What’s that on the horizon? Oh, it’s the playoffs. Who’s going to make it there? Teams who think they have a chance, step forward. Not so fast, Montreal… you get back there with Winnipeg and Saskatchewan for now. Hamilton will join you shortly. Here are the Week 15 CFL Predictions from the LWOS CFL crew.
Week 15 CFL Predictions
Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks
Nick’s thoughts: The Montreal Alouettes continue falling down a never-ending mountain of managerial errors and weak play. Between the flip-flop of three quarterbacks last week in Regina and a massive hole in the middle linebacker position, the Alouettes are, for lack of a better word, screwed. Heading into Ottawa for the second time this season, coach Jim Popp announced Rakeem Cato will start; Jon Crompton only played six quarters after returning from injury before he was yanked. His counterpart, Henry ‘Smilin’ Hank’ Burris, will be smiling all day as he is an Alouettes killer. Expect the all-mighty Redblacks to walk away with a win in this one.
Kelly Bale: Montreal 20 – Ottawa 31
Matthew Bin: Montreal 10 – Ottawa 21
Nicholas di Giovanni: Montreal 10 – Ottawa 27
Lance Keiser: Montreal 22 – Ottawa 27
Greg McCulloch: Montreal 17 – Ottawa 30
Gina Schiltz: Montreal 21 – Ottawa 28
Calgary Stampeders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Gina’s thoughts: Now we’ll see what both teams are made of. The Tiger-Cats are without Zach Collaros and are coming off a bye week, so they’ve had time to prepare and practice with Jeff Mathews as starting quarterback. The Stamps barely squeezed by Winnipeg last week and lost three defensive players, so they have had to make some adjustments. The Stampeder defence will have to put pressure on Mathews, making him throw quickly in the hope of creating some turnovers, while the offence is going to have to convert in the red zone instead of getting by with field goals. Even though this is the first time Calgary will be playing at Tim Hortons field – a somewhat scary place to be lately – they have a way of finding their way to a win. It will be close, but the Stampeders will come out on top.
Kelly Bale: Calgary 26 – Hamilton 11
Matthew Bin: Calgary 27 – Hamilton 24
Nicholas di Giovanni: Calgary 31 – Hamilton 33
Lance Keiser: Calgary 28 – Hamilton 20
Greg McCulloch: Calgary 35 – Hamilton 20
Gina Schiltz: Calgary 25 – Hamilton 24
Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Greg’s thoughts: Both the Eskimos and Bombers enter Saturday’s game needing a win. The Eskimos need a win to keep pace with the first place Stamps, while the Bombers need a win to keep their hope of a playoff berth alive. The Eskimos rallied to beat the Lions last week and are looking to keep the momentum going. After the CFL admitted the officials made an error in the final moments of the game versus the Stamps, the Bombers are sure to have a sour taste in their mouths and chips on their shoulders. Expect a fired-up Bomber team flying all over the field at home, but they’ll still come up short against the Mike Reilly-led Eskimos.
Kelly Bale: Edmonton 39 – Winnipeg 18
Matthew Bin: Edmonton 39 – Winnipeg 11
Nicholas di Giovanni: Edmonton 27 – Winnipeg 0
Lance Keiser: Edmonton 35 – Winnipeg 18
Greg McCulloch: Edmonton 33 – Winnipeg 24
Gina Schiltz: Edmonton 28 – Winnipeg 25
Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Lions
Kelly’s thoughts: The 2-11 Saskatchewan Roughriders hope to make it three as they visit B.C. Place in beautiful Vancouver to face the Lions. On offence, both teams’ ground games are stellar. The passing games have been less than expected on both sides, with the Riders enjoying a slight edge. Travis Lulay was activated from the 6-game injury list but Lions rookie quarterback Jonathon Jennings will start. The defences are both solid but are battered and bruised at this point, with an B.C.’s slightly more intact. Look for the Lions to edge the Riders and sweep the season series.
Matt’s thoughts: Are the Roughriders on a roll? Are they finally becoming the team they were supposed to be this season? Will the pieces at last fall into place, and see them take their third win of the season? This might be their week. The B.C. Lions have put Travis Lulay back on the active roster, but he’s not likely to start ahead of Jonathon Jennings, who was at least capable against a tough Edmonton defence. But momentum is on the Riders side of he field; B.C. has the home field, but hasn’t had a win since before Labour Day. Saskatchewanians will rejoice at the prospect of a 3-11 record, although the point is moot – neither team is likely to make the playoffs this year.
Kelly Bale: Saskatchewan 25 – B.C. 30
Matthew Bin: Saskatchewan 25 – B.C. 18
Nicholas di Giovanni: Saskatchewan 28 – B.C. 23
Lance Keiser: Saskatchewan 30 – B.C. 19
Greg McCulloch: Saskatchewan 30 – B.C. 24
Gina Schiltz: Saskatchewan 29 – B.C. 23
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