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Edgar Chaput
Stampeders vs. Lions Prediction: CFL Week 18 Point Spread, Odds
If either of these clubs are going to make pushes, the time is now. The Calgary Stampeders are fighting for their playoff lives. They’re coming off a bye, but before then they fell to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 37-29. As for the BC Lions, they have plenty of issues to fix, even though they will – in all likelihood – make the postseason. They were upset at home last week by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 32-29 in overtime.
Despite their recent struggles, the BC Lions have our CFL odds believing in them. The hosts are a -7.5 favourite.
CFL Odds and Betting
Calgary hasn’t gotten the better of BC very often lately, but they did win earlier this season. It came in July when the Stamps narrowly edged the Lions 25-24. Before then was a relatively close game in June to start the season, with the Lions winning 26-17.
The only thing betters can hope for this season when it comes to the Stampeders is a spread opportunity. Not that Calgary excels in that department, but 7-7 ATS is a much better look than 4-9-1 straight up. Don’t get too excited about this team’s offence just because the over is 9-5. That has more to do with a porous defence (29.9 points per game, eighth) than a solid attack (23.6 points, last).
BC’s season has come down several notches since the summer. They’ve lost seven of their last nine contests. Furthermore, they’ve only covered twice in that span (the two straight-up wins, unsurprisingly). Those performances have dropped BC to 6-9 ATS this year, which is also how the over has performed for them.
Calgary Stampeders
It ain’t over t’ill it’s over. That being said, how badly do we need a below .500 Stampeders team making the playoffs in 2024? In 2023 they finished 6-12, met the Lions in the West semifinal and were dealt with 41-30.
Maybe 2024 is different. Maybe the Stampeders have a Cinderella run in them. If they do, they need to start showing something. A fortnight ago, coming off a bizarre draw against the Alouettes, they hosted the Roughriders and were downed 37-29. Truth be told, the only reason why the score was that close was largely due to some sensational run plays. Backup QB Tommy Stevens took one snap on a third-down play and took it to 69 yards to the house. RB Dedrick Mills had a decent game tallying 74 yards on only 10 touches, plus a TD.
But Calgary was atrocious against the run, allowing Saskatchewan to chew them up for a whopping 244 yards. The Stampeders are a wildly uneven bunch, with their weaknesses doing much more damage than their strengths are helping them.
BC Lions
Not that the BC Lions have been that much better lately. Week 17 was one of the most frustrating games of the entire season.
At home to the Tiger-Cats, the Lions raced out to a 16-0 halftime lead. The defence snuffed everything out. Nathan Rourke (22-for-36, 264 yards, no TDs) was nimble in the pocket and found receivers. RB William Stanback added another 100-yard game to his name in 2024 (he had 103 yards on the ground).
But there were several issues. First, they kicked more field goals than anything else (Sean Whyte went 5-for-5). Second, the Lions were called for eight penalties, a few of which were backbreakers on defence. Finally, they crumbled. That 16-0 lead devolved into a 32-29 OT loss. In fact, there was a defensive pass interference call in the end zone in OT that gave Hamilton the ball at the 1-yard line. The winning touchdown quickly followed. There is bad mojo in Vancouver these days.
CGY
BC