The six CFL playoff-bound teams are pretty well determined: Montreal and Winnipeg in the East and Calgary, Edmonton, B.C. and Saskatchewan in the West.
One of those Western teams, however, will morph into an Eastern team and play the Eastern semifinal in Winnipeg on Nov. 8. That team is beginning to look like Saskatchewan, a team that has been so ravaged by injuries this year that it looks more like the Hilltops than the Roughriders.
Montreal has the East by the cojones, Winnipeg could finish 6-12 and still play host to the Eastern semifinal. The West, however, remains a competitive quandary. Will Calgary hold on or will Edmonton catch its hated rival? Will B.C. or Saskatchewan get to make the trip to Winnipeg as opposed to say, Edmonton?
Frankly, If I were a slumping Western team right now, I’d rather finish last in the West than third. Playing in Winnipeg as opposed to Calgary or Edmonton in the semifinal would be a lot more inviting.
All that’s left in the CFL regular season is to determine which team finishes in which spot in the West.
So let’s take a closer look…
B.C. Lions (9-6) at Edmonton Eskimos (9-6)
Friday, 8 p.m. CT, TSN
The B.C. Lions appear to be playing like a team that is trying desperately to finish fourth in the West. They were dreadful last week against Edmonton in their own barn and it now looks like they’d much rather play Winnipeg than the Eskimos. And why not? The Lions are 3-5 against the West and 6-1 against the East. The Eskimos are about to get a home-and-home sweep under their belts. And, oh yeah, Ricky Ray has never looked better.
Pick: Edmonton
Montreal Alouettes (10-5) at Toronto Argonauts (4-11)
Saturday 2 p.m. CT, TSN
This game isn’t fair for two reasons. No. 1 Don Matthews is 69 and he hasn’t won a game since his return to coaching this season and No. 2, Anthony Calvillo is the best player in the CFL. Tough combination for a wonky Argos team that would have a lot of trouble beating the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Calvillo has already thrown for 5,097 yards this season and Ben Cahoon will soon become the third leading all-time receiver in CFL history — even though the current No. 3 (Milt Stegall) is still playing. This Montreal team should win the Grey Cup.
Pick: Montreal
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-9) at Calgary Stampeders (10-5)
Saturday 5:30 p.m. CT, TSN
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are so convinced they’re finishing second in the East, they started selling playoff tickets to the general public today. In fact, if Montreal beats Toronto (which they will), the Bombers could clinch that No. 2 spot in the East before the game begins. Calgary is a 10 1/2-point favourite and for good reason. If the Stampeders defence is even marginally decent, the Stamps will win by two touchdowns. But then again, that defence has more brain farts than Brain Fart Burris.
Pick: Calgary
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-12) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-6)
Sunday, 2 p.m. CT, TSN
This could be the best game of the week. Neither team is very good and the Saskatchewan slump prompted one Blue Bombers defensive player to say this week: “I wouldn’t mind another shot at Saskatchewan. That team is on the way down.” They’re on the way down because they have no players left. No team has suffered more injuries to key starters this season than Saskatchewan and last week, in a 43-5 shellacking at the hands of Calgary, they looked like a junior team. Derian Durant will get the ball this week, replacing Michael (The Bust) Bishop. The Tiger-Cats, despite some decent vibes from young QB Quinton Porter two weeks ago, were awful against Montreal last week and are the worst team in the CFL for the fourth consecutive year. Since the West always beats the East at home, the Riders will get their groove back.
Pick: Saskatchewan
Last Week: 3-1
Season: 36-16
Related posts: