We’re at the penultimate slate of the Canadian Football League season, the first of a pair of three-game ledgers to close out the 2023 campaign. Below are our predictions for two of those contests.
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Week 20 CFL betting odds and picks: Best bets for Calgary at B.C., Edmonton at Winnipeg
The Lions and Blue Bombers continue to battle it out for the West Division crown, and the Stampeders also can clinch a playoff spot with a victory and a Roughriders loss. As such, we’ll hone in on two games involving those three squads.
Friday, Oct. 20: Calgary Stampeders at B.C. Lions – 10:00 p.m. EDT
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As mentioned above, the Stamps need a victory and some help to punch a postseason ticket this weekend.
That will certainly give Calgary plenty of incentive, but the problem is their more talented opponent is home and just as motivated. The Lions have to snag a victory in this spot and hope for a Bombers loss Saturday night to the Elks to have a chance at claiming the division title.
The two prior meetings between these teams have finished with 10- and 28-point wins for B.C. Calgary is essentially outclassed at almost every key position with the exception of running back, where the Ka’Deem Carey-Dedrick Mills-Peyton Logan trio gives Calgary plenty of explosive depth.
Ultimately, B.C. also has a superior defence and has surrendered just 296 combined passing yards on a paltry 55.2 percent completion rate to Jake Maier while picking him off once and sacking him three times in the two prior games.
While this should be a competitive game for three quarters, I see the Lions doing enough to pull away late for a cover.
The Pick: Lions -8.5 (-110 or better)
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Saturday, Oct. 21: Edmonton Elks at Winnipeg Blue Bombers – 7:00 p.m. EDT
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The Elks are set up to play spoiler in this spot, but being willing and able are two different things.
Assuming a Lions’ win on Friday night, the Bombers will be in the position of having to prevail in this spot to lock up the West Division and a home date for the West Final on Nov. 11.
Winnipeg has defeated the Elks in two prior meetings this season by margins of nine and 14 points.
Edmonton has been a feisty opponent on many occasions this season and has truly gained a spark from Tre Ford’s improvement under center throughout the year. It’s also fair to acknowledge that receiver Dalton Schoen’s likely absence –- he’s missed both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices with an ankle injury –- would certainly represent a big subtraction for the Bombers’ attack.
However, star running back Brady Oliveira, who’s in the process of wrapping up a M.O.P-worthy regular season, could well be the most pivotal weapon for Winnipeg, already having rushed for 220 yards on 34 carries in the two prior games with Edmonton.
Meanwhile, the Elks are allowing a CFL-high 135.5 rushing yards per game at a co-CFL-high 5.8 yards per carry.
Taking a stab at a margin of victory bet can always make for an interesting sweat, and we’ll do so here as a lean since the moneyline price of -675 is prohibitive. However, we’ll focus on the spread as a main bet, with the Bombers looking to head into the postseason with an exclamation point.
The Pick: Bombers -11 or less (-110 or better)
The Lean: Blue Bombers to win by 13-18 points (+340 or better)
