Weekly Predictor: Redemption for Hughes, Messam vs. former team

Jamie Nye

CFL.ca

@jamienye

It’s one of those games that could be determined simply by emotion. Jerome Messam and Charleston Hughes get their first lick at their former team when they take on Calgary Saturday night.

Before that gets underway, though, the Week 7 tab gets kicked off with Mike Reilly and the Eskimos heading to Montreal to take on the Als, who have had things buzzing with the addition of Johnny Manziel earlier this week.

The Argos and Bombers play each other for the second straight week, this time in Winnipeg. Can James Wilder Jr. answer back to Andrew Harris’ performance from a week ago?

Total CFL Pick ‘Em is back in 2018 and if you can pick the winners with regularity, you’ll have a chance to win $5,000. *View rules regarding streaks and prizing.

With the first game tabbed to kick off on Thursday, here are my picks for Week 7 of the CFL season.

EDMONTON @ MONTREAL

Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET

Mike Reilly comes into a game where the focus has been on the Als’ addition of Johnny Manziel. That certainly won’t phase the league’s top passer, however. (Johany Jutras, CFL.ca)

Johnny Manziel is getting all the headlines this week going into this game. Will he play? How much will he play? How well will he play?

Sure, it’s a great storyline. But the #1 passer in the game is playing in this one coming off a bye week with a growing star in Duke Williams catching the ball as the Eskimos want to keep pace with the Calgary Stampeders in this early season at the top of the West Division.

The Alouettes feel like they have a new hope, but it’s the Eskimos who will be the show on Thursday Night Football.

PICK: EDMONTON (90% confidence)

TORONTO @ WINNIPEG

Friday | 8:30 p.m. ET

It will be interesting to see if James Wilder Jr. can respond with a performance similar to that of Andrew Harris from a week ago. (Adam Gagnon, CFL.ca)

Andrew Harris had a huge game last week against Toronto and there is no reason why we won’t see more big numbers from number 33. Toronto didn’t look like they had an answer for the Bombers multi-dimensional running back.

James Wilder Jr. needs to answer back in the built-up battle of the two running backs promising 1,000/1,000 yard seasons. He might have a little more than he did last week but I don’t think it’ll be enough to upset the Bombers in Winnipeg.

PICK: WINNIPEG (75% confidence)

OTTAWA @ HAMILTON

Saturday | 4:00 p.m. ET

William Powell has been had a ‘do it all’ attitude in 2018. Can he be set loose on a Ticats’ defence that allowed over 150 yards on the ground last week? (The Canadian Press)

My upset pick of the week, as the REDBLACKS head to Hamilton after a dramatic win over the B.C. Lions last week.

Trevor Harris threw for over 300 yards and protected the football, which is the recipe for success in Ottawa. Add to that William Powell being another running back that can do it all out of the backfield is going to be hard to stop.

Watch however for the aerial assault to comeback in Hamilton following Jeremiah Masoli getting grounded by the Roughriders defence last week. Ottawa’s defence isn’t as talented a group as the Roughriders and I’m thinking this could be a 31-30 type game.

PICK: OTTAWA (10% confidence)

CALGARY @ SASKATCHEWAN

Saturday | 9:00 p.m. ET

It’ll be the first meeting with their former team, as Jerome Messam (above) and Charleston Hughes square off against the Stampeders as members of the Riders on Saturday night. (Matt Smith, CFL.ca)

Both teams are playing a West Division foe for the first time this season. There is no love lost between these two teams, especially with the dynamic of having Charleston Hughes and Jerome Messam now in green, feeling a bit disrespected by the Stampeders.

Bo Levi Mitchell will get another shot at Duron Carter as a defensive back as the last time these two teams played was Carter’s debut as a starter on defence and Carter ended up with an interception for a touchdown.

Calgary’s defence is #1 in the league, while the Roughriders offence has struggled for the most part. Saskatchewan did find a spark along the ground against Hamilton last week and it’s going to take another dominating effort along the ground to wear down that Stampeder defence.

The Riders definitely have a shot to win this one at home, but I can’t pick them yet over the Stamps until I see more consistency from the offensive side of the ball.

PICK: CALGARY (50% confidence)

NOTE – Saskatchewan should be happy considering every time I pick the opponent against the Riders… Riders win.

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QUARTERBACK – Matt Nichols – The Toronto Argonauts haven’t been able to get to the quarterback this season and QBs are at their best when they’ve played the Argos. Nichols may have more speed in the receiving corps with Adarius Bowman moving on, although Nichols was doing just fine without much production from the veteran receiver.

RUNNING BACKS – C.J. Gable / Andrew Harris – How can you bench Harris when he’s playing Toronto again. He put up huge numbers last week and let’s roll with him again this week. C.J. Gable was back practising with the Eskimos and appears ready to go against Montreal. A big lead early for the Eskimos should allow Gable to run the ball more and pile up some yards.

RECEIVERS – DaVaris Daniels / Derel Walker – I know, I know, I’m crazy for not playing either Duke Williams or Eric Rogers. But I’m going with the theory that more coverage should start to roll over to those players and some stars will benefit on their team. Daniels and Walker are definitely receivers that will make you pay if you match them up one on one and they also have the top quarterbacks to find them open when they bring out the iPad following the first couple of series.

FLEX – John White – WHAT VALUE for a starting running back who found the end zone last week against Saskatchewan. I think White will see more of the ball in the run and shoot offence of June Jones. He also has the ability to haul in a dump or screen pass from Masoli and then make big yards with it. And again…. 3,112???… that isn’t going to last long.

And to make this all work … I have to leave the defence empty.

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