The Calgary Stampeders will be aiming to remain unbeaten this season as they rekindle their Battle of Alberta rivalry with Edmonton on Saturday, when they play host to the Elks in CFL Week 3 action. The Stampeders improved to 2-0-0 with last weekend’s narrow 33-30 victory in Hamilton as 1.5-point betting underdogs. Conversely, the Elks continue the search for their first win of the campaign after dropping a 26-16 decision to the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 2, which also marked the team’s 11th outright defeat in 12 overall contests.

The Stampeders have held steady as 8.5-point favourites on the CFL Week 3 odds. The Elks sport strengthening -115 odds of covering the spread, but lag as distant +291 moneyline underdogs. The total is listed at 49.5, with 77 per cent of sports bettors backing the OVER.

CFL Odds and Betting

Saturday evening’s matchup at McMahon Stadium marks the first of four regular season meetings between these long-time West Division rivals. The Stampeders have dominated in head-to-head clashes, posting straight up wins in 10 of 13 dates with the Elks since the beginning of 2016. However, the Stamps have covered on just seven occasions over that stretch, including just two of their past five home dates with the Elks.

In addition, Calgary also fell 32-20 as 5.5-point chalk the last time it hosted the Elks last season on Labour Day weekend. The OVER has paid out in the past three meetings between these clubs, with the total reaching 50 two times over that stretch. That ended a steady 5-2-0 run for the UNDER, during which Calgary went 2-5-0 against the spread.

Week 3 of the #CFL season kicks off Thursday night in #Montreal.@DavidBastl & @JDunk12 deliver their best bets, including one HUGE underdog. pic.twitter.com/LmUvytXSRo

— Sports Interaction (@SIASport) June 22, 2022

Edmonton Elks

The Elks’ struggles to generate offence continued in last week’s loss to Saskatchewan. The club has averaged just 15.5 points per game through the first two weeks of the schedule, and has reached the end zone on just two occasions over that stretch. Scoring woes are nothing new for Edmonton, which has failed to score more than 17 points in seven of nine overall, including four of the squad’s past five road dates.

Slow starts have not helped Edmonton’s chances. The Elks compiled minus-2 yards of total offence in the opening quarter in last week’s loss to the Riders. And while quarterback Nick Arbuckle went on to rack up 315 passing yards on the day, he also tossed two interceptions, and now leads all CFL pivots with five picks on the season.

Calgary Stampeders

The Stampeders have picked up where they left off at the end of the 2021 regular season, which they closed out on an impressive 6-1-0 straight up run. The Calgary offence continued to click during last week’s visit to Hamilton, and has been the big reason why the Stampeders look to this weekend’s action sporting a 2-0-0 record. With their 33-30 win, the Stampeders now lead the CFL with 31.5 points scored per game, and have now reached 30 or more points in four of their past five overall outings.

Bo Levi Mitchell has fuelled the attack. The Calgary pivot was key to the team’s rebound from a 21-point deficit against the Ti-Cats, sparking the offence by completing 10 of 12 passes early in the second half. However, after spotting opponents double-digit leads before halftime in each of their two outings to date makes taking Calgary to cover a risky bet.

CFL Prediction: Who Will Win Elks vs. Stampeders?