CFL WEEK 20 PREVIEW & PICKS

BY ADAM GREENE

Well, we’ve almost made it. Here, as we enter Week 20, this is officially the penultimate regular season week of Canadian Football League action.

We have all but one of the playoff spots settled, but still don’t have a CFL West champion. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have the inside track after their big win over the BC Lions two weeks ago, but they still need to get the job done over the final two weeks of the season. Luckily for them, the have the Edmonton Elks this week and the Calgary Stampeders in Week 21.

The BC Lions have the Stampeders this week and then get to watch everyone else figure it out from their Barcaloungers on a bye in the final week of the season.

You and me? We’ve got the odds, lines and totals with which to make watching these games, sticking them in parlays across leagues and making some cash while we can with football played above the Great Ice Wall.

POWER RANKINGS

1. WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS (12-4)

Winnipeg wrapped up its final bye of the season watching some tight games occur between teams they’ve already beaten this season. Good times in Manitoba. And thanks to a win over the Argos a few weeks ago, they’ve gotten a “dub” on pretty much every team that’s going to count in the postseason. Last week: No. 1

2. TORONTO ARGONAUTS (14-2)

With every conceivable postseason ticket already punched, Toronto decided to blow out the Ottawa Redblacks anyway. How much will Kelly play this week and next? It probably won’t matter in the record books and playoff seeding, but it does matter to us with our point spreads and totals. Last week: No. 2

3. BC LIONS (12-5)

BC bounced back in a big way from a loss to Winnipeg with a shootout victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a game that will probably happen again in the postseason. Last week: No. 3

4. MONTREAL ALOUETTES (10-7)

Montreal is one of only four CFL teams with a winning record and, after a solid victory over the Edmonton Elks last week, can enjoy their final bye. Last week: No. 4

5. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (8-9)

The Tiger-Cats have clinched a playoff berth but took a loss heading into their final bye. That means they get an extra week to make sure they enter the postseason at least .500. Last week: No. 5

6. CALGARY STAMPEDERS (5-11)

We’ve got one playoff spot remaining and the Stampeders took a step closer to claiming it, knocking off the Saskatchewan Roughriders in what might turn out to be a “loser leaves town” match. Last week: 9

7. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (6-11)

The Roughriders had a chance to put the final playoff spot in their pocket but fell in a close one to the Calgary Stampeders. Last week: No. 7

8. EDMONTON ELKS (4-13)

Because the bottom four teams in this league are so bad, and all but three will miss the postseason, the Elks remain alive heading into Week 20. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will probably fix that. Last week: No. 6

9. OTTAWA REDBLACKS (4-13)

The Redblacks enter their bye after a loss and remain alive for the playoffs because the bottom four teams refuse to take the baton. Last week: No. 8

WEEK 20

Byes: Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, Montreal Alouettes

FRIDAY

CALGARY STAMPEDERS AT BC LIONS (-8.5, O/U: 49.5)

In the battle of potential playoff stinkers, the Stampeders outlasted the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 26-19. Jake Maier was 17 of 29 passing for 184 yards and a touchdown. Ka’Deem Carey had nine rushes for 32 yards. Tommy Stevens scored on a one-yard dive. Luther Hakunavanhu hauled in two balls for 47 yards. Floyd Allen caught three passes for 37 yards and a TD. Micah Awe ended his night with 13 tackles. Cameron Judge had nine tackles and a pick. Kobe Williams and Branden Dozier had seven tackles apiece, with both recording a tackle for a loss. Mike Rose had two tackles and a sack. 

British Columbia got taken down to the wire, but outlasted the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 33-30, in a shootout last week. Vernon Adams, Jr. was 21 of 30 passing for 296 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. JaQuan Hardy had eight rushes for 26 yards. Keon Hatcher hauled in six catches for 92 yards. Alexander Hollins caught seven balls for 85 yards and a TD. Jevon Cottoy had four grans for 59 yards. Lucky Whitehead had four receptions for 57 yards. Dominique Rhymes caught a five-yard touchdown pass. Ben Hladik wrapped his night with nine tackles. Boseko Lokombo had seven tackles. Garry Peters and Mike Jones both finished with five tackles apiece. David Menard had two tackles and a sack. Mathieu Betts and Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund had a tackle and a sack.

