It is a battle of two West Division teams as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers face the Calgary Stampeders. It is now time to continue our CFL odds series with Blue Bombers – Stampeders prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Blue Bombers have won three-straight games now after taking care of Edmonton last week. Edmonton got out to an early lead as they went for their first win of the season. Kevin Brown scored on a 65-yard run, and then Tre Ford scored on the ground as well. Loucheiz Purifoy picked off Zach Collaros for a touchdown in the early part of the second quarter to give the Elks a 22-point lead. On that pass, Collaros was injured and would not return to the game. Dru Brown would enter the game. He would go on to throw four touchdown passes to lead a massive comeback victory for the Blue Bombers.
Meanwhile, Calgary fell at the hands of the British Columbia Lions. The Lions took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, and once again Calgary was not able to finish drives. They ended up settling for three field goals in the game. Rene Paredes was three for three on the day, and those would be the only points that Calgary scored, as the Lions won 37-9. These two teams met back on July 7th. In that one, Winnipeg took a 24-11 win over Calgary.
Here are the Blue Bombers-Stampeders CFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
CFL Odds: Blue Bombers- Stampeders Odds
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: -6.5 (-115)
Calgary Stampeders: +6.5 (-105)
Over: 47.5 (-110)
Under: 47.5 (-110)
How To Watch Blue Bombers vs. Stampeders
TV: TSN
Stream: CFL+
Time: 9:00 PM PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT
*Watch CFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blue Bombers Could Cover The Spread
The Blue Bombers' offense made an amazing comeback last week after being down early. It was the second week in a row they were able to score long touchdowns in bunches. Two weeks ago it was to take the lead, and last week it was to make the comeback. In the year, Winnipeg is the best offense in the CFL. They are first in yards per game, passing yards per game, and rushing yards. Still, they are second in points per game. Zach Collaros has led the team all year. He is tops in the CFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns this year. Still, he has not practiced this week, which could lead to Dru Brown starting. In his time last week, he went 17-24 for 307 yards and four touchdowns.
Article Continues BelowIf Collaros cannot go, the team will have to focus on getting the ball to Brady Oliveira. Last game he ran for 110 yards, his fourth 100-yard game of the year. Oliveira leads the CFL in rushing by over 150 yards, sitting with 703 yards on the season. He also leads the CFL in yards per game and has scored three times this year, which is good for tied for fourth in the league. For all the good, he is also tied for the league lead in fumbles lost this year with three.
Meanwhile. Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski have proved difficult to stop for the team. Schoen went for 45 yards and a touchdown last time out. On the year he is second in the CFL with 655 yards, just two yards back of the leader. He has also scored five times this year, which ties him for the league lead. One of the guys he is tied with is Nic Demski. Demski has 558 yards this year, but he has done that in one less game than Schoen. Last time out it was 61 yards and a touchdown for him. Giving the Blue Bombers a third threat is Drew Wolitarsky. He has 347 yards this year with 26 receptions, but his four touchdowns tie him for fifth in the league.
The defense for this team is also solid. They are third in the league in points against, passing yards against, and yards against, while sitting fourth in rushing yards against. Adam Bighill leads the way for the squad. He is eighth in the CFL in tackles this year, and he also has two sacks. Meanwhile, Willie Jefferson is third in the CFL with eight sacks, and he has also deflected nine passes. That mark is good for most in the league, along with his two forced fumbles which leads the league. While Jefferson defends passes at the line of scrimmage, Evan Holm does it deep. He is second in the CFL with eight pass deflections. Overall, three of the top four, and five of the top nine guys in pass deflections are on this defense.
Why The Stampeders Could Cover The Spread
Three weeks ago, Calgary could just manage field goals, kicking seven of them. Then the next week they finally found the end zone, but last week it was more field goals. On the year, they are sixth in points scored, while sitting seventh in yards per game and fifth in rushing yards per game. The Stampeders are sixth in passing yards per game. The main point scorer has still been their kicker. Rene Paredes is third in the CFL in kicking points this year and leads the league in field goal attempts and field goals made this season. He is also the best in the league from distance. He has hit all six attempts at 50-plus yards.
Last week on offense, Jake Maier struggled. He went 17-31 for just 131 yards with no touchdowns. He has not thrown a touchdown pass in his last three games while being below 15o yards in each of his last two. Still, he is second in the league in passing yards with 2,208. He also has eight touchdown passes this year. He does have 11 interceptions though, which leads the league.
Meanwhile, the Stampeders have Dedrick Mills to help them on the ground. He is third in the league with 517 yards on the ground this year. A week after going for 137 yards on 27 attempts, he only got ten rushes last week for just 34 yards. He also failed to find the endzone for a fourth straight games. The Stampeders need to get him the ball. This year when he has over 100 yards rushing, the team is 2-0. When he does not, they are 1-5.
Reggie Begelton leads the team as a receiver. He is fifth in the CFL in receiving yards this year with 570. Still, among the top ten receiving yards players in the leauge, he is the only one who has not had a touchdown this year. He also has struggled as of late. After three straight games over 80 or more receiving yards, he has just 63 yards combined in his last two games.
The defense is led by linebacker Micah Awe. Awe leads the league with 67 tackles this year, while he also has a sack, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. The Stampeders also have Mike Rose. Rose is fourth in the CFL this year in sacks with seven and has a forced fumble as well. This defense is solid up front, which has led to a good pass rush, and a fourth-ranked passing defense. Still, they are sixth in points allowed per game.
Final Blue Bombers – Stampeders Prediction & Pick
The Blue Bombers are the better team in this game. The only question is can Calgary find the end zone? If they settle for field goals, this will be a blow out. If not, it could be closer. Bank on them settling, and taking the Blue Bombers.
Final Blue Bombers-Stampeders Prediction & Pick: Blue Bombers -6.5 (-115)