Elks vs. Roughriders Prediction: CFL Week 15 Point Spread, Odds
Losers of their first nine games this season, the Elks have roared to life during a 3-1 run, capped by last week’s 25-23 home victory over Calgary. The Roughriders return home in the wake of their crushing 51-6 loss in last week’s Banjo Bowl matchup with Winnipeg, but have tallied three straight wins at home, all as betting underdogs.
Surly in the wake of last week’s dirty beating by the Blue Bombers, the Riders return home as 3-point favourites on the CFL Week 15 odds. The Elks sport +130 odds to improve to 4-1 in their past five games, while the total is listed at 46.5.
CFL Odds and Betting
Friday night’s matchup marks the third and final regular season meeting between these CFL West rivals. The Riders eked out narrow victories in a pair of low-scoring affairs earlier this season including a narrow 12-11 home win in early July, and have now topped the Elks in 11 of 13 dates since August 2016. However, it is Edmonton that holds the slight edge at the sportsbooks, going 4-3-1 against the spread over their past seven versus the Roughriders, and is 3-0-1 ATS in their past four visits to Saskatchewan.
Edmonton Elks
The Elks have resurrected their season during their 3-1 run, and now sit just six points back of the Riders in the race for third place in the CFL West. A resurgent Edmonton offence has played a key role in this team’s current tear. The Elks have exploded for 27.8 points per game over their past five outings after topping that number just twice in their first eight games of the season. The team’s renewed offensive mojo was on full display in last week’s clash with Calgary, as they overcame a 23-7 fourth-quarter deficit with 18 unanswered points in the final 14 minutes to steal the win.
Tre Ford has been steady, if unspectacular, while leading the attack. The Elks pivot connected for 173 passing yards and one score last week, and has now thrown six scoring passes over the past five games. Ford has also demonstrated his ability as a ball carrier, running for 282 yards over the past three games. However, Kevin Brown remains the big threat in the Elks backfield. Brown ran for 143 yards and one score last week, and now ranks second in the CFL with 829 rushing yards.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Roughriders return home looking to build on their recent success at Mosaic Stadium. But while they have won three straight at home, those wins have come by a combined margin of just nine points, while their past five home dates have been settled by a combined margin of just 12 points.
With the Saskatchewan attack failing to consistently produce, this team must find a way to shut down opposing offences, which have lit them up for an average of over 37 points over the past four games. The defence failed miserably to shut down Winnipeg pivot Zach Collaros, who tossed five TDs last week, bringing the total number of touchdowns surrendered over the past four games to 11. That porous defence adds to the enormous pressure of quarterback Jake Dolegala to generate some scoring. Dolegala has failed to throw a scoring pass in three of four outings. That has left the job of scoring in the hands of kicker Brett Lauther and rusher Antonio Pipkin, who have accounted for all but one of the Riders’ 38 total points over the past two games.
EDM
SSK