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It is a battle of two West Division rivals as the Edmonton Elks face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It is now time to continue our CFL odds series with Elks – Blue Bombers prediction, pick, and how to watch.
For Edmonton, it was their sixth straight loss to start the season last week. They took an early lead over Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week. They hit a short field goal in the first quarter and took a 6-0 lead in the second off another field goal, but went into the half down four after a James Butler rushing touchdown and a last-second field goal. Edmonton took back the lead on a 54-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius, but the defense fell apart in the third quarter. Hamilton scored 24 points in the third quarter, and while Edmonton made a small comeback, it was not enough.
Winnipeg fell for just the second time of the year last week. They also had a nice early lead. They had a single, a field goal, and then a touchdown to give them the 11-0 lead in the first quarter and 18-3 at halftime. Ottawa made a great come back though. Down 25-6 going into the fourth Ottawa tied it with nine seconds left in the game off a 12-yard pass from Dustin Crum. After an overtime field goal, Winnipeg allowed a 29-yard run from Dustin Crum to take the loss. They dropped to second place in the division with the loss, a half-game back of the Lions.
Here are the Elks- Blue Bombers CFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
CFL Odds: Elks-Blue Bombers Odds
Edmonton Elks: +15.5 (-110)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: -15.5 (-110)
Over: 44.5 (-110)
Under: 44.5 (-110)
How To Watch Elks vs. Blue Bombers
TV: TSN
Stream: CFL+
Time: 8:30 PM PM ET/ 5:30 PM PT
*Watch CFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Elks Could Cover The Spread
Last week, the Elks scored over 20 points in a game for just the second time this year, and it was the second-highest output of their season. Still, they lost. In four of their six games this year, 29 points would have been enough to get the win, but the defense let them down in this one.
The defense gives up the most yards per game in the CFL, giving up 385.0 yards per game this year. The Elks are almost second to last in points per game given up this year. They are also the worst rushing defense, but do sit fourth against the pass. there are two reasons for that. First, they get down early regularly and teams run heavier against them. Second, they do have some solid coverage. Five different players have interceptions this year, with Locheiz Purifoy leading the way with two.
On the offense side of the ball, this is one of the worst offenses in the CFL. They are eighth in total yards per game while sitting eighth in passing. The Elks are last in the league in rushing and points per game this year. Taylor Cornelius had a solid game last time out. He went 11-20 with 177 yards passing and a 54-yard touchdown pass. Still, he threw two interceptions in the game. In his five games this year, he has only one game in which he threw a touchdown, and did not throw more interceptions in the game.
It was Kyran Moore who made the big play last week. He is second on the team in receiving yards this year, with 243. He has been getting more receptions as of late. In his last four games, he has been targeted five or more times. Last time out, it was four catches on five targets for 101 yards. Steven Dunbar leads the team in yards and receptions this year. He has 25 receptions on the year with 317 yards. He has only one touchdown on the year though, and will need to get back to the endzone in this one.
Why The Blue Bombers Could Cover The Spread
For Winnipeg, it normally starts on the defensive side of the ball. They are second in the CFL in yards per game given up, while sitting second against the pass, and third in points per game allowed in the CFL. Most of the points scored against them have been late in games when the game was already in hand. Last week that was not the case though. The game was not already decided and still, they gave up late points. They need to create some more turnovers as well. They have five interceptions on the year and recovered five fumbles. When they get those turnovers, they normally win.
On the offensive side of the ball, they are fourth in the CFL in yards per game. They are third in rushing, fourth in passing and third in points per game. The offense starts with Zach Collaros. Collaros is passing at 68.2 percent on the year and is averaging 9.4 yards per attempt this year. With 1.600 passing yards on the season and 11 touchdowns, Collaros is going a great job getting the team a nice lead. He has also limited turnovers this year. He has been intercepted just three times in the season. Last time out it was 354 yards passing and two scores, but had one costly interception, and was sacked three times for the second straight game.
To help Callaros get the lead, it is the combination of Dalton Schoen, Nic Demski, and Drew Wolitarsky. Schoen leads the team in receptions and yards this year. He has 27 receptions on the year for 431 yards and two touchdowns on the year. Last time out, it was just four receptions on seven targets for just 66 yards. Demski has 24 receptions for 320 yards on the year and had also scored twice this year. Wolitarsky has 21 receptions for 279 yards and leads the team with four touchdowns. Callaros does a solid job spreading the ball around to all of his receivers.
Once the Blue Bombers get the lead, the game goes over to Brady Oliveria. Oliveria leads the team in rushing this year. He has 86 attempts for 416 yards on the season. Last week was a struggle for Oliveria. He rushed only nine times for just 16 yards. His longest rush of the game was just six yards.
Final Elks-Blue Bombers Prediction & Pick
This game is a mismatch, but so was last week for the Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers were heavily favored, going in at 9.5-point favorites. Then, they lost straight out. Still, they are facing the worst team in the league. Edmonton has only covered the spread once this year. That one game was a game in which they were the biggest underdogs of their season. They were seven-point dogs walking into that game and lost by one. This one they are even bigger dogs. For as much as this is a mismatch, 15.5 is just too many points. Pick the Elks to cover against the Blue Bombers in this one.
Final Elks-Blue Bombers Prediction & Pick: Elks +15.5 (-110)
