OK Tire Labour Day Weekend is here!!!
The tradition of these three rivalry games is the perfect way to kick off the race to the playoffs. We’re now just passing the midway point of the season, and I’ll say the parity in the CFL this season is the best it’s been in a while.
Some years there is a clear top dog, or dogs, and there are teams you will never pick to win because they’re going through some things.
Right now, I could see all six teams winning this weekend and make a fair case for each of them.
OK TIRE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND
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Sure, the Tiger-Cats may look like the easy favourite, but what Nick Arbuckle has done the last few games is similar to the work we’ve already seen from Bo Levi Mitchell.
The Riders and the Bombers always make for a game where the records of the state of the franchises don’t matter, and now the Elks are coming into Calgary on a three-game winning streak with Cody Fajardo giving the Elks a reason to believe.
Fun for the fans. Terrible for a predictor.
Let’s get at it!
WINNIPEG AT SASKATCHEWAN
Sunday, August 31
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CBSSN/CFL+
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers giving the ball to Brady Oliveira for over 200 yards against the Alouettes is the exact recipe they’ll need to win big games down the stretch.
Oh, wait, that’s been their M.O. for the last five seasons: own the line of scrimmage. And Oliveira is starting to get rolling. He now leads the league in yards from scrimmage per game, averaging over 112 yards.
I’m going to look for Oliveira to hit AT LEAST 20 touches a game from here on out.
The thing to look for this week are the injuries to Nic Demski and Jerreth Sterns as the Bombers are bringing in reinforcements. The return of Dalton Schoen is expected soon as well.
On the Riders side, they are licking their chops to get back on the field and redeem themselves after another loss at the hands of the Stampeders. The Riders responded after a Week 6 loss to the Stamps by turning a mediocre defence into the best defence in the league.
Some injuries to the secondary, including Marcus Sayles and Nelson Lokombo last week, make it intriguing to see how it shakes out. That and if they make a change at kicker after Brett Lauther missed another short field goal this past week.
I don’t see this being the 35-33 type classic we got last year, but I do think these teams are going to keep it close.
I’ll give the edge to the home side.
PICK: SASKATCHEWAN
TORONTO AT HAMILTON
Monday, September 1
2:30 p.m. ET
TSN/CBSSN/CFL+
This game is a wild card for me as the Argonauts have lost four games this season after scoring over 30 points, including that 51-38 loss to the Tiger-Cats back in Week 5.
Nick Arbuckle is playing really well right now, but the wins just aren’t adding up for the Argonauts. The Argonauts need a run game so bad. They’re last in yards per game and average a paltry 3.8 yards per carry. Defences don’t need to respect the run, which makes what Arbuckle is doing so special.
The other problem is the Argos just give up too many points on defence. Hamilton’s defence isn’t too much better, but it is slightly better. The big difference is Hamilton’s proficiency at turning over the football as they lead the league in interceptions and are second in takeaways.
The other factor I’m considering is a team coming off a bye week. The Tiger-Cats are 4-0 since Scott Milanovich took over as head coach in 2024 coming off a bye. And their offence averages 35 points a game after a bye week in those four games.
Yeah, Milanovich would have gone to school on what to do to take advantage of the Argonauts defence.
It would be a heck of a statement win for the Argos in the Labour Day Classic, but I just don’t see it happening.
PICK: HAMILTON
EDMONTON AT CALGARY
Monday, September 1
6:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CBSSN/CFL+
As I wrote earlier, Cody Fajardo has turned the Elks into a team to respect for us prognosticators. I continue to say this could be a four-game win streak if Kaion Julien-Grant holds onto the ball against Hamilton, but I digress.
The Elks definitely look like a team that no longer flinches at the first sign of adversity in a game. They have shown the toughness and willpower that has made Fajardo a successful quarterback over the last three years.
This is a whole other test for the Elks, however. The Stamps are rolling and when Vernon Adams Jr. is leading the Stampeders, they are 7-1 when he’s able to go wire-to-wire. The Elks do not get enough pressure on the quarterback, which makes defending Adams even more difficult on game day.
Oh, and Dedrick Mills is a handful to bring down.
The Stampeders defence will have two tasks on Monday, containing Fajardo and making sure Justin Rankin doesn’t take over the game. Both are not easy things to do, which is why I could make an argument to go with the Elks, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.
PICK: CALGARY