After intense battles in Week 1, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats enter their sophomore games feeling differently. The Roughriders looked down and out on the road against the Elks but stormed back to claim a 29-21 victory. The Ticats marched into the Calgary but were held at bay by the Stampeders, 32-24.

The CFL odds believe that Hamilton will bounce back with some home cooking. The Tiger-Cats are slight -1.5 favourites.

CFL Odds and Betting

Saskathewan and Hamilton butted heads on the gridiron only once in 2023. It was a late regular season match in October when the Ticats pounced all over the Roughriders in Regina 38-13. That was Hamilton’s second consecutive victory after their green-coloured rivals dating back to the 2022 campaign. Overall, the Southern Ontario club has taken three of the last four meetings.

It’s early days in the CFL calendar, so there isn’t a ton of spread data yet, but suffice it to say that Saskatchewan has begun on the right foot. Their eight-point win last week more than enough to handle the -1 spread.

Conversely, Hamilton was a +1 away to Calgary last weekend but fell by eight points, thus an 0-1 ATS debut to the season.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

For a long time during Week 1’s bout versus the Elks, it looked like the Roughriders were going to be the victims of a new and improved Edmonton side. The hosts looked spry, marched down the field with regularity, and made big plays on defence.

When the final period commenced, it was a 18-8 game and the visitors looked sluggish. But football is an unpredictable game and things can change in a flash. What’s more, for all the goodwill Edmonton built up for three quarters, they let it all spoil in the final one. The Roughriders were happy to oblige. QB Trevor Harris made fans forget about his two interceptions with a three-TD evening and 305 yards through the air. Shawn Bane was his favourite and most deadly target, corralling three passes for scores and 125 yards.

Former Argo RB A.J. Ouellette didn’t have a monster game (18 touches for 40 yards), but he punched in a late score from the goal line that sealed the deal for the Roughriders. SF Rolan Milligan was a terror for Saskatchewan, tallying 10 tackles.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

To the south of where Saskatchewan started its campaign brightly, the Tiger-Cats got off to a much rougher start versus the Calgary Stampeders.

Head coach Scott Milanovich was probably left wondering how his side let this one slip away. We spent all of 2023 criticizing the Stamps’ inability to punch in for major scores and Hamilton’s defence limited the opposition to field goals six times. Somehow it still wasn’t enough. The Ticats had more yards (459 to 363), performed more plays (57 to 48), amassed more first downs (20 to 20) and played a totally clean game (zero penalties). But the devil is in the details, and, given that it concluded by one score, it’s important to note that Calgary held on to the ball for three more minutes (31:53 to 28:53).

Bo Levi Mitchell got roughed up a bit in the first half but still finished the night with 300 yards and a TD. RB James Butler picked up where he left off in 2023, bouldering his way to 119 yards on 13 carries. Even little used RB Ante-Milanonic-Litre paid his old team back with a second half TD on a play for which he took the snap. Even so, the Tiger-Cats let a good opportunity slip through their fingers, losing 32-24.

Who Will Win Roughriders vs. Tiger-Cats?