3DownNation CFL best bets: Week 19

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It is Thanksgiving up here in Canada, and to celebrate, the CFL is giving us four games to enjoy with the arrival of Week 19.

This week, there are a pair of games that have my attention, so let’s dive in.

Edmonton Elks at Hamilton Tiger-Cats — Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. EDT

The West-leading Elks head into Hamilton to take on the Tiger-Cats to kick off the week in the CFL.

Edmonton is coming off their bye, so this is a home-and-home for them after their Week 17 win over Hamilton. Meanwhile, Hamilton beat Ottawa last week to end a five-game slide. The Ticats have been playing better football lately, as Edmonton knows after their 37-35 overtime game a couple of weeks ago.

A big shift for this group has been the play of third-year QB Harrison Frost, who has multiple TD passes in each of his last four starts, and over 300 yards in two of those. It hasn’t always been pretty, but he has provided a spark to an offence that has been lacking one since Bo Levi Mitchell’s early-season injury.

On the Edmonton side, there is no question that the Elks’ turnaround is one of the stories of the year. Edmonton sits on top of the West with just three weeks to go, a spot they cemented in their double-header with Calgary. But post-Labour Day, it does seem like Edmonton is sleepwalking a bit.

The Elks followed their dominant Week 15 win over Calgary with a lacklustre performance in their loss to Toronto, and then they barely got by Hamilton two weeks ago.

I’m sure that the bye week will help this Edmonton team’s focus, but they clearly have an eye towards the postseason. Also, Edmonton hasn’t been as dominant on the road this year, with a mark of just 4-3. This feels like a spot where Hamilton can keep things close with a roster of players auditioning for spots next year.

Pick: Hamilton +6.5

Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers — Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Calgary Stampeders head east for a crucial matchup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Calgary can wrap up a playoff spot with a win in this one, while Winnipeg is two points behind the Stamps and Riders heading into Thanksgiving Weekend.

The Red and White have rebounded from their embarrassing defeat against Edmonton post-Labour Day with three straight wins. Two of them were against Ottawa, and one of those was a last-second miracle, so it is tough to give them too much credit. But last weekend’s win in Regina was a real win for a team that has been riding the rollercoaster all season long.

The one thing you can take away from these last three wins is that Calgary’s offence appears to be back on track. Vernon Adams Jr. has passed for over 350 yards in two of the three wins and has nine TDs during this three-game winning streak. Combine that with just one INT, and this offence appears to be heading in the right direction at the right time.

On the other side, I believed that Winnipeg’s defence was turning a corner. But that was aggressively proven wrong last week when the Alouettes dominated the Bombers 37-10. The Bombers D has now given up at least 28 points in four of their last five games.

Zach Collaros is back for Winnipeg, but there just seem to be too many holes on this Winnipeg side right now for me to take them seriously. These two feel like they are heading in opposite directions right now.

Pick: Calgary +1.5