TORONTO — The final week of the regular season schedule is here and it presents a bunch of unique challenges for making picks.
For teams like the Montreal Alouettes, the Toronto Argonauts and even the Ottawa REDBLACKS, a win at this point won’t change anything for their playoff plans. Preserving your starters and getting your best roster into the post-season makes all the sense in the world.
But so does generating some good momentum to take into the playoffs.
As you make your picks this week — just like the CFL.ca writers did — you’ll have to consider what each of those three teams might offer up in Week 21. The REDBLACKS in particular could use a win, having lost five straight and having their playoff berth clinched via the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ losing to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 18. The Alouettes have their eyes on hosting the Eastern Final on Nov. 9, but only had Cody Fajardo in for a half of play last week in BC, where they lost 27-3 to the Lions.
Then there are the teams that need some wins. We know that the Bombers will throw everything they have at the Als as they need a win or a tie to lock up the West Division. Should the Als beat the Bombers, we know that the top spot in the West would be open and that the Saskatchewan Roughriders would then throw everything they have at the Calgary Stampeders to try to win that game.
How will you make your picks this week? Head over to the Game Zone to get your final regular season picks in and remember that you can continue to make picks through the playoffs, all the way to the 111th Grey Cup.
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HAM at OTT
As we said above, the REDBLACKS could use a win and all the positivity that brings to take into the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, their opponent is a hot Tiger-Cats team that has won five of its last six and is coming off of one of its best showings of the season, in a 42-20 dumping of the Stamps. The REDBLACKS had a strong fourth quarter showing against the Argos last week. Can they bring momentum home from that game? Despite the REDBLACKS sitting at 6-1-1 at TD Place this year, the writers think the Ticats will be the team to get the strong finish to the regular season.
PICK
Writers: 66% Hamilton
TOR at EDM
The Argos secured a home playoff date with last week’s win over the REDBLACKS. We wonder how many of the Argos’ starters will play, or how much they’ll see the field on Friday in Edmonton. The host team is coming off of a bye week and a win and will have plenty of motivation to give their fans something to cheer about one last time in the 2024 season. The writers think that, plus Tre Ford getting the start, will carry weight in the second game of the Friday night double header, with the Elks in pursuit of their seventh win of the season.
PICK
Writers: 83% Edmonton
WPG at MTL
Saturday’s game in Montreal stands alone right now as the biggest of the week. The Bombers need a tie or win to get to sit back next week and watch the BC Lions and the Riders slug it out to face them in Western Final. Much of this game — a rematch of the 110th Grey Cup — will rest on how Als’ head coach Jason Maas decides to use his starters. Cody Fajardo missed the Als’ Week 19 win as he and his wife welcomed a baby into their family. Fajardo only played briefly last week in the Als’ loss to the Lions; does Maas want his starter to get some good work in with the offence? Will that approach extend down to the rest of the roster? If the Als put their usual roster on the field we’ll have a game. If they play a conservative regular season finale, the Bombers are in a good position to get an important win.
PICK
Writers: 83% Winnipeg
CGY at SSK
All Riders eyes will be on Montreal on Saturday afternoon, waiting to see the outcome of the Als-Bombers game. Even if the Riders have their playoff itinerary sorted for them before kickoff on Saturday, their season has been a success, as they’ll host their first home playoff game in three years. Their opponent in the final game of the regular season, meanwhile, is in a tough place. The Stamps are winless in their last nine games and are 0-8 on the road. Almost all of the writers felt that the vibes would be too strong in Saskatchewan either way for that to change, and leaned toward the home team.
PICK
Writers: 83% Saskatchewan