August 21, 2019

Weekly Predictor: Tabbies with the edge in BC?

The Canadian Press

Total CFL Pick ‘Em is back for 2019, allowing fans to pick a winner and set their confidence level in every game this season. It’s free to play, and with weekly winners and a season-long prize of $5,000, there’s nothing to lose. *View rules regarding streaks and prizing.

The only thing missing for Week 11 are The Reklaws as the Thursday night schedule ended last week.

So we have to wait until Friday for the first contest and it begins with the game of the week.

There is plenty of intrigue with the top two teams in the league, Winnipeg and Edmonton, going head-to-head at Commonwealth Stadium.

The Bombers will get their first look at Chris Streveler as a starting quarterback this season with Matt Nichols now on the six-game injured list.

Streveler has a tonne of pressure on him as he takes over a 7-2 team who have been rolling.

Meanwhile, Edmonton is very good at home with an excellent opportunity to tie Winnipeg at the top of the West Division.

While the offensive players are grabbing the headlines, these are also the top two defensive teams in the CFL.

GET READY FOR WEEK 11
» Total CFL Pick ‘Em | TSN CFL Fantasy
» The DailyRoto 2019 CFL Fantasy Guide
» Subscribe to the CFL Fantasy Podcast

The doubleheader Saturday starts with the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

Will the promotion of Joe Paopao to offensive play caller spark this struggling offence in Ottawa? If they want to win in Saskatchewan, it’ll have to be a yes.

The Riders are riding a four-game win streak and come off a refreshing bye week to continue their climb up the West standings. Cody Fajardo and company are now third in the division and depending on what happens Friday, the Riders could be able move up to second with a win.

The BC Lions host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the second game on Saturday.

It’s a rematch of the Lions collapse two weeks ago when the Tiger-Cats clawed back late to win 35-34 in Hamilton.

BC is watching the rest of the West run away from them in the standings are entering the back half of the season needing a major miracle.

Hamilton is on the opposite end. They’re trying to run away in the East Division with a two-game edge over Montreal entering the week.

The week ends in Moncton with the Touchdown Atlantic game between Montreal and Toronto. The Argos could do themselves a huge favour with an upset win over Montreal.

While they only have one win, their road to the playoffs is a little closer than that of the BC Lions. They’ll need this one to likely give them much of a hope.

The Alouettes will try to get their second-straight win to keep Hamilton in their sights for a race for first in the division in the second half of the year.

For more CFL game odds search for LeoVegas.

Winnipeg at Edmonton
Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Edmonton (-7.5)
O/U: 47.5 points

Will Trevor Harris lead his Eskimos to victory on Friday night? (The Canadian Press)

This could be a statement game for both teams. For the Bombers, it would be an incredible statement to go to Edmonton and beat the Eskimos in the first week without Matt Nichols.

The Eskimos are looking for a three-game win streak as Trevor Harris and company will try to avenge the 28-21 loss back in Week 3.

It’s the last meeting between the two teams so you have to think that seven-point differential could be something to watch if the Eskimos are up late.

These teams have shown they can win with offence and defence but it could be too much to ask Streveler to take on the strong Eskimos defence in his first start of the year.

PICK: EDMONTON (50 confidence bonus)

Ottawa at Saskatchewan
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Saskatchewan (-10.5)
O/U: 48.5 points

William Powell will look to expose the REDBLACKS run defence this weekend (Richard Lam/CFL.ca)

To think back in Week 2 when the REDBLACKS beat the Riders the teams were 2-0 and 0-2 respectively. Since, the Riders are 5-1. The REDBLACKS are 1-6.

These two teams are going in opposite directions and the REDBLACKS are shuffling the coaching staff this week on offence to try to get something going. While the playbook won’t change much under Joe Paopao, we’ll see if this makes any difference.

The test for Paopao’s offence is a big one as the Riders are among the best defences in the league.

Meanwhile, the strong Roughriders run game takes on the struggling REDBLACKS defence, who have given up over 400 yards of offence in all but two games this season.

PICK: SASKATCHEWAN (90 confidence bonus)

Hamilton at BC
Saturday, 10:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Hamilton (-3.5)
O/U: 47.5 points

Will Brandon Banks and the Ticats come back home with a win against BC? (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

You have to think the Lions are feeling as confident as ever after having the late lead against Hamilton just two weeks ago before seeing their second win of the season slip away.

It is a late game in Vancouver for an Eastern team as well. The Ticats bodies will tell them it’s 11 p.m. at kickoff. These games have traditionally been a challenge, especially late when the body is at 1 a.m. late in the third quarter.

These are built in excuses for the Tiger-Cats, who won’t want to hear it. They’re 7-2 and one of the best teams in the league. They have strong defence that was very disappointed allowing John White to have a big game two weeks ago on the ground.

Dane Evans is still trying to find a groove as the Tiger-Cats starter but has tremendous talent around him to help.

I’m thinking the scare from two weeks ago will be enough to keep the Ticats focused against a one win team.

PICK: HAMILTON (25 confidence bonus)

Montreal at Toronto (Touchdown Atlantic)
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Montreal (-6.5)
O/U: 55.5 points

Vernon Adams Jr. and the Alouettes will be looking to build on their win against Calgary last week (The Canadian Press)

I’m not sure how this neutral site game will have on either team having much of a fan base, though the game is a lot closer to Montreal than it is to Toronto.

The Alouettes have been in all but one game, while the Toronto Argonauts head coach Corey Chamblin has admitted this is a long term fix in Toronto.

That doesn’t instill a lot of confidence for the Argos to pull off the upset against an Alouettes team who just pulled off one of the great comebacks and in a tough place to win in Calgary.

Vernon Adams Jr. and the Alouettes now believe in what they’re doing and each other. Toronto doesn’t seem to have the playmakers to keep up right now to provide a spark.

PICK: MONTREAL (50 confidence bonus)


TSN CFL Fantasy presented by LeoVegas

Week 11 lineup: