CFL WEEK 7 PREVIEW & PICKS

BY ADAM GREENE

We’re seven weeks in and the CFL schedule makers long-running joke at the Edmonton Elks’ expense continues as that team has still not been allowed a bye while the Toronto Argonauts have already had two.

Both teams are in action this week and we have the odds, lines and totals with which to maximize our enjoyment of the best spring/summer football league on the continent and the only gridiron action for at least another few weeks until the NFL Preseason starts.

POWER RANKINGS

1. TORONTO ARGONAUTS (4-0)

To no one’s surprise, the Argos popped back into league action from their week off to entirely ruin a potential contender’s hopes and dreams. This time, the victim was the Montreal Alouettes. Last week: No. 1

2. BC LIONS (4-1)

The Lions reclaim the No. 2 spot after a significant swoon from the Blue Bombers and a nice week’s rest on a bye. Last week: No. 3

3. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (2-3)

After opening the season 0-3, the Tiger-Cats made the controversial choice to play actual, professional football and have now won two straight. It didn’t hurt that they played the worst team in the CFL along the way. Last week: No. 6

4. WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS (4-2)

There are bad losses, then there’s losing to a team that had only won a single game (against the league’s worst team no less), but the Blue Bombers are going to have to deal with that and make it the Edmonton Elks’ problem this week. Last week: No. 2

5. CALGARY STAMPEDERS (2-3)

The Stampeders were ready for their rematch with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and bounced back from a dismal three-week stretch in a big way. Last week: 7

6. OTTAWA REDBLACKS (2-3)

I won’t say the Redblacks shocked the world with their win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last Saturday, but surely everyone in the local Ontario area was at least taken aback. Last week: No. 8

7. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (3-2)

The Roughriders could have put the Calgary Stampeders far in the rearview with a second win over them in five weeks, but fell by two points in overtime. Last week: No. 4

8. MONTREAL ALOUETTES (2-3)

The Alouettes have obviously comically switched bodies with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Freaky Friday-esque scenario since they won their first two games and have lost the next three. Now, they have a week off to find the magic lamp, fountain, star or whatever cursed object they accidentally wished upon to fix this body switch. Last week: No. 5

9. EDMONTON ELKS (0-6)

Another Thursday night game, another loss for Edmonton. I’m not sure if it’s genius or stupid to open the league competition with your worst team taking a hard “L” every week. Are you getting the crap game out of the way or are you stalling out the football excitement before it even starts? Last week: No. 9

WEEK 5

Byes: Montreal Alouettes

THURSDAY

EDMONTON ELKS AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (-15, O/U: 45.5)

Well, in what’s becoming a running joke for both the CFL and the Elks, Edmonton opened last week’s action taking a loss, but this time they at least made it respectable. The Elks fell 37-29 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Jarrett Doege was 14 of 21 passing for 201 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Taylor Cornelius took some snaps at QB too, going 11 of 20 for 177 yards, a TD and two picks. Cornelius added five scrambles for 14 yards. Kevin Brown rushed 11 times for 77 yards and a score. Kyran Moore caught four passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Steven Dunbar, Jr. caught five balls for 72 yards and a score. Maurice Ffrench (that’s right, two “Fs”. It’s Canada. What are you gonna do?) had six grabs for 70 yards. Dillon Mitchell finished with four receptions for 58 yards. Mark McLaurin and Nyles Morgan both finished with five tackles apiece, with Morgan adding a sack and two tackles for a loss. Former Carolina Panther Kony Ealy had two tackles and a sack.

I took one loss both straight up and against the spread in Week 6 and I’ll give you one guess at who’s responsible. Here’s a hint, they probably cost you some loonies or seashells or Nuka-Cola caps or frozen halibut or whatever Canada uses for currency. I don’t know the exchange rate. Anyway, yes, it was the Blue Bombers who surprisingly fell in overtime, 31-28, to the Ottawa Redblacks in a game where everyone who took the BBs and the spread had lost before the OT coinflip. Zach Collaros was 22 of 32 for 369 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the loss. Brady Oliveira never got going running the ball, finishing with nine carries for 16 yards. He did catch three passes for 108 yards. Dakota Prukop rushed three times for two yards and a touchdown. Nic Demski caught five passes for 79 yards and a score. Drew Wolitarsky had four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. Dalton Schoen caught four passes for 66 yards. Evan Holm and Adam Bighill finished with seven tackles each, with both men recording two tackles for a loss and Bighall adding two sacks. Demerio Houston had six tackles and a pick. Jackson Jeffcoat had three tackles and a sack. Ricky Walker and Les Marup both finished with two tackles and a sack.

If Edmonton had a shot in this one, it all ended last week when Winnipeg was upset and shamed by the Redblacks. This is the week for the BBs to get right. Blue Bombers 38, Elks 17

FRIDAY

TORONTO ARGONAUTS AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (+7.5, O/U: 49)

In a rematch from the 2022 CFL Division Finals, the Argonauts knocked off the Montreal Alouettes once again, this time 35-27. Chad Kelly had a nice day at quarterback, finishing 21 of 35 for 351 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He scrambled four times for 13 yards and a score. AJ Ouellette finished with 14 carries for 95 yards. DaVaris Daniels caught three passes for 91 yards. David Ungerere III had four receptions for 72 yards and two TDs. Damonte Coxie caught four balls for 72 yards as well and a touchdown of his own. Kurleigh Gittens, Jr., who was apparently named after a Fraggle Muppet, caught two passes for 56 yards. Wynton McManis wrapped his day with nine tackles, one interception and a tackle for a loss. Robertson Daniel had eight tackles. Jamal Peters finished with five tackles and two for a loss. Shawn Oakman had three tackles and a sack. Jonathan Edouard had two tackles and a sack. Tarvarus McFadden picked off a pass. 

