Montreal’s perfect home record meets Edmonton’s revenge tour, while BC tries to keep its ground game rolling against a reeling Hamilton squad.
This Week’s CFL Schedule
Edmonton Elks at Montreal Alouettes
WhenSaturday, August 8, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET
WherePercival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal
TVTSN
StreamWatch live on CFL+
LineMontreal Alouettes -3 | O/U 58
This is the marquee matchup of the CFL calendar so far — 7-1 Montreal against 6-2 Edmonton, with the Elks owning the only loss on the Als’ ledger, a Week 3 32-29 overtime thriller in Edmonton. Montreal has ripped off five straight since, while the Elks dropped their last one to Saskatchewan 28-26 after riding a three-game win streak. Cody Fajardo returns to the building where he used to play, and he’s been lights out lately: 1,418 yards and 8 TDs with zero picks over his last four starts.
Both defenses lead the league in points allowed and turnover ratio, so don’t be shocked if this one turns into a field-position slog early before the passing games take over. Montreal is 6-2 against the spread this year with six overs in eight games, and this line sitting at 58 suggests Vegas expects fireworks between two of the CFL’s best offenses.
Players to Watch:
Davis Alexander (Montreal Alouettes, QB) — Leads the league with 2,788 passing yards and is on pace to smash Anthony Calvillo’s franchise record.
Tyson Philpot (Montreal Alouettes, WR) — Became the fastest Canadian ever to hit 1,000 receiving yards last week and already has five 100-yard games this season.
Austin Mack (Edmonton Elks, WR) — Heading back to Montreal, where he won a Grey Cup and racked up nearly 2,000 yards; he’s got 250 yards and two TDs over his last two games.
Injury Watch:
Jerreth Sterns (Montreal Alouettes, WR) — Out, extended on the six-game injury list, thinning an already banged-up receiver room.
Mustafa Johnson (Montreal Alouettes, DL) — Out, another hit to a Montreal front seven that’s forced 18 turnovers this year.
Jacob Plamondon (Edmonton Elks, FB) — Out with a shoulder injury.
Joel Dublanko (Edmonton Elks, LB) — Questionable with a hamstring issue.
Pick: Montreal 35-30. The Als have won six straight at home and cover regularly, but Fajardo’s turnover-free stretch and Justin Rankin’s rushing punch (7 TDs on the ground) should keep this thing above the total.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BC Lions
WhenSaturday, August 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET
WhereBC Place Stadium, Vancouver
TVTSN
StreamWatch live on CFL+
LineBC Lions -6 | O/U 56
Hamilton took this series opener back in Week 3, hammering BC 41-27, but the Lions have flipped the script since. BC just put on a ground-game clinic against Winnipeg, setting a franchise record with 377 rushing yards in a 35-19 win — Zander Horvath ran for 191 and three scores while Kaidon Salter added 160 more in his first career start. Hamilton, meanwhile, has lost four of its last five and just got run out of its own building 44-20 by Calgary.
Nathan Rourke was activated off the reserve roster this week and could factor back into the mix, giving BC even more firepower behind an offensive line that’s clearly found something. Mathieu Betts keeps piling up sacks too — four over his last three games and a spot in the record books as just the ninth Canadian to reach 50 for his career.
Players to Watch:
Nathan Rourke (BC Lions, QB) — Back on the active roster and 2-2 in his career against Hamilton.
Mathieu Betts (BC Lions, DL) — Terrorizing quarterbacks lately with four sacks in his last three outings.
Larry Rountree (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, RB) — Hamilton’s workhorse with 449 yards on the ground, but he’ll need a big night against a suddenly nasty BC run defense.
Injury Watch:
Loik Gagné (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, LB) — Out, placed on the six-game injury list this week.
Quavian White (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, DB) — Out with a hamstring injury.
Jonah Tavai (BC Lions, DL) — Out, moved to the six-game injury list.
Brandon Yates (BC Lions, OL) — Out, extended on the single-game injury list.
Pick: BC 31-19. Hamilton’s offense has cratered over its last two games and BC just found a run-heavy identity that’s tough to stop — the Lions cover this number.
CFL Standings
TeamWLPFPA
Montreal Alouettes71273217
Edmonton Elks62229200
Saskatchewan Roughriders62274215
Winnipeg Blue Bombers44204243
Toronto Argonauts44253249
Calgary Stampeders45352297
Hamilton Tiger-Cats35187234
BC Lions25187201
Ottawa Redblacks08186289
Quick Hits
BC activated Nathan Rourke off the reserve roster this week, giving the Lions another weapon after their record-setting rushing performance.
Montreal is dealing with a thin receiver room after Jerreth Sterns got extended on the six-game injury list, putting more pressure on Philpot and Snead to carry the load against Edmonton.
Fantasy angle: Justin Rankin has 7 rushing TDs already this year and torched Montreal for two scores in their first meeting — a strong flex play again this week.
Tyson Philpot’s 1,000-yard season through eight games ties the CFL record held by Hall of Famers Hal Patterson and Terry Greer — he’s chasing history in prime time against Edmonton.
Standings | Full Schedule | League Leaders
Who wins this week? Drop your picks in the comments.