Week 12 of the CFL season is officially upon us and, as the old saying goes, the year is only now getting started.
Labour Day weekend invites historic rivalry clashes across the country and the annual bragging rights that go with them, kicking off the home stretch of the 2022 season. With sellout crowds expected in both Saskatchewan and Hamilton, fans should be in for a treat.
In our own friendly competition, Brendan McGuire has extended his lead in our straight-up picks standings to three games. Meanwhile, Santino Filoso, Joel Gasson, and Josh Smith find themselves in a three-way tie picking against the spread, with the holiday weekend looking just as crucial for them as it is for the teams on the field.
Friday, September 2: Ottawa Redblacks at Montreal Alouettes – 7:30 p.m. ET
The Redblacks finally exited their season-long slide last week, as Nick Arbuckle enacted a little vengeance against his old club in his first start with Ottawa. That may be difficult to replicate against an Alouettes team that is fresh off a bye and riding a two-game winning streak. Alas, this game won’t be the same with Gary Stern’s tweets.
DUNK: Redblacks can compete with Nick Arbuckle at quarterback.
Straight-up: REDBLACKS. Against the spread: REDBLACKS.
HODGE: Montreal is starting to improve at a convenient time.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
ABBOTT: These Alouettes will not be gentille.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
BALLANTINE: Beating Edmonton doesn’t mean anything. Ottawa is still hot garbage.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
FILOSO: Seven of Montreal’s ten games have been decided in the last three minutes. They’ll probably win, but not by five.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: REDBLACKS.
GASSON: Montreal tightens its grip on a playoff spot.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
HUDSON: Ottawa is better than Edmonton but I’m not going farther than that.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
LUDWIG: LaPolice just needs to get a little less in his own way and Ottawa’s in the mix.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: REDBLACKS.
MCGUIRE: I am astonished at the resurgence we are seeing out of Montreal, I cannot in good conscience choose against them. Boy, that move by Marcel Desjardins to not re-sign Trevor Harris still haunts the nation’s capital.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
SMITH: Montreal off a bye seems like a smart play.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Als 9, Redblacks 1
TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Als 7, Redblacks 3
Sunday, September 4: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders – 6:00 p.m. ET
Quarterback Cody Fajardo had a bounce-back game following his benching two weeks ago and the Saskatchewan Roughriders eked out a victory over a half-strength B.C. Lions team. Head coach Craig Dickenson has since been forced to miss the week of practice due to COVID-19 and they now face their rival Bombers coming off yet another thrilling win over Calgary. Mosaic Stadium will be full to the brim for this one but Winnipeg has extra incentive to silence the crowd — they can clinch a playoff spot with a victory.
DUNK: Anything can happen in Labour Day Classics but the Blue Bombers are built different.
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
HODGE: Cody Fajardo’s knee better be feeling good because he’s going to be running for his life.
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
ABBOTT: The Riders barely beat a third-string quarterback last week. Good luck against the presumptive M.O.P
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
BALLANTINE: Can Fajardo make it to the end of the game against this defence? Feels like the third quarter will be a Fine time for a QB switch.
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
FILOSO: A sold-out crowd goes home disappointed
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
GASSON: I don’t see Labour Day weekend magic this year.
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: RIDERS.
HUDSON: The biggest danger for the Bombers the rest of the season is having nothing to play for. Luckily, these next couple of games have a rivalry in the mix.
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
LUDWIG: Winnipeg won’t go 17-1 but I don’t know if I’ll pick against them until the last couple of weeks.
Straight-up: BOMBERS. Against the spread: BOMBERS.
MCGUIRE: Historically, Saskatchewan has done well in the Labour Day Classic when they’ve entered with an inferior record. I expect that to carry the day on Sunday.
Straight-up: RIDERS. Against the spread: RIDERS.
SMITH: Anything can happen in the not-quite-on-Labour-Day Classic.
Straight-up: RIDERS. Against the spread: RIDERS.
TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Bombers 8, Riders 2
TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bombers 7, Riders 3
Monday, September 5: Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger-Cats – 1:00 p.m. ET
Even though backup Matthew Shiltz will miss the next four-to-six weeks with a wrist injury, Dane Evans is playing for his job in Tigertown. Despite the team’s losing record, Tim Hortons Field will still be sold out for the final of four clashes with the Argos in a five-week span. Toronto earned a 2-1 edge in the series last week with a dominant second half, as McLeod Bethel-Thompson passed Doug Flutie for fourth on the team’s all-time passing yardage list.
DUNK: Toronto doesn’t win on the September holiday Monday often.
Straight-up: ARGOS. Against the spread: ARGOS.
HODGE: I’m giving Dane Evans one more chance to remember that he’s a competent quarterback.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
ABBOTT: The Argos are incapable of looking good twice in a row.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
BALLANTINE: No reason to believe that Evans got better, and Toronto is finding their stride as a result.
Straight-up: ARGOS. Against the spread: ARGOS.
FILOSO: Until he proves otherwise, Evans is just too much of a liability
Straight-up: ARGOS. Against the spread: ARGOS.
GASSON: Toronto is the better team but the fans will power Hamilton to a victory.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
HUDSON: The law firm is a steadier QB right now than Evans. That’s the difference.
Straight-up: ARGOS. Against the spread: ARGOS.
LUDWIG: Hamilton still shouldn’t be this bad, but Dane Evans is not in a good place. Picking for the intrigue.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
MCGUIRE: The Ticats won the very first LDC I ever saw on television, despite having a winless record against the Rocket Ismail-led Argos. I’m going to ride the nostalgia here.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
SMITH: Season on the line, the Tabbies eek one out.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Ticats 6, Argos 4
TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Ticats 6, Argos 4
Monday, September 5: Edmonton Elks at Calgary Stampeders – 4:30 p.m. EDT
Edmonton’s thousand days of irrelevance at home continued last week with an embarrassing performance against Ottawa but their chances of a road upset are severely hurt by the loss of their best offensive weapon, Kenny Lawler, to injury. Meanwhile, Calgary looks revitalized on offence thanks to Jake Maier at quarterback and should be a force to be reckoned with in their new black uniforms.
DUNK: Stamps win it’s just a matter of by how many points.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
HODGE: I see no reason why this game should be close.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
ABBOTT: You better have Jake Maier on your fantasy team.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: ELKS.
BALLANTINE: Not sure punter Cody Grace sees the field at all.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
FILOSO: Calgary will take care of business, but that spread is simply too big for the CFL.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: ELKS.
GASSON: That line is tempting. Calgary wins either way.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
HUDSON: The biggest danger to Calgary was Lawler and he’s injured.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
LUDWIG: Hey, if the 2021 Elks could win on Labour Day… Nah, just kidding.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
MCGUIRE: Since they are playing on the road, the Elks at least have a shot. But not a good enough one for me to pick them straight up or to cover the spread.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
SMITH: Edmonton just lost to Ottawa. ‘Nuff said.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Stamps 10, Elks 0
TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Stamps 8, Elks 2
Records to date (straight-up)
MCGUIRE — 35-12
LUDWIG — 32-15
FILOSO — 31-16
SMITH — 31-16
DUNK — 30-17
ABBOTT — 29-18
GASSON — 29-18
BALLANTINE — 28-19
HODGE — 27-20
HUDSON — 27-20
Records to date (against the spread)
FILOSO — 28-19
GASSON — 28-19
SMITH — 28-19
BALLANTINE — 27-20
ABBOTT — 26-21
LUDWIG — 25-22
HODGE — 24-23
DUNK — 23-24
MCGUIRE — 23-24
HUDSON — 20-27
