3DownNation CFL best bets: Week 10

Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders

Week 10 in the Canadian Football League is upon us, and as the calendar flips to August, we continue to learn about these teams.

Last week we had a nice 3-1 week with Jake Maier’s passing yards under being the only speed bump. So, let’s try to keep that momentum going with a pick from all four games on the schedule this week.

Calgary Stampeders at Toronto Argonauts — Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. EDT

This isn’t something I normally get to write in Week 10, but it is the home opener for the Toronto Argonauts as they host the Calgary Stampeders.

Toronto should get a boost as they match Bosnia-Herzegovina’s soccer team total for number of games played at BMO Field in 2026. The Argos are also sailing into their familiar shores on a high note after their 26-12 win over B.C. before the bye. They face a tough test, though, as the Stampeders have won back-to-back games by a combined score of 96-50.

Calgary’s offence has been on fire all season long, averaging 40 points per game. They have had to be, as the defence has given up the second-most points in the league. Toronto is in a similar boat with a high-powered offence and a struggling defence. They haven’t quite been able to offset the defensive issues in the same way Calgary has, though. Toronto has averaged 31.4 points per game this season while allowing 31.3.

I do believe that tells the tale of this game. Both offences are very good, but Calgary’s is better. And both defences struggle, but I believe Calgary’s is just a touch better.

This will likely be another Wild West shootout, similar to their Stampede Bowl clash which saw Calgary win 58-36 at McMahon. In that game, it was the two QBs going toe-to-toe, while the running game got left behind a bit. Calgary has been a very good running team this year, but Toronto’s run defence has been a bright spot, allowing the second fewest yards per game in the league.

I believe both QBs will put up some big numbers, but Dedrick Mills may not have a huge day in what should be an overall good performance for a surging Calgary squad.

Picks: Calgary -1.5, Dedrick Mills Under 78.5 rushing yards

Ottawa Redblacks at Saskatchewan Roughriders — Friday, August 7 at 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Saskatchewan Roughriders return home to face the struggling Ottawa Redblacks on Friday Night Football this week.

The Riders are coming off a split in their home-and-home with Edmonton, where you could equally convincingly argue they should have gone 2-0 or 0-2. Ottawa has had no such stretches; they have earned every bit of that 0-7 record.

This has obviously been a very good run for Corey Mace and the defending Grey Cup Champions, who are near the top of the standings for the second year in a row. But one flaw this team has had is failing to put teams away. This isn’t a group that blows a lot of teams out, so the spread of more than a touchdown does scare me away this week.

However, one area where I’m confident is the Riders’ passing attack. Saskatchewan boasts a very talented receiving room, and Trevor Harris has done a fantastic job of spreading the ball around. The Riders are in the top half of the league in passing yards, while Ottawa has allowed the second most passing yards per game this year.

I don’t know if it will be a blowout, but I do expect the Riders to win this game with Harris leading the charge.

Pick: Trevor Harris Over 311.5 passing yards

Edmonton Elks at Montreal Alouettes — Saturday, August 8 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

It is a battle of division leaders in Montreal with the Alouettes hosting the Elks on Saturday afternoon.

Montreal is the hottest team in the CFL with five wins in a row, while Edmonton did lose its last game but showed the rest of the league they are a contender in their split with the Riders over the past two weeks.

Offence has been the main story in the league this year, but this is a matchup of two of the best defences in the CFL as they sit one and two in fewest points allowed per game this season. This will be a very interesting matchup with both offences also being very strong as well.

The biggest X-factor could be the passing game, with both teams sitting towards the top of the league in passing yards per game, as well as fewest passing yards allowed per game.

This is going to be another tight game, and I think each defence will make a couple of key plays to keep this game low-scoring throughout.

Pick: Under 58.5 points

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at B.C. Lions — Saturday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. EDT

The last game of the week sees the stumbling Ticats taking on the Lions.

B.C. could really benefit from this being the last game on the schedule for Week 10, as all signs are pointing to Nathan Rourke getting back under centre. This isn’t breaking news, but that is obviously a gigantic boost to this offence, even after a winning performance last week.

Hamilton knows what it’s like to deal with an injury to a star QB. Unfortunately, they don’t know what it is like to have that QB come back. In Bo Levi Mitchell’s absence, the Ticats offence has struggled. Hamilton is averaging just 17 points per game in their last four, and they are the lowest-scoring team in the CFL.

If Rourke is indeed back for B.C., I don’t see a way where Hamilton’s offence will be able to keep pace with one of the best QBs in the CFL. With it not being a 100 percent certainty yet that Rourke will play, this pick is a bit of a gamble. But that’s kind of the point of this whole story, right?

Pick: B.C. Lions -6.5