Roughriders vs. Alouettes Prediction: CFL Week 8 Point Spread, Odds
Montreal and Saskatchewan each lead their respective divisions with identical 5-1 records. The Als had a bye last week after dropping their first game of the season, 37-18 against Toronto, in Week 6. The Riders rebounded from their first loss of the season with a 19-9 win over Winnipeg in Week 7.
Montreal opened as a 3.5-point favourite to win on the CFL odds, with the total set at 47.5.
CFL Odds and Betting
Saskatchewan has rewarded bettors with a 5-1 record against the spread this season, tied with Calgary for the best mark in the CFL. High scoring games have been key, with the Over hitting in their first five contests of the year.
The Alouettes are an even 3-3 ATS this season, but they’ve failed to cover in their last two games. The Over/Under has split evenly in six games, with the Over hitting in three of their last four.
If you’re looking for a futures play, Montreal has the second-shortest Grey Cup odds at +250 on the CFL futures board, while Saskatchewan has the third-shortest at +340. They both trail the Lions at +225.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Shea Patterson’s 15-yard pass to Clint Ratkovich proved to be the lone touchdown in Saskatchewan’s win against Winnipeg last week. Patterson, starting in place of the injured Trevor Harris, completed 17 of 25 pass attempts for 261 yards. A.J. Ouellette had another strong performance with 80 rushing yards and enters Week 8 with the third-most rushing yards (389) in the CFL. Rookie Ajou Ajou had a breakout performance with 110 yards on just four receptions.
While Harris remains out for at least the next few weeks with an MCL sprain, the Roughriders’ defence has kept the team afloat. Saskatchewan leads the CFL in average rushing yards allowed per game (50.3) and rushing yards per play (3.7). Passing defence, however, has been a different story. The Riders give up a CFL-high 328..2 passing yards per game, but they could be up against Montreal’s backup quarterback this week.
Montreal Alouettes
Two weeks ago Montreal did something they hadn’t done in 300 days: lose a football game. The loss snapped a franchise-record 13-game winning streak dating back to Sept. 15 last season. Cody Fajardo completed five of six pass attempts for 62 yards before leaving with a hamstring injury. Fajardo didn’t return to practice following last week’s bye, so his status is in doubt on Thursday. Caleb Evans, who threw for 127 yards with two TDs and two interceptions in Week 6, will start if Fajardo isn’t good to go.
Montreal averages the third-most passing yards per game (302.2) in the CFL, but their offence will take a big hit if Fajardo doesn’t play this week. The Als managed just one first down, 13 offensive plays and 32 nets yards in the second half two weeks ago with Evans under centre. Evans, who is primarily used to score short-yardage rushing touchdowns, has a career 60 per cent completion rate with 15 TDs and 22 interceptions over three CFL seasons as a backup.