Roughriders vs. Tiger-Cats Prediction: CFL Week 2 Point Spread, Odds
The Tiger-Cats’ woes continued with last week’s season-opening 38-26 loss in Calgary, and the squad has now failed to win a game played in June since 2019. The Roughriders arrive in Steeltown on a high after opening their campaign with a decisive 31-26 win over the visiting Ottawa RedBlacks and have now won five of six since snapping out of a dismal seven-game winless streak last September.
The Roughriders have emerged as 2.5-point road favourites on the CFL Week 2 odds. The Tiger-Cats trail as +135 underdogs on the CFL moneyline and the total for Saturday’s matchup is pegged at 51.5.
CFL Odds and Betting
Saturday night’s matchup marks the first of two scheduled meetings between these squads this season. The Roughriders swept the two-game season series with Hamilton in 2024 with a pair of June victories and have topped the Ti-Cats in 10 of 14 overall meetings but have earned the win in just one of their past four visits to Hamilton.
Recent meetings between these squads have been relatively high scoring, with the total topping 50 in each of the contests during a 3-0 run for the OVER, ending an epic 14-3 run for the UNDER in their previous 17 matchups.
In addition to losing three of four overall, the Tiger-Cats have also covered just once in four games while surrendering an averaging of 31.5 points per game.
Conversely, the Riders have covered five times during their 5-1 run in regular season action, backed by a stingy defence that has surrendered just 21.7 points per game over that stretch.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
After spotting the RedBlacks an early lead, the Roughriders overcame a slow start in last week’s season opener, scoring 24 unanswered points on their way to a 31-26 home win. Veteran pivot Trevor Harris opened the campaign with a steady if unspectacular outing, connecting on 19 of 26 pass attempts for 277 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick.
Harris has quickly rekindled his chemistry with receiver Samuel Emilus, who got a headstart on his pursuit of a third straight 1,000-yard campaign while catching all eight targets for 133 yards and one score.
Linebacker Jameer Thurman also had a big night, tallying 10 tackles and one of the team’s four sacks. However, the Riders struggled at times to contain the RedBlacks passing game while allowing Ottawa pivot Dru Brown to complete 34 attempts for 413 yards and two TDs.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
A lack of finish proved to be the Tiger-Cats’ undoing in last week’s 38-26 loss in Calgary. The Tiger-Cats were forced to settle for three field goals and two singles while failing to penetrate inside the Stampeders 25-yard line through the first three quarters while compiling a meagre 184 yards of total offence.
Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell managed to pad his stats in garbage time and finished the evening with 304 yards on 31-for-50 passing with one TD, averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt. However, Mitchell had little help from an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked four times and a ground game that generated just 47 yards.
Injuries are also a concern for the Ti-Cats defence, whose depth will be tested if Robert Panabaker, Reggie Stubblefield, and Siriman Bagayogo are unable to go. It could be a long night for the Hamilton faithful at this season’s home opener.
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