Hamilton won its second consecutive game to create some false hope before facing off against Toronto, knocking off the winless Edmonton Elks, 37-29, last Thursday. Mathew “Danger is My Middle Name, but not as Dangerous as My Last Name in Print” Shiltz ended his night a pitiful 10 of 17 for 184 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in the win. He scrambled twice for 10 yards and a TD. James Butler led the team in rushing with 14 carries for 127 yards and a score. Tim White caught two passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Terry Godwin had four grabs for 61 yards. Lawrence Woods led the defense with nine tackles and one for a loss. James Thurman had eight tackles. Stavros Katsantonis had three tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Ted Laurent and Casey Sales each had two tackles and a sack. Javien Elliott had a tackle and a pick.

Hamilton has two reasons to feel good about coming into this game against Toronto, it’s back-to-back wins, but these teams squared off back in Week 2 with the Argos winning in a blowout. I don’t see this one going differently. Argonauts 34, Tiger-Cats 21

SATURDAY

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS AT BC LIONS (-10, O/U: 45.5)

Saskatchewan had to feel confident about its rematch with the Calgary Stampeders after dominating them just a few weeks ago, but that confidence didn’t equal a victory. The Roughriders fell 33-31 to the Stampeders in overtime last Saturday. Two different quarterbacks took the field for Saskatchewan and, unless it’s in mop up duty in a blowout, that’s never a good thing. Trevor Harris went 16 of 22 for 115 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Mason Fine was 6 of 8 for 116 yards and two touchdowns with no picks. Fine scrambled once for 24 yards. Harris rushed twice for 18. Jamal Morrow led the team with nine carries for 37 yards and hauled in eight receptions for 63 yards and a TD. Tevin Jones caught three passes for 84 yards and a score. Pete Robertson had six tackles and a sack. Amari Henderson, Larry Dean and Jayden Dalke each had five tackles. Deontai Williams had two tackles and an interception.

The Lions kicked up their feet on their Barcaloungers last week enjoying their first bye after putting it to the Montreal Alouettes in Week 5, 35-19. Vernon Adams, Jr. was 21 of 26 passing for 291 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the win. He scrambled twice for 22 yards. Shawn Shivers led the team with 14 carries for 53 yards and a score and caught two passes for 73 yards. Keon Hatcher had six receptions for 68 yards. Jevon Cottoy caught four balls for 55 yards and a touchdown. Boseko Lokombo wrapped his evening with seven tackles. Ben Hladik had six tackles and a sack. Jalon Edwards-Cooper had five tackles. Quincy Mauger had three tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. Sione Teuhema and David Menard each had two tackles and a sack. Woody Baron had a tackle and a sack.

British Columbia has lost one game all season and it was to Toronto and no one should hold that against them. Right now, they look like the second best team in the league by a wide margin and they should beat Saskatchewan by that very margin. Lions 31, Roughriders 20

SUNDAY

OTTAWA REDBLACKS AT CALGARY STAMPEDERS (-5.5, O.U: 44.5)

We’ve had a very predictable CFL season so far, so we were all, everyone from Saskatoon to Spread Eagle to Goobies onto Dorking (all real places in Canada), shocked to our very snowshoes as the Redblacks took down the heavily favorited Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31-28 in overtime last Saturday. Dustin Crum picked up the win, going 26 of 42 for 261 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. He led the team in rushing with nine carries for 103 yards and two TDs. Jackson Bennet had two carries for nine yards and a score. Nick Arbuckle added a one-yard touchdown dive. Nate Behar ended his night with 10 receptions for 87 yards. Justin Hardy caught five passes for 80 yards. Jaelon Acklin had six catches for 51 yards. Abdul Kanneh, Alonzo Addae and Adam Auclair each finished with five tackles. Auclair added a fumble recovery and Addae had a tackle for a loss. Frankie Griffin finished with four tackles, one forced fumble and three tackles for a loss. Michael Wakefield that three tackles and a sack. Lorenzo Mauldin IV had two tackles and a sack. Brandon Dandridge made two tackles and picked off a pass. Blessman Ta’ala had a tackle and a sack.  

It might be too early to say Calgary saved its season, but it definitely kept it out of the local urgent care with a 33-31 overtime win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders last Saturday. Jake Maier was 26 of 37 passing for 315 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the victory. Dedrick Mills rushed 11 times for 36 yards and a score. Luther Hakunavanhu had five receptions for 94 yards and a TD. Reggie Begelton caught three passes for 92 yards. Tommylee Lewis caught one pass for a seven-yard touchdown. Micah Awe and Titus Wall finished with 10 tackles apiece, with Awe adding a sack and a fumble recovery. Cameron Judge and James Vaughters had five tackles each with Vaughters claiming two sacks and a fumble recovery. Judge had a sack. Julian Howsare had four tackles and two sacks. Mike Rose had two tackles and two sacks.

It’s fun to think that the hapless Redblacks are no longer hapless, but to quote my dad, a blind sow can find an acorn every once in a while. And, yes, that’s a very Tennessee thing to say for a Canadian football league, so change “sow” to “moose” or “grizzly bear” or “sasquatch” or “wendigo cannibal” or whatever animals live up there that you want. Anyway, the presence of the acorn remains the same. And so does Ottawa’s fortunes. Stampeders 24, Redblacks 16

Last week

Straight up: 3-1

Against the spread: 3-1

Season

Straight up: 18-5

Against the spread: 16-7

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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