The Saskatchewan Roughriders wrap up their regular season on Saturday as they welcome the Toronto Argonauts to Mosaic Stadium. The Riders are on a six-game losing streak but can still make the playoffs, while the Argos have been in cruise control ever since clinching the East Division title more than a month ago.
CFL betting lines opened with the Argos as -9.5 road favourites with the Over/Under at 50.5 for this Week 20 showdown. Here are my best free Argonauts vs Roughriders CFL picks and predictions for October 21.
Argonauts vs Roughriders best odds
Argonauts vs Roughriders picks and predictions
The Toronto Argonauts are fresh off a victory against Ottawa where they trailed after two quarters, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders are coming off a loss to the Stampeders where they allowed a halftime lead to slip away. Those scenarios were out of the ordinary for both teams with the Argos typically blasting teams in the early going and the Riders usually getting off to slow starts.
The Argos have been the most dominant team in the CFL this year, and that dominance usually begins right after the opening kickoff. They have covered the first-half spread in 11 of 16 contests and have an average first-half scoring margin of +7.4 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Riders have gone 5-8 ATS in the first half with an average scoring margin of -6.3 ppg since losing starting quarterback Trevor Harris in Week 5. Their offense has struggled to move the ball without Harris but their biggest issue has been their horrific defensive play over the last couple of months.
Saskatchewan is surrendering a whopping 34.1 ppg over their last 11 games and it's fair to question if this team has given up on coach Craig Dickenson. Sure, the Riders can still make the playoffs despite a 6-11 record (although they could use a win and some help from Calgary's opponents) but they're on a six-game skid where their effort has been embarrassing. You'd think that they'd up the intensity in front of their home fans, but they were hammered in their last two games at Mosaic, losing by 25 points to the Ticats and nine points to the Elks.
Now they face a juggernaut of an Argos team that's loaded on both sides of the ball and is continuing to crush opponents despite having little to play for in the regular season. There is some concern that Toronto will rest key players like star quarterback Chad Kelly at some point in this contest. However, reports indicate that he'll at least start this game and Toronto's deadly pass rush (league-leading 63 sacks) should feast on a Saskatchewan offensive line that has struggled in protection. Take the Argos on the first-half spread.
My best bet: Argonauts first half -6 (-110 at bet365)
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Argonauts vs Roughriders spread and Over/Under analysis
This line hit the board on Wednesday with the Argos installed as 9.5-point favorites and the total at 50.5. As of Thursday afternoon, neither line has moved.
The Argos clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs back in Week 15, and books have been cautious about putting out lines for their games since they've occasionally been resting key starters.
That said, the Argos continue to destroy foes and have won their last two contests by double-digits. They are 14-2 SU and 12-4 ATS on the year and those SU defeats came in games where Chad Kelly was injured early and given a rest day.
The Riders are in a freefall and have gone 0-6 SU and 1-5 ATS in their last six games. Their atrocious defense has led to plenty of shootouts and while they cashed the Under last week the Over had hit in their previous nine games.
Argonauts vs Roughriders consensus
Argonauts vs Roughriders trend to know
The Roughriders