Week 13 in the CFL. Passing on Hamilton-Winnipeg.

Although I selected the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to beat the sad-sack Hamilton Tiger-Cats on 92-CITI-FM on Thursday morning, I just didn't get around to blogging about that game this week.

My excuse? The NFL has started and well, you know. There is just something about The League that has me mesmerized. Things like trying to figure out who can play quarterback and who can't. Sort of the same conundrum being pondered by Herman Edwards in Kansas City and Brad Childress in Minnesota.

Anyway, it's a chilly Saturday morning here in the 'Peg, the Bombers snuck past a dreadful Hamilton Tiger-Cats team 25-23 on Friday night (thanks to the fact the 'Cats botched a 25-yard field goal in the final minute) and I'm 1-0. 

As the remainder of Week 13 unfolds, remember to pay attention to West vs. East. This season in the CFL, the Western Conference has played the Eastern Conference 18 times. After Calgary beat Montreal last week and Edmonton beat Hamilton, the West now leads the East 15-3.

As a result, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who are scuffling along at 4-8 — but with two straight wins in Ontario — could finish 6-12 this season and still easily make the playoffs, despite the crossover rule, thanks to the fact that Toronto still has five games of its final seven against the West.

Keep that little thought foremost in your mind, but also remember this: home teams are 25-21 this season, but the record would be much better if the stinkin' Ticats weren't 1-6 at Ivor Wynne (Why would you pay hard-earned money to watch them play?). 

Because Montreal is 4-1 at home, I'm taking an Eastern team to beat a Western team this week, but if the records suggest there is an upset in the making, Edmonton-at-Montreal is it.

Let's look at the remainder of Week 13…

Toronto Argonauts (4-7) at Calgary Stampeders (7-4) 

Saturday, 5:30 p.m. CT, TSN

Boy, is this a no-brainer, That's probably why Sport Select is offering a meagre 1.15 for the Stamps. Toronto, the worst team in the CFL by a long shot (yep, the Argos are worse than Hamilton), is starting Cody Pickett (a former high school rodeo champion, no less) at quarterback in Calgary this week. That just makes the acquisition of Kerry Joseph look even worse. What were the Argos thinking (Sorry, I guess we've asked that question since the pre-season)? A healthy Stamps team will beat the Argos by four touchdowns, especially after QB Henry Burris is coming off a week in which he had very few brain farts — 408 yards, five touchdown passes and player of the week honours.

Pick: Calgary

B.C. Lions (6-5) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-3)

Saturday, 8:30 p.m. CT, TSN

Two teams that met last week at B.C. Place Stadium meet up again in Regina this weekend. Last week, B.C. beat the Riders 28-23 in a dandy football game by using Charles Roberts to grind out the clock. The Riders are still struggling with all those injuries, but they should be better this week and they're also riding the solid quarterbacking of Michael Bishop these days. The Lions, a team that is just about guaranteed a playoff berth even though they are fourth in the West look better behind a comfortable and confident Buck Pierce.

Pick: Saskatchewan

Edmonton Eskimos (7-4) at Montreal Alouettes (7-4) 

Sunday, 12 Noon CT, TSN2

Montreal, 4-1 at home this season, lost out west last week (as expected) and that put a halt to their five-game winning streak. This week, they're back in the little band box at McGill and should prevail against an Edmonton team that is much improved from 2007, but is 5-1 at home and a mere 2-3 on the road.

Pick: Montreal

Last Week: 3-1

Season: 24-12