Roughriders vs. Elks Prediction: CFL Week 17 Point Spread, Odds
The last game around the CFL in Week 17 is Saturday night from the West Division as first-place Saskatchewan visits last-place Edmonton.
The Roughriders are -3.5 on the CFL odds with a total of 54.5 points in the teams’ final meeting of the regular season.
CFL Odds and Betting
Saskatchewan enters Week 17 leading the West Division by two games over second-place Calgary and the only team in the CFL to have clinched a playoff spot. The Roughriders are the +270 Grey Cup favourites. Now it’s all about staying healthy and earning home-field advantage throughout.
Edmonton sits last in the West at 5-9, two games behind third-place Winnipeg and B.C. But the Elks are just 1-5 in the division, so the playoffs are almost a pipe dream at this point barring an upset Saturday. The Elks are off next week and then close home to Winnipeg, at B.C. and home vs. Calgary.
The Elks look to snap a two-game skid in this series as they were 9.5-point underdogs at Saskatchewan in Week 8 and lost 21-18, landing well under the total of 54 points. The Roughriders sacked former Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo eight times. Malik Carney, Shane Ray and Micah Johnson each had two sacks. Trevor Harris was 25 for 33 for 268 yards and threw TD passes to Samuel Emilus and KeeSean Johnson. Edmonton trailed 21-4 entering the fourth before making it interesting. Fajardo threw for 346 yards and two scores in his first start for the Elks.
Edmonton is 4-2 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 4-1 in the past five.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Roughriders are off a bye week and had a two-game winning streak snapped when they last took the field on Sept. 13, stunned 48-31 at home Montreal as 7-point favourites, the third time in four games they failed to cover.
The team had clinched a playoff spot earlier in the day at the earliest juncture in franchise history. Previously, Saskatchewan had never secured a playoff spot earlier than Sept. 28.
The Roughriders were without starting cornerbacks Marcus Sayles and Tevaughn Campbell due to injuries vs. Montreal. WR Joe Robustelli was also out. Too early to know about this week.
QB Trevor Harris threw his 200th career touchdown pass and passed the 3,000 mark in career completions in the loss. Brett Lauther kicked a 46-yard field goal and converted all four Saskatchewan majors. He has made seven consecutive field-goal attempts.
The team is 10-3 or better at the 13-game mark for only the fourth time in franchise history — and the first time since 1970 (11-2). The Roughriders were also 10-3 in 1967 and 1969. They are 5-1 ATS in their past six road games.
Edmonton Elks
I projected the Elks to lose 30-24 in Hamilton last week but it was a 29-27 defeat on a walk-off Marc Liegghio 41-yard field goal after Edmonton wasn’t able to score with its possession inside the three-minute warning. The Ticats then responded with a 12-play drive from their own 10-yard line for the win.
“I thought special teams did their job and put them back there on the 10,” said Elks head coach Mark Kilam. “We’ve got to hold them down there.”
Neither side led by more than six points and there were 10 lead changes. Cody Fajardo was 21-for-29 on the night, throwing for 280 yards and touchdown passes of 72 yards to Justin Rankin and 12 to Kurleigh Gittens. It’s the first time this season Fajardo has back-to-back games with multiple TD passes. But the Elks had just one touchdown from three trips to the red zone.
Fajardo was sacked three times, including a strip sack. Vincent Blanchard made all four of his field goal attempts for the Elks, tying his CFL career high. Edmonton is 8-1 ATS in its past nine games.
SSK
EDM