Alouettes vs. Blue Bombers Prediction: CFL Week 21 Point Spread, Odds
The CFL regular season ends on Saturday, but two teams headed for the playoffs face off as Montreal visits Winnipeg in the matinee game of a doubleheader. The Blue Bombers are -5.5 on the CFL odds with an unusually low total of 49.5 points.
CFL Odds and Betting
The six teams for the CFL post-season have been set, but there remains plenty to be decided on the final weekend of the regular season. Winnipeg is sitting fourth in the West Division but in the playoffs. All that the Blue Bombers really have to play for here other than pride and being at home is that Winnipeg can avoid the playoff crossover spot with a win and a B.C. Lions loss Saturday night at West Division champion Saskatchewan.
Hamilton and Montreal are tied for first in the East Division, with the Ticats holding the current tiebreaker thanks to the season sweep. If they win on Friday night, then the Alouettes would have nothing to play for on Saturday. And it sure seems likely Hamilton will win as a 14.5-point home favourite vs. Ottawa. On the rare chance the Tiger-Cats lose, the Als would win the East Division with a victory.
Winnipeg tries for this season sweep and a third straight win in the rivalry as the Ticats were 6.5-point favourites Week 12 in Montreal and won 26-13. Zach Collaros completed 27-of-32 passes for 263 yards with one TD to Nic Demski, and Brady Oliveira finished with 16 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown. Sergio Castillo made four field goals.
Montreal is 5-3-1 ATS in the past nine meetings, but Winnipeg has won five of the past seven straight up at home.
Montreal Alouettes
It really would not be smart to wager on this game until after seeing what Hamilton did on Friday, but we will assume the Ticats win that and that the Als rest some players here ahead of the post-season with then nothing to play for. That is, unless coach Jason Maas wants to keep momentum as his team beating Ottawa last week, 39-28, for a fifth straight victory (4-1 ATS).
Davis Alexander improved to 11-0 as Montreal’s starting QB and threw for 328 yards and two scores. The duo of Austin Mack and Tyler Snead combined to catch 222 of those 328 yards. Kicker José Maltos Díaz was 4-for-4 on field-goal tries and the defence forced five turnovers: It picked off Ottawa quarterback Tyrie Adams four times and also added a turnover on downs.
Alexander was voted the Alouettes’ Most Outstanding Player for the season and defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund was voted Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Canadian. Maas and GM Danny Maciocia were given two-year contract extensions this week. The Als are 14-7 ATS in their past 21 road games.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg won for the third time in four games (2-2 ATS) last week but failed to cover as an 8-point home favourite in edging past West Division champion Saskatchewan, 17-16, as Sergio Castillo kicked a 22-yard field goal as time expired. The Roughriders rested many starters and had just 169 yards of offence.
The win clinched a playoff spot for the Bombers despite playing without top wideout Nic Demski due to a hamstring injury. Seems all but a sure thing he is rested for the playoffs and perhaps others rest as well. The Winnipeg native Demski has recorded his third straight 1,000-yard season, putting up 1,001 yards to go with 67 catches and seven touchdowns. Gavin Cobb filled in for him last week and had four catches for 44 yards.
Zach Collaros was 15-of-24 passing for Winnipeg with one TD toss and one pick minus his top wideout. Brady Oliveira was clutch on the winning drive and finished with 16 carries for 75 yards. This week, he was named the team’s MOP and MOC for a third straight season in both award categories.
Jake Thomas played in his 222nd career regular-season game last week as a Blue Bomber, moving him past Stan Mikawos into fourth place in franchise history. Winnipeg is 2-4 ATS in its past six.
MTL
WPG