3DownNation CFL picks straight-up & against the spread: East & West Finals

3DownNation

The CFL division finals are finally here, and the matchups are what we thought they’d be. Both favourites pulled off victories in the first round, though neither had an easy go of it. They each get set to enter hostile road environments this week to face the rested teams at the top of each division.

Vancouver-based reporter J.C. Abbott remains in front for our straight-up picks, while Regina-based reporter Brendan McGuire has already clinched our against-the-spread title. Below are our picks for the final Saturday of CFL action.

Saturday, November 8: Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+2.5) at 3:00 p.m. EDT

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are short home underdogs to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final on Saturday as the team looks to break a 25-year championship drought. The Alouettes continue to be undefeated when Davis Alexander is at the helm and are expected to have Pier-Olivier Lestage and Austin Mack available despite injuries. However, defensive tackle Mustafa Johnson is considered doubtful with a shoulder issue. The Tiger-Cats are coming into this one rested and healthy off their first-round bye and will have the advantage of a hostile crowd at their backs.

ABBOTT: This game could be must-watch cinema, with Bo Levi Mitchell and Davis Alexander duelling for deep shot supremacy. Hamilton has plenty of motivation in the form of their Grey Cup drought and will be fuelled by the late Ted Goveia’s memory, but Montreal’s belief is second to none.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

BALLANTINE: Recently, we have seen long-starved Ontario-based teams make it to championship games. No one is longer starved than the Ticats. Look for the aging silverback to stave off the powerful youngster.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

FILOSO: The Hammer will be rocking, and I’m fully expecting an exciting, back-and-forth game. The Ticats will be desperate to punch their ticket to the Grey Cup in front of a rowdy home crowd, but the Alouettes come to town with plenty of swagger and self-belief. I lean towards the visitors simply because I think they’re peaking at the right time, and it might take a quarter or so for Bo and company to knock off the rust.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

GASSON: The Alouettes with David Alexander are currently the best team in the CFL. Hamilton has some ugly losses on their resume, and I don’t think they are as good as their record suggests.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

HERRERA-VERGARA: The Als are facing a different beast this week. Bo Levi Mitchell is ready to go after some rough years. However, Davis Alexander is just on another planet at the moment. In a high-scoring game, I feel Montreal will leave Hamilton with a ticket for Winnipeg.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

HODGE: This should be a close game, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Tiger-Cats in this year’s Grey Cup. With that said, the Alouettes are playing the best football of any team in the CFL right now. Davis Alexander is a budding superstar, and it looks like Pier-Olivier Lestage is going to play. Advantage: Alouettes.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

HOSKINS: Montreal just has that feeling of a team that got healthy and is peaking at the right time. The rest week will help Hamilton to make this a close game. I just see the intangibles battle going the Alouettes’ way.

Straight-up: Montreal Against the spread: Montreal

KLEIN: The Alouettes have always looked like the most complete team in the East when healthy. Everything is coming together at the right time for them.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

McGUIRE: 12-0 for Davis Alexander as a starting quarterback is hard to ignore. Even when the Blue Bombers were coming back last week, it still felt like the Alouettes were just toying with them. Wally Buono started his CFL journey as an Alouette and once said something to the effect of “You want the bye week until the day after the semi-final game because the team that wins the semifinal has momentum.” He was right.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Hamilton.

THOMAS: Davis Alexander’s 12-0 record is really impressive, as was Montreal’s ability to find the gas pedal after letting Winnipeg erase a 19-point lead. On the other side of the coin, the Tiger-Cats won the East for a reason. The Ticats’ defence creates more turnovers than anyone in the league, and extra possessions win football games. We know what they can do on offence. At their best, I believe Hamilton is better, and Scott Milanovich will have them at their best. The fact that the Alouettes are walking into their barn favoured by everyone else will likely add fuel to the fire.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Montreal 8, Hamilton 2.

TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Montreal 7, Hamilton 3.

Saturday, November 8: B.C. Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-3) at 6:30 p.m. EDT

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are favoured by a field goal over the B.C. Lions in the East Final on Saturday, where the cold weather could provide a challenge for the high-flying Leos. Canadian receiver Justin McInnis and running back James Butler are both expected to play but continue to be limited in practice, while right tackle Dejon Allen won’t be suiting up. The Riders, by contrast, appear to be getting healthy thanks to their first-round bye, with receivers Dohnte Meyers, KeeSean Johnson, and Samuel Emilus all trending towards a return. The secondary should also get reinforcements in the form of Rolan Milligan Jr. and Marcus Sayles, as they get ready to face M.O.P. finalist Nathan Rourke in front of a rabid Mosaic crowd.

ABBOTT: Betting against Nathan Rourke right now is a fool’s errand, but I’m nothing if not a fool. Saskatchewan is the deepest team in the CFL, and a banged-up James Butler has struggled to generate any ground attack the past two weeks. If B.C. pulls the upset, they will need their QB to be the unquestioned hero.

Straight-up: Saskatchewan. Against the spread: B.C.

BALLANTINE: The game is nearing a sellout, and a home Regina crowd should go to work against Nathan Rourke. B.C. was lucky to win last week, and this week, the luck runs out.