge question mark for Edmonton. He has decent wideouts, but is playing behind a revamped offensive line that figures to struggle. Jones should upgrade a defense that permitted more than 30 points last season, but that is going to take time especially with the Elks having to learn Jones' complicated various schemes.

BC QB Nathan Rourke looked good in his last preseason showing. Unlike the Elks, the Lions have nearly their entire offensive line returning. They also have good receiving targets for Rourke. The Lions also get a strong check mark in the secondary.

I do believe the Lions will win. I'm not as comfortable laying more than a field goal with them, however. So I'm going to lay the high juice backing them on the money line.

There have been a number of rule changes made this season in the Canadian Football League. They favor offense. So expect higher scoring than perceived starting with this matchup.

Both teams have proven veteran QB's. Montreal has Vernon Adams behind center. Adams has one of the league's better running backs, William Stanback, and several good wide receivers to go with a solid offensive line.

Calgary has Bo Levi Mitchell, who should have a better season now that he's healthy after being banged-up last season. The Stampeders have a very good runner, too, in Ka'Deem Carey plus a number of excellent wideouts headed by Reggie Begelton and Kamar Jorden along with promising Luther Hakunavanhu.

A key factor for the Stampeders is that Montreal lost a lot of its key defensive players due to free agency. So the Alouettes defense figures to be down.

First off, weather factors here. It's going to be cold with a 70 percent chance of snow.

Both teams are in good defensive form, too. 

Hamilton is the No. 2 defensive team in the CFL giving up 17.4 points a game. The Tiger-Cats opened the playoffs with a 23-12 win against Montreal last week. Hamilton held Montreal's stud running back William Stanback to 46 yards on 16 carries. 

Toronto has held its last three opponents to an average of 15 points. Defensive guru Chris Jones was added to the Argos this season as a consultant. He could make a difference here with a strong defensive game plan.

Every point matters in this playoff matchup. So I'm going with the underdog Stampeders, who have won and covered their last three. Calgary also defeated Saskatchewan two of three during the regular season with all of the games being close. The Stampeders held the Roughriders to an average of 18.6 points in those three games. 

The Stampeders are 23-8 the past 31 times as a road 'dog. They've covered their last four games going 5-2 in away games this season. Calgary also has covered in five of its last six visits to Saskatchewan. 

Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell has found a welcomed target with Reggie Begelton returning to Calgary from the NFL. He caught seven passes for 119 yards in his return two weeks ago. I'm counting on Mitchell's veteran savvy and Calgary's elite defense. The Stampeders allowed the second-fewest TD's in the CFL while surrendering only 18.8 points a game. Tre Roberson gives the Stampeders an elite cornerback.

The Roughriders have a strong defensive front, but permit a league-worst 273.6 passing yards per game. Opponents scored 31 TD's against the Roughriders, which tied for the most in the league.

This is a big number for Montreal to lay. The Alouettes are 7-6. They are a playoff team, but not some dominant power.

The oddsmaker seems to believe the Alouettes will play hard against a bad Ottawa team because of home field incentive. The Alouettes would host Hamilton in the first round of the playoffs if the Tiger-Cats lose to Saskatchewan on Saturday provided Montreal defeats Ottawa. Hamilton is around a TD favorite against Saskatchewan.

What can be said for sure is Montreal and Hamilton are meeting next week in a playoff game. So this game is pretty much meaningless. The Alouettes aren't going to risk an injury just to have their starters play a full game. If Montreal were to jump out to a big lead, the backdoor would be left wide open as the Alouettes likely are going to play reserves a lot here.

Ottawa had a bye last week. So the Redblacks will be refreshed and loose this being their final game of the season. Ottawa played Toronto tough in its last game losing, 23-20, but covering as a 10 1/2-point 'dog.

Montreal has failed to cover eight of the last 11 times it has been favored. The Alouettes also are 0-6 ATS the past six times as home chalk. Ottawa has covered the past eight times when playing in Montreal.

This is a rare CFL Tuesday game caused by the original date being postponed due to COVID-19. It just might be the worst CFL game of the season, too.
Edmonton is 2-10. So why such a short point spread then?

The reason is Toronto clinched its first playoff spot since 2017 by defeating Hamilton this past Friday. The Argos' reward is they will be resting many of their starters as this game is meaningless to them. 

The Elks have the second-worst scoring offense in the CFL. They are averaging 16.6 points in their past five games.

Edmonton is on even a shorter week having last played just four days ago. 

This certainly doesn't allow for much practice time.  

These teams have every reason to just mail this one in with simple schemes that keep the clock moving. 

Montreal covered against Winnipeg last week and I expect the same this week as this game means nothing to the Blue Bombers and everything to the Alouettes.

Winnipeg has already clinched home field for the playoffs. The Blue Bombers are resting starters. Backup QB Sean McGuire likely is going to play a lot as Zach Collaros rests.

Montreal can rely on William Stanback, the leading rusher in the CFL. He rushed for 106 yards against the Blue Bombers last week.

Calgary is 4-2 in its last six games while BC has lost six in a row. 

The Stampeders have dominated this series winning nine of the last 11. 

The teams met at BC on Oct. 16 and Calgary stomped the Lions, 39-10. 

The Lions have been money-burners in November going 3-12-1 ATS. 

Calgary recently bolstered its wide receiving group adding Reggie Begelton. He's a former CFL All-Star. 

This is my CFL Game of the Month. It's a big game here and I'm going to ride the hot hand of Hamilton QB Jeremiah Masoli, who in his past four starts has thrown for 1,296 yards with nine TD's and no interceptions. Masoli is 6-2 lifetime against Toronto.

Toronto has allowed the second-most touchdowns in the CFL. Only Ottawa has given up more TD's and the Argonauts barely beat the 2-11 Redblacks, 23-20, last week.

The Argos lost their best running back, John White, to injury against Ottawa.

Hamilton has the second-best defense in the league giving up 17.5 points per game. That's seven points less per game than Toronto permits.

Surprising that this line opened so low. BC hasn't been competitive going 0-4 SU and ATS in its last four games. The Lions have lost their last three games by a combined margin of 114-19. A struggling offensive line and multiple injuries at wide receiver have rendered the Lions punchless.

Toronto is playing better having won a season-high two in a row. Both of those victories were achieved at home with the latter occurring just this past Wednesday against 2-6 Ottawa.