The Saskatchewan Roughriders are short favourites to beat the B.C. Lions in the West Semi-Final on Saturday.
The West Division rivals met twice during the regular season, splitting the meetings one game apiece. B.C. won 35-20 in Vancouver in July before Saskatchewan dominated 39-8 in Regina earlier this month. Trevor Harris didn’t play in Saskatchewan’s defeat, while Vernon Adams Jr. sat out the loss for B.C. As such, this weekend will mark the first time the veteran quarterbacks face off against each other this year.
Both teams could get some key players back from injury as receiver Jevon Cottoy (ankle), offensive lineman Tyler Packer (hamstring), and defensive back Adrian Greene (knee) are back practicing for the Lions, while running back Ryquell Armstead (shoulder), offensive lineman Peter Godber (ankle), and linebacker Adam Auclair (knee) have returned to practice with Saskatchewan.
This marks the first playoff game between Saskatchewan and B.C. since 2013 when the Riders won at home by a score of 29-25. The Green and White road that momentum to a Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats two weeks later, marking the first home championship in franchise history.
B.C. has won the last two West Semi-Finals over the Calgary Stampeders, though both games were at home. This marks the first time the Lions have gone on the road for the West Semi-Final since 2015 when they suffered a blowout loss to Calgary.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-8-1) will host the B.C. Lions (9-9) on Saturday, Nov. 2 with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. EDT.
