Timothy Atticus/CFL.ca
TORONTO — If you were the kind of kid (or perhaps are the kind of adult) that wanted dessert before dinner, or didn’t want to wait to open presents on your birthday, Week 9 of the CFL season is for you.
You only have three days’ worth of anticipation to deal with before we get one of THE heavyweight battles of the regular season, when the BC Lions visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday night at IG Field.
For the Bombers, it’s a chance at redemption after the Lions thumped them soundly at home in their first meeting in a 30-6 game. For the Lions a win would make a tremendous statement, not only to the Bombers — a win would give them the season series — but to the rest of the league about where this BC team stands in terms of its Grey Cup aspirations.
The Bombers have had two uncharacteristic losses on their record this season: the Week 3 defeat to the Lions, then their Week 6 collapse against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. A win over the Lions on Thursday won’t take either of those losses away but it would show that this Bombers team can tap into that high level of play it has shown as its standard over the past three seasons.
There’s a lot at stake on Thursday and thankfully for all of us, we don’t have to wait much longer to have the next chapter in this budding rivalry written.
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BC at WPG
Six weeks after the Lions stunned the Bombers with an emphatic 30-6 win at IG Field, these teams meet again in Winnipeg. With teams returning from a bye week boasting an 8-1 record this season, the edge should go to the Bombers. The Lions’ impressive defensive effort against Zach Collaros and the Bombers can’t be overlooked, though. The writers are split on this one. The fans lean toward the rested home team. Whatever the outcome, we should be in for a treat on Thursday night.
PICK
Writers: 50-50 split
Fans: 66% Winnipeg
TOR at CGY
The Stamps begin a difficult stretch of their schedule, where they’ll see the Argos twice, along with the Lions and Bombers in their next four games. The fans at McMahon Stadium are hoping to see the high-octane version of the Stamps’ offence and not the one that failed to find the end zone in the Week 8 finale in Montreal. The Argos come in looking to push their perfect start to the season to seven games, but will be looking for some improved offensive production as well, after managing just 200 net yards of offence in their Touchdown Atlantic win over Saskatchewan. Those making picks see that happening.
PICK
Writers: 100% Toronto
Fans: 88% Toronto
MTL at HAM
The Ticats host the Als in a second-place showdown on Saturday night. The Ticats, we assume, will go back to Taylor Powell at quarterback after Bo Levi Mitchell‘s injury. The Alouettes come into Tim Hortons Field looking for their first winning streak of the season and ride the momentum of a strong defensive performance that limited the Stamps to six field goals. The pick makers lean to the Als on this one, with the Ticats sitting at just 1-2 at home this year.
PICK
Writers: 66% Montreal
Fans: 79% Montreal
OTT at SSK
The Riders got close to the end zone more than once in their Touchdown Atlantic loss to the Argos, but weren’t able to get in there until backup Jake Dolegala got in the game. His touchdown connection with Shawn Bane Jr. was a footnote in a lopsided affair and it’ll fall to Mason Fine again to turn the 300-plus yards he led the offence to into touchdowns instead of field goals. He’ll attempt that against a tough REDBLACKS defence that is second in the league in interceptions (13), with Brandin Dandridge responsible for four of them.
PICK
Writers: 66% Ottawa
Fans: 55% Saskatchewan