Calgary brought its playoff hopes back to life last week. So, this could be a preview of the first-round loss they can expect if they match up with BC in the postseason. Lions 34, Stampeders 17

SATURDAY

TORONTO ARGONAUTS AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (+9, O/U: 50.5)

The Argos kept their foot on the gas, knocking off the Ottawa Redblacks 40-27 last week. Chad Kelly was 18 of 28 passing for 287 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Cameron Dukes came out of the bullpen thanks to the blowout, going 5 of 5 passing for 23 yards. He added two scrambles for two yards and a score. Daniel Adeboboye rushed nine times for 59 yards. Deonta McMahon had five rushes for 19 yards and a TD. DaVaris Daniels caught six passes for 141 yards and a score. David Ungerer III had seven receptions for 83 yards. Robbie Smith and Mason Pierce had five tackles apiece. Smith added two sacks. Jonathan Jones had four tackles and a sack. Folarin Orimolade had three tackles and a sack. Qwantez Stiggers had three tackles and a pick. Wynton McManis had two tackles, both for a loss and a sack. Jared Brinkman and Thomas Cotigan both had two tackles and a sack apiece. Costigan added a fumble recovery.

Saskatchewan’s potential playoff berth took a hit last week with a 26-19 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Jake Dolegala was 23 of 33 passing for 272 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Jamal Morrow had 17 carries for 86 yards and a TD. Shane Bane, Jr. caught seven passes for 103 yards. Samuel Emilus caught four balls for 57 yards. CJ Reavis and Micah Teitz had five tackles each, with Revis adding two for a loss. Pete Robertson had three tackles and a sack.

Saskatchewan needs a win in the worst way and is facing the worst possible opponent to get it done. It’s not happening this week. Argonauts 38, Roughriders 23

EDMONTON ELKS AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (-12, O/U: 50)

The Elks pulled themselves completely out of the basement after an 0-9 start, but reality is too tough an opponent. Last week they were bombarded, 35-17, in a loss to the Montreal Alouettes. Tre Ford was 21 of 30 passing for 216 yards and two touchdowns. He scrambled five times for 47 yards. Kevin Brown rushed 10 times for 68 yards. Taylor Cornelius had six carries for 16 yards and a TD. Eugene Lewis caught seven passes for 61 yards. Kyran Moore had five receptions for 44 yards and two scores. Marloshawn Franklin, Jr. and Tony Jones had seven tackles each, with Franklin adding a pick. Adam Konar had five tackles. Loucheiz Purifoy had four tackles and two tackles for a loss. AC Leonard had three tackles and a sack. Eliot Brown had a tackle, a sack and forced fumble. Jake Ceresna had a tackle and a sack.

Winnipeg took a big step in securing the CFL West two weeks ago thanks to a 34-26 victory over the BC Lions in Week 18. Zach Collaros finished his night 31 of 41 passing for 389 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Brady Oliveira rushed 11 times for 67 yards and a TD. He added eight receptions for 85 yards. Kenny Lawler caught nine passes for 97. Dalton Schoen hauled in five balls for 86 yards. Drew Wolitarsky had two catches for 25 yards and a score. Brendan O’Leary-Orange had one catch for an 11-yard touchdown. Jamal Parker led the defense with five tackles. Ricky Walker had four tackles and a sack. Jackson Jeffcoat had three tackles and two sacks. Cameron Lawson had two tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. Willie Jefferson had a tackle and a sack.

With one week to go, the playoff picture will likely get no clearer for the final team, because all the bottom dwellers who are playing, are taking a hard loss. Blue Bombers 44, Elks 23

Last week

Straight up: 3-1

Against the spread: 2-2

Season

Straight up: 54-20

Against the spread: 39-35

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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