Charles-André Marchand is a CFL analyst and play-by-play announcer for CKAC-730 AM.
Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton Tiger Cats (+4, 50)
The Alouettes could virtually clinch the East Conference title with this game. They lead in almost every stat category in the CFL. They added strong Canadian content in a trade with Winnipeg that sent QB Ricky Santos to the Bombers in return of Riall Johnson and Shawn Mayne, two experienced Canadian DB’s. But they will face a very resilient team in Hamilton and they are very well aware of this fact. They also had a gruesome eight-hour train-bus journey to Hamilton the day before the game. The Tiger Cats have been pretty solid at home where they display a 5-1 record. And they did beat the Grey Cup Champions, the Calgary Stampeders the previous week, therefore boosting their confidence. Montreal his coming in after a very short week and that could be the difference. That is the theory. Now, for the facts: Prechea Rodriguez will be out because of the flu and he won’t be the only one. The Alouettes are in town with the intention of making a statement to all of the CFL.
Pick: Hamilton +4
B.C. Lions vs Calgary Stampeders (-8, 54.5)
The B.C. Lions are coming to Calgary hoping to take advantage of two rookie CFL defensive players. You would think that a pair like Geroy Simpson and Paris Jackson would lick their chops hoping for a field day. Think again. Defensive backs John Eubanks and Demetrice Webb will most likely fit in nicely. Eubanks did see the likes of Santana Moss and Keenan McCardell while he was with the Washington Redskins. Webb had the opportunity in his career to matchup with guys named Plaxico Burress and Reggie Williams. These are not really new kids on the block. Also take into consideration that All-Star cornerback Brandon Browner will be back into action for the Stamps. But no one should forget that JoJuan Armour is back in town to face a team that dumped him for “excessive aggressiveness”. Henry Burris should take notice. And Buck Pierce now has a certain Casey Printers to compete with for the volatile Lions starting QB spot. The Lions haven’t defeated the Stampeders since the very last game of the 2007 regular season. This being said, the game will be played in Calgary and that should make all the difference in the world.
Pick: Calgary -8
Saskatchewan Roughriders at Edmonton Eskimos (-3.5, 58.5)
Ricky Ray is on a mission. He has thrown for 774 yards with five touchdowns in his last three games. At some point he completed 22 passes in a row. Arkee Whitlock was also impressive. So was Fred Stamps. Each one of them scored touchdowns. But Darian Durant passed for nearly 550 yards without an interception last week. The Riders where also solid on special teams. The Eskimos new offensive coordinator Kevin Strasser seems to have found the solutions to improve an otherwise anaemic offence. That doesn’t seem to impress Riders QB Darian Durant who recently said, “We know what they’re going to do.” Is Edmonton that predictable? I guess we shall see. The Eskimos already won the first two games in the series. But will that be enough?
Pick: Eskimos -3.5
Toronto Argonauts at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-1, 44)
The Blue Bombers are going nowhere. The recent trades they made suggest they are already thinking of next year or maybe the next decade. Cody Pickett, the Argos QB, has a once-in-lifetime opportunity to prove he belongs as a starter in the CFL. He his facing a team in total disarray and can’t be allowed to fail in such a situation. The Blue Bombers are not without talent but there are still a lot of question marks about their coaching. Mike Kelly is definitely not the most popular guy in Winnipeg and, honestly, fans are still surprised that he hasn’t lost his job yet. Of course, they are also very well aware that the Blue Bombers can’t really afford to pay two salaries to former coaches. We can tell you from the start, that whichever coach comes on the losing end of this game will probably lose their job sooner than later.
Pick: Argonauts +1
Last Week 2-2, season 25-19