Roughriders vs. RedBlacks Prediction: CFL Week 18 Point Spread, Odds
The Ottawa RedBlacks will need to win out if they want to make the playoffs as they prepare to host the league-leading Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night.
Sitting dead last in the CFL at 4-10, Ottawa has dropped back-to-back games. Coming off a bye, they need to win out and have Montreal lose out to claim a playoff spot.
Saskatchewan leads the CFL with a 10-4 record, but they’ve also dropped back-to-back decisions. However, the Riders are sitting pretty after already clinching a home playoff game.
Saskatchewan is a 3.5-point favourite to win on the CFL odds, with the total pegged at 53.5.
CFL Odds and Betting
This wraps up the season series after the Roughriders got past Ottawa 31-26 in Week 1. However, Saskatchewan has struggled with just one win in their last five trips to the nation’s capital.
These teams don’t seem to care where they play this season. The Riders are 5-2 straight up both at home and on the road, while the RedBlacks are 2-5 SU both at home and on the road.
The Green and White have also been a reliable cover option, going 8-6 against the spread overall and 5-2 ATS on the road. Ottawa is 6-8 ATS overall, with just two covers in seven home dates.
Each teams’ respective position in the standings is where they sit on the Grey Cup odds. Saskatchewan is the Grey Cup favourite at +275 on the CFL futures board, while the RedBlacks have the longest odds at +10,000.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders have been playing uncharacteristic football with losses to the Alouettes and Elks over the last two weeks. Prior to those games, Sasky held a perfect record against every team in the league outside of Calgary.
I’ve got A.J. Ouellette circled for a big game this week. He’s found the end zone in four straight games and sits second in the CFL in rushing yards (1,057), four behind leader James Butler of the Lions.
Ottawa RedBlacks
Ottawa has two paths forward this week with the their playoff hopes on the line: play desperate football or accept the fact they have almost zero chance of playing playoff football. Even Dru Brown throwing for 406 against Winnipeg two weeks ago wasn’t enough to secure a W.
Defensively, this team is Jekyll and Hyde. They’ve allowed the second-fewest passing yards and rushing yards per game in the league, but they’ve also given up the second-most points per game. Turnovers have been a big issues as they have the third-worst turnover ratio in the league. That spells disaster against a Riders team that has the third-best turnover ratio.
SSK
OTT