The end of the CFL season is always a wild ride.<\/p>\n
Some teams get players back from injury and go on a heater, while others may suffer some injuries and start to stumble.<\/p>\n
You also see teams \u201cclick\u201d at the right time, and go on a memorable run to a championship. We saw it from Montreal two years ago, and after another win with Davis Alexander<\/a> back in Week 16, you start to ponder if another run by the Alouettes is coming.<\/p>\n RELATED We\u2019ve also seen a team who has been there, done that show everyone that experience does matter. The Blue Bombers have been in the murky middle of the league all season, but now look like they\u2019re ready to flex their muscles in the West Division. The new KPMG Playoff Probability numbers should send a chill down the spine<\/a> of the rest of the West with the Bombers holding the highest probability to win the 112th Grey Cup.<\/p>\n While it makes things a little difficult to decipher when you make your picks, if you get a good feeling about a team, you could be ahead of the curve before the rest and make up some ground with just four weeks left in the season.<\/p>\n SASKATCHEWAN AT OTTAWA<\/p>\n Friday, October 3 The Ottawa REDBLACKS started the week by trading Lorenzo Mauldin IV to the Calgary Stampeders<\/a>, and that\u2019s a massive loss on the defensive line for Ottawa as they ready themselves for the Roughriders on Friday Night Football.<\/p>\n Both teams are coming in on a two-game losing streak, but on completely opposite ends of the standings. The Roughriders are at the top and the REDBLACKS are at the bottom, but don\u2019t think for a minute that Ottawa should be taken for granted. They still have Dru Brown<\/a>, a solid receiving corps and playmakers on defence to get after Trevor Harris<\/a> and the Riders.<\/p>\n The Roughriders, however, have a much stronger roster as head coach Corey Mace is getting more and more players back from injury each and every week. The major issue in Saskatchewan right now is the start of games. They only scored five points total in their last five games in the opening quarter, including zeros in three of the last five games.<\/p>\n The only team worse in the first quarter is Ottawa.<\/p>\n I usually have a formula for picks that has worked for me in the past. Pick the home team coming off a bye week if they\u2019re playing a team on a short week that have back-to-back road trips. That formula would tell me to pick Ottawa this week.<\/p>\n I just can\u2019t do it, however, with the Roughriders running the ball as well as they did last week.<\/p>\n PICK: SASKATCHEWAN<\/p>\n HAMILTON AT TORONTO<\/p>\n Saturday, October 4 The Toronto Argonauts will be desperate. A loss by the Argonauts and they will be eliminated from the playoffs. That would be the first time since 2018 that a Grey Cup champion the year previous misses the playoffs (NOTE: That was also the Toronto Argonauts.)<\/p>\n The Tiger-Cats will be looking for a bounce-back game after getting embarrassed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 17.<\/p>\n So what gives?<\/p>\n At this time of year, with teams starting to have the wear and tear on themselves, I put running back as a big factor. I like both of these running backs, so what do I default to next? Who has a better defence? That is also pretty close. Then let\u2019s go the x-factors: the playmakers on the return game and special teams. That, too, is fairly close, which begs the question: how are the Argonauts in this position?<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about a slow start and not being able to finish close games. They were 2-8 to start the year. They were staring at a large hole to climb out of and they just haven\u2019t been able to do it.<\/p>\n Hamilton has to start feeling the heat from below as the Montreal Alouettes are charging hard.<\/p>\n I feel this Tiger-Cats team will be extra charged to play their rival and put them away, while also responding to an awful loss last week.<\/p>\n PICK: HAMILTON<\/p>\n CALGARY AT BC<\/p>\n Saturday, October 4 After a big BC win two weeks ago, the Calgary Stampeders will try to return the favour.<\/p>\n While the Lions were able to get it done this past week against Toronto to win their third straight, the Stampeders come in on a three-game losing streak. Just like that, there are three teams with eight wins for second place in the West Division.<\/p>\n Calgary, BC, and Winnipeg are now in a scrap for second, while still having an outside shot at eclipsing the Roughriders for first place.<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a0Play CFL Pick \u2018Em presented by Old Dutch now!<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s official YouTube channel<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates<\/a><\/p>\n
7:30 p.m. ET
TSN\/RDS\/CFL+<\/p>\n
3:00 p.m. ET
TSN\/CTV\/CFL+<\/p>\n
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN\/CFL+<\/p>\n