Daniel Crump/CFL.ca
Eek. Week 5 was unkind to Blitz Picks as we stumbled to a 4-6 mark to drop our season record to 28-22. Here’s an exceedingly early wish that Week 6 will be more forgiving.
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» Prediction Time: CFL.ca writers’ Week 6 picks
1) Will a game in Week 6 be won on a rouge?
No. Rare is the opportunity to see a last-second rouge decide the fate of a game, so consider the happenings at the end of last week’s Edmonton-Saskatchewan contest more like a Christmas in July that the football gods granted us.
2) Will Edmonton end its home losing streak when the Elks host Hamilton on Thursday?
No. The Tiger-Cats hold a bit of mastery over the Elks, having won four of the past five meetings between the teams. Hamilton also appears to have found a sense of balance after downing Ottawa to get their first win of 2023 in Week 5. It will happen someday soon, Edmonton. However, it won’t be on Thursday.
3) Will Hamilton’s Marc Liegghio connect on more or less than 4.5 field goals this week against Edmonton?
Less. One of three kickers who enter Week 6 having yet to miss a field goal, Liegghio will get his share of points, but count on the Tiger-Cats’ offence finding the end zone enough to where Liegghio is kicking more PATs than field goals.
4) Which Montreal receiver (Quartney Davis, Kaion Julien-Grant, Austin Mack, Tyler Snead) will have the most receiving yards in Week 6?
It would be hard to go against the league leader in receiving yards, so the bet here lies with Mack, who tops the CFL with 388 yards entering Week 6. Julien-Grant is third (351). However, the past two weeks have seen Davis and Snead become more involved in the Alouettes’ passing game, which gives pivot Cody Fajardo even more options downfield.
5) Will Toronto force more or less than 2.5 turnovers against Montreal this week?
The Argos’ defence will look to build off of the six-interception performance it generated two weeks ago against BC (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
Let’s go with less. The Alouettes have committed the third-fewest turnovers in the league yet will have to be mindful of an Argonauts’ defence that has forced a league-best 13 miscues.
6) Will Winnipeg’s Adam Bighill record more than 4.5 tackles this week against Ottawa?
Yes. Bighill is among the league leaders with 24 defensive plays and will be able to generously add to that total against a REDBLACKS offence that will likely give quarterback Dustin Crum his first CFL start as the team must rally around another season-ending injury to pivot Jeremiah Masoli.
7) Will Ottawa’s Dustin Crum lead the team in rushing this week against Winnipeg?
No. Crum rushed for 91 yards on just six carries in Week 5 and will give the REDBLACKS another element to the offence. However, the Blue Bombers are certain to keep a spy on Crum, so expect either RBs De’Montre Tuggle or Jackson Bennett to be the focus of the ground attack.
8) Will Saskatchewan’s Trevor Harris throw for more or less than 299.5 yards this week against Calgary?
A strong yes here. Harris has averaged 323.3 yards per game in his last three outings and gets an opportunity to face a Stampeders’ defence that is eighth in opponents’ pass efficiency and seventh in opponents’ completion percentage.
9) Will Calgary’s Dedrick Mills rush for more or less than 99.5 yards this week against Saskatchewan?
More. The Stampeders are going to need a huge outing from Mills, who is third in the league with 273 rushing yards. Mills has averaged a CFL-best 91 yards per game. It would not be a stretch for him to record his second 100-yard game of the season since he’s facing a Roughriders’ run defence that is seventh in the league with 112.8 yards allowed per game.
10) Will the margin of victory in the Calgary at Saskatchewan game be more or less than 3.5 points?
Less. Three of the past five meetings between the franchises were decided by a field goal, including the Riders’ 29-26 overtime win in Week 3. In the two other games, the Stampeders won by margins of 11 and 26 points.
