Week 18 in the CFL. Will Saskatchewan or Edmonton be the crossover team?

The six CFL playoff-bound teams are all set: Montreal and Winnipeg will play host to post-season games in the East. Calgary, Edmonton, B.C. and Saskatchewan have all made it in the West, but we still aren't sure who will play whom.

That's because one of those Western teams will morph into an Eastern team and play the Eastern semifinal in Winnipeg on Nov. 8. That team will be Edmonton if they lose to Saskatchewan on Saturday night, but the Roughriders have been so ravaged by injuries this year that it's hard to imagine them beating a good opponent anytime soon. And Edmonton IS a good opponent.

Frankly, if I were Edmonton right now, I'd throw the game, rest my stars and finish last in the West. Playing in Winnipeg in the Eastern semifinal on a cold, November Saturday as opposed to playing in Calgary or Saskatchewan in the semifinal would be a lot more inviting. When you consider the West is 22-6 against the East this season, playing the Bombers would be a lot better than playing against a Western rival.

So that's it. All that's left in the CFL regular season is to determine which team finishes in which spot in the West.

So does all this sound familiar to you? It should. The league has been like this for almost the entire season and now the CFL is finally — we're told — discussing a change to the concept of divisional alignments.

In fact, I'll be on the Saskatchewan Roughriders pre-game show this Saturday evening (around 5 p.m. CDT) with host Roger Currie, discussing my column in last week's National Post where I suggested the CFL needed to go to an non-divisional, eight-team format as soon as possible.

In the meantime, let's take a closer look at Week 18…

Calgary Stampeders (11-5) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-13)

Friday, 6:30 p.m. CT, TSN

As always we can go two ways — take the home team or take the Western team against the Eastern team. Since, the West over the East always trumps home team, there is little doubt about the outcome of this baby. Calgary has won two straight while Hamilton has lost two straight and while folks seem to think Quinton Porter is the future of the Ticats, the future isn't now. Vegas has made the Stampeders 10 1/2-point favourites for good reason. Granted, Calgary has lost its last two games in Hamilton, but that isn't going to matter this week. The Stamps clinch first in the West with a win.

Pick: Calgary

Edmonton Eskimos (9-7) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-6)

Saturday 6 p.m. CT, TSN

Under normal circumstances, I would never pick a visiting Western team to beat a home Western team, but this game is different. Saskatchewan is so banged up it's a minor league team and this week, head coach Ken Miller is forced to go with Steven Jyles at quarterback. Granted Saskatchewan is coming off a win (albeit 30-29 over Hamilton at Mosaic Stadium in Regina) while Edmonton lost to B.C. at home last week, but the Riders are just such a physical mess, it's hard to imagine they can shut down Ricky Ray and the Eskimos offence. On the upside for Saskatchewan, Andy Fantuz is back from injury this week.

Pick: Edmonton

Toronto Argonauts (4-12) at B.C. Lions (10-6)

Saturday 9 p.m. CT, TSN

Toronto has lost seven in a row and head coach Don Matthews has yet to win since returning to the coaching ranks with the Argos this year. Here's a combination: Toronto is embarrassing and no team from the "real" Eastern Conference has won in B.C. since 2004. This game really is unfair. The Lions are 14-point favourites and that might be flattering to the Argos.

Pick: B.C.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-10) at Montreal Alouettes (11-5)

Sunday, 12 Noon, CT, TSN

Gotta wonder how many people will bother to watch this one — a completely meaningless game — in the middle of an NFL Sunday. The Als have won two in a row, are 10-point favourites and have wrapped up first place in the East. They will be the only Eastern Division team with a winning record this season. Amazingly, Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo does have something to play for. He has 42 touchdown passes this season, six shy of Doug Flutie's single-season CFL record. He might set the record this week considering Henry Burris threw five TD passes against Winnipeg last week. The Als will also want to send Winnipeg a message just in case the two teams meet in the Eastern final.

Pick: Montreal

Last Week: 3-1

Season: 39-17