Elks vs. Lions Prediction: CFL Week 20 Point Spread, Odds
The Edmonton Elks aim to keep their playoff hopes alive with a third straight win when they visit the BC Lions on Friday night in CFL Week 20 action at BC Place.
The Elks have posted consecutive wins over CFL West rivals to remain just two points back of Winnipeg in the battle for the right to cross over and claim the third and final playoff spot in the CFL East Division.
Idle last week, the Lions enter the penultimate weekend of the regular season riding a four-game win streak and have also won four straight on home turf, capped by a 38-24 rout of the visiting Calgary Stampeders two weeks ago.
The Lions lead the way as 5.5-point favourites on the CFL Week 20 odds. The Elks trail as +200 CFL moneyline underdogs, and the total is listed at 56.5.
CFL Odds and Betting
The Lions have dominated the Elks head-to-head in recent years, claiming victory in 10 of 11 meetings since August 2021, including six straight victories on home turf. Five of those victories on home turf have come by wide margins, with BC claiming victory by an average of 25.3 points per game, capped by a 31-14 victory in this season’s home opener. The Elks have scored just 14 points in each of their previous dates with the Lions this season and have mustered just 14.9 points per game during their current 1-10-0 head-to-head swoon.
However, the Elks have otherwise emerged as a reliable bet this season, going 11-2 against the spread in their past 13 contests. And while they arrive in BC riding a two-game slide on the road, they have seen their past two away losses come by a combined margin of just three points. In addition, Edmonton has won outright in just one of its past 12 when pegged as underdogs by five or more points but has gone 6-3 ATS over their past nine. The Lions’ recent surge has helped them flip the script on a losing narrative at home. The squad’s current 4-0-0 run snaps a four-game slide, during which they went winless ATS.
Edmonton Elks
The Elks have fuelled their two-game surge with big second-half performances, scoring four total touchdowns after the break to remain in the hunt for a spot in the CFL playoffs. Last week, it was Justin Rankin’s turn to be the hero. The Elks running back galloped for 138 rushing yards and one touchdown run, and has now piled up 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns over the past two games.
Indeed, the Elks rise to the occasion when Rankin is on his game, with the Elks claiming the victory in each of the six games in which the veteran rusher runs for a score. That is particularly good news for the team, considering the struggles that Cody Fajardo has had finding the end zone. The Elks pivot connected on just 13 of 24 pass attempts for just 142 yards, including just 41 yards after halftime, and has failed to toss a scoring pass in the past two games.
BC Lions
Already assured of a playoff spot, the Lions still have a lot to play for in their final two games. The team can clinch second place in the CFL West with a win on Friday combined with a Calgary Stampeders’ loss in their home date with Toronto on Saturday. But the Lions remain in control of their own destiny and can clinch second place simply by winning out in their final two games.
The Lions did themselves a big favour with a decisive 38-24 win over Calgary before enjoying a bye last week, and have now racked up 38.8 points per game during their four-game surge. Nathan Rourke enjoyed yet another big day in the win over the Stamps, with the BC pivot connecting for 414 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Rourke has now tossed for 27 scores on the season including five total TD passes versus Edmonton, but with five total picks thrown over the past two games, the Victoria BC native is worthy of a value bet on the CFL player props to toss at least one interception on Friday.
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