TORONTO — Week 12 of the season is upon us and it’s full of interesting possibilities.
Thursday’s Argos-Riders game is laced with returns for both teams, while the Bombers are looking to continue to make moves up the standings in the West Division. In Ottawa, the REDBLACKS are looking to continue to protect their home turf while Nathan Rourke and the BC Lions are trying to get back into the winning column. Finally, things wrap up in Montreal, where the league-leading Alouettes host a suddenly surging Elks team that’s riding a three-game win streak and some long sought after confidence.
What do you think will happen this week? Head to the CFL Game Zone, where you can make your picks and play CFL Pick ‘Em presented by Old Dutch.
Let’s get into how CFL.ca’s writers see this week playing out.
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SSK at TOR
It’s hard not to think that our pick makers saw Nathan Rourke‘s struggles in his debut and let that guide their decisions in the Week 12 opener on Thursday, as Chad Kelly prepares to possibly play in his first game of the season. The rested Argos get the comforts of home at BMO Field and catch the Riders — who are winless in four games — on a slightly short week as they come off of a heartbreaking loss to the Alouettes. Still, the writers see the Riders getting back to their winning ways in a game that marks the Toronto return of Riders head coach/former Argos defensive coordinator Corey Mace to BMO (former Argo AJ Ouellette will miss Thursday’s game with an injury).
PICK
Writers: 83% Saskatchewan
HAM at WPG
The Bombers are trending in a good direction, having just picked up their first road win of the season and finding their rhythm defensively in back-to-back wins over the Lions. The Ticats are trying to find a way to get on that same path, after their Week 11 loss to the Elks left them alone with the league’s worst record at 2-8. That prompted a change in the coaching staff, with longtime defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mark Washington relieved of his duties on Monday, and Chris Jones being hired to take control of the defence. The Bombers are 3-2 at Princess Auto Stadium. The writers only see that record improving this week.
PICK
Writers: 100% Winnipeg
BC at OTT
Nathan Rourke had some understandable struggles in his return to the Lions on Sunday night. He and the Lions head across the country this week to try to snap their four-game slide and have to do it against a REDBLACKS team that’s enjoying a QB return of its own. Jeremiah Masoli helped the REDBLACKS to an emotional win over the Stamps last week in Calgary, handing the Stamps their first home loss of the year. Whether it’s Masoli or Dru Brown running the offence, the REDBLACKS will be primed to prolong the Lions’ suffering for another week. We anticipate a better game from Rourke this time around but the writers, for the most part, see the REDBLACKS improving to 5-0-1 at TD Place on Saturday.
PICK
Writers: 66% Ottawa
EDM at MTL
This game may have seemed extremely daunting a few weeks ago to Elks fans, but this may be the perfect time for a trip to Molson Stadium to take on the league’s top team. Edmonton is on its first three-game win streak in six years and comes into Montreal on the heels of a convincing win over the Ticats. The Als, however, are the Als. While we wait to see if this is the week that Cody Fajardo returns from his hamstring injury, Davis Alexander has played very well in Fajardo’s absence, just like the rest of the roster has next-manned-up its way through a multitude of injuries. The writers are almost unanimous in this one, aside from Kristina Costabile, who is feeling spicy this week and has her eyes on an upset.
PICK
Writers: 83% Montreal