It’s been a rough couple weeks for many #TotalPickEm players, compounded last week by upsets in Regina and Winnipeg.
After a 21-10 start to the season, our picks are 2-5 over the last two weeks — such is life in the Canadian Fun League. Nobody knows who’s capable of what in any given week.
In #TotalPickEm, players are competing for a $5,000 end-of-season cash prize. In addition, the best predictor each week wins two tickets to any 2018 regular-season CFL game of their choice.
So, whether you’ve been invested in this from day one, or you’re just creating your profile and locking in your first picks of the season: You have something to play for.
Let’s take a peek at the Week 11 matchups.
Thursday | Edmonton at Hamilton
There’s no doubt the Esks looked great at times against Montreal, but there are nagging issues: Inconsistent pass protection, ill-timed penalties. Much of what has dogged them throughout the season.
Hamilton, meanwhile, is fresh off a bye — with the added pressure of Ottawa and Toronto wins while they were off.
This is a tricky one to call.
Edmonton continuously shoots itself in the foot, but Jason Maas’s team is still 6-3. Hamilton is that 3-5 team which the consensus believes is better than its record, but the Ticats have yet to prove it.
A couple stats to keep in mind: The Esks are just 2-2 away from Commonwealth this season. Hamilton is 1-4 against the West. Edmonton is 5-2 since losing to the Tabbies back in Week 2.
PICK: Edmonton. Mike Reilly and the Esks are a scary offence — especially when/if they figure out their discipline issues.
Friday | Toronto at Montreal
The Argos have had new life breathed into them by journeyman QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and now sit tied for second in the East.
Montreal is firmly anchored to the bottom of the division at 1-8, but sits a not-insurmountable 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Antonio Pipkin will almost certainly make his second start in a row for the Als on Friday; to be fair, the team’s sixth-stringer had arguably the team’s best quarterbacking performance of the season last week (217 yards, TD, INT) in Edmonton.
It’s not as though Toronto has looked anything near consistent over the course of its last two victories, either: The Argos have bucked and swayed through two nail-biters.
PICK: Montreal. The season is on the line for Mike Sherman’s team. If the Als can keep it close in the first half, they have every chance of engineering a much-needed upset at Molson Stadium.
Saturday | Winnipeg at Calgary
The Stampeders return home off a shock loss in Regina to face the Bombers on Saturday afternoon.
Winnipeg has Saskatchewan breathing down its neck, while Calgary is beginning to see Edmonton closer in its rearview mirror than anybody anticipated.
Both teams will be looking to bounce back from Week-10 losses, no doubt.
But Calgary has a message to send. DeVone Claybrooks’s defence has one to send. Bo Levi Mitchell has one to send.
There’s a reason the Stampeders have been the best team in the league for the better part of four seasons, and they’ll likely show us why come Saturday.
PICK: Calgary. A team that good is unlikely to lose back-to-back games, and is also, oh, 27-3 at home since 2015.
Saturday | Saskatchewan at BC
Last week’s 13-point win over Calgary certainly felt like a statement by Chris Jones and his Riders team, but this week’s test — on the road against a desperate BC squad — will be entirely different.
Call it the Travis Lulay effect, or the fact that Wally Buono’s Lions have their backs against the wall in the West, but a lot of people are taking the Lions on home turf.
Like, over half.
This is about as ‘toss-up’ as a game gets: Two teams separated by a single win, with similar points for (191 v 180) and points against (202 v 212) totals.
Saskatchewan’s defence could be seen as the game-breaker here: If they can make Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stamps looks average, they can make any other team look worse than that.
But there’s something about Travis Lulay and the Lions…
PICK: BC. Yes, this is a sentimental pick, but it seems like we’re not the only ones onboard the Travis Lulay/Wally Buono train. BC’s 3-5, and can’t afford to lose this game. Period.
Week 10: 1-3
Season: 23-15 (.605)
