Locked into third place in the CFL West Division standings, the Stampeders will have the playoffs on their minds as they vie for their sixth victory in eight contests after knocking off the Riders in Saskatchewan last week by a 32-21 margin. Already out of playoff contention, the Roughriders will be playing for jobs and pride as they seek to snap a brutal six-game losing streak that features three defeats on the road.

The Stampeders have faded to 5-point favourites since opening as 7.5-point chalk on the CFL odds, and have garnered the support of just 47 per cent of sports bettors. The total has also dipped to 48.5 since opening at 49.5, with the betting action evenly split between the OVER and UNDER.

CFL Odds and Betting

Saturday night’s matchup at McMahon Stadium marks just the second meeting of the season between these long-time West Division rivals. With last week’s decisive 32-21 win in Saskatchewan, the Stampeders snapped a two-game losing streak against the Riders, and have won five of seven head-to-head matchups. However, they have produced mixed results when facing the Roughriders on home turf, where they have won just two of their past five while averaging just 20.2 points per game. After paying out in last week’s meeting, the OVER now enjoys a 2-0-0 run. However, recent meetings in Calgary have tended towards low scoring, with the UNDER prevailing in five of the past seven.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Riders have been plagued by slow starts during their current swoon, and last week was no different. Saskatchewan failed to penetrate the Calgary 35 while picking up just six first downs before the half, leaving them forced to settle for a pair of field goals. The squad has now scored more than three points in the first quarter just twice over their past five games, and have managed to take a lead into halftime just once over that stretch. Points have come at a particular premium on the road, with the Roughriders averaging just 15.7 points per game during their 0-3-0 away run. The move last week to bench quarterback Cody Fajardo in favour of Mason Fine failed to pay off, with Fine completing just 18-of-28 pass attempts for 196 yards and one score.

Calgary Stampeders

As expected with all six playoff-bound teams, the Stampeders are likely to give their regulars plenty of rest in Saturday’s season finale. That could mean a return to action for quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who lost the starting job to Jake Maier back in August. Mitchell has not thrown a pass since. But given the opportunity, the 32-year-old should be highly motivated to flash his skills for potential suitors in what is likely to be his final game appearance with the Stampeders. That said, Mitchell has a lot of work to reverse a dismal four-game stretch in which he failed to toss a scoring pass on three occasions, and fell well short of 200 passing yards twice, sealing his fate with the squad. Mitchell also produced middling results in three appearances against Saskatchewan last season, when he averaged 255 passing yards and tossed for three touchdowns, but also threw five interceptions.

Who Will Win Roughriders vs. Stampeders?