With last week’s loss to Hamilton, the Saskatchewan Roughriders became the first team to be eliminated from the CFL championship. We won’t see another elimination this week, but with three teams on five wins so far this season, there will be more dropping out soon. And after the dust settles from this year’s trade deadline deals, we might even see Montreal make a run at a crossover spot. How can we make sense of this crazy year of Canadian football? By checking out the LWOS CFL crew’s Week 17 CFL predictions, of course!
Week 17 CFL Predictions
Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Ottawa Redblacks
Kelly’s thoughts: Winnipeg is riding the momentum of a huge victory over their playoff adversary B.C. Lions last week. These Bombers may have looked good against the Leo’s but don’t count on the same result here. Ottawa is a great team whose only real weaknesses are on special teams, but they’re improving every week. The Redblacks do lose a little punch without RB Jeremiah Johnson in the backfield. His replacement will be international RB William Powell who had 55 yards on just 7 carries in week 16, a strong outing. The Redblacks also want to rebound from a tough loss to Toronto last week. The last time an Ottawa team made the playoffs was over 20 years ago and they were the Rough Riders then. I say they’ll clinch Friday night, and as for the CFL playoffs – who knows!
Kelly Bale: Winnipeg 23 – Ottawa 35
Matthew Bin: Winnipeg 14 – Ottawa 28
Nicholas di Giovanni: Winnipeg 21 – Ottawa 35
Greg McCullough: Winnipeg 14 – Ottawa 33
Gina Schiltz: Winnipeg 24 – Ottawa 28
Calgary Stampeders at Toronto Argonauts
Gina’s thoughts: Two teams tied for first in their respective divisions make this one a tough call. The Calgary Stampeders need a win, and they’ll still be stinging from their loss to Edmonton and loss of sole possession of first in the West. Calgary needs to fix some holes in their defence, specifically their secondary, if they expect to make it through the playoffs. The Argos, on the other hand, are coming off three straights wins (two in one week) and are looking like a more focused team. Trevor Harris, at quarterback, is producing some solid numbers as well. Even though Calgary has had problems with the Argos in the past, I don’t see them losing again this week. They look hungrier for the win and I doubt they want to see Coach Hufnagel implode.
Kelly Bale: Calgary 22 – Toronto 25
Matthew Bin: Calgary 29 – Toronto 25
Nicholas di Giovanni: Calgary 33 – Toronto 20
Greg McCullough: Calgary 24 – Toronto 21
Gina Schiltz: Calgary 29 – Toronto 25
B.C. Lions at Edmonton Eskimos
Greg’s thoughts: The Lions limp into Commonwealth stadium after blowing a lead in the final three minutes to the Blue Bombers last week. The Lions are fighting for their playoff lives, tied for third with the Bombers; adding to the drama is Montreal looking for a crossover with a matching 5-9 record. This week is not going to be any easier for the Leos, as they are facing the best of the West in the Eskimos. Edmonton has enjoyed the confines of Commonwealth this season, only dropping one at home so far. The great home record is thanks to their strong defensive play, and the team has been on a tear since Labour Day, allowing an average of only 17.8 points per game. Look for the Eskimos to keep rolling and stay ahead of the Stamps in the West, and the Lions to keep sliding.
Kelly Bale: B.C. 27 – Edmonton 41
Matthew Bin: B.C. 11 – Edmonton 33
Nicholas di Giovanni: B.C. 6 – Edmonton 25
Greg McCullough: B.C. 13 – Edmonton 24
Gina Schiltz: B.C. 23 – Edmonton 30
Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Montreal Alouettes
Nick’s thoughts: The East-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats look to pounce on their next prey, a team named after some bird (everybody forgets them at this point). Even with Hamilton starting a back-up quarterback in Jeff Matthews, they already have the edge in the quarterback battle as the Alouettes are 17 weeks into the season and haven’t found their number one guy. Will Kevin Glenn make an impact right away? Well, my wild prediction of the week is a shutout victory for the Ti-Cats and a big one too, 31-0. The Larks have no chance.
Kelly Bale: Hamilton 32 – Montreal 28
Matthew Bin: Hamilton 30 – Montreal 19
Nicholas di Giovanni: Hamilton 31 – Montreal 0
Greg McCullough: Hamilton 30 – Montreal 21
Gina Schiltz: Hamilton 39 – Montreal 27
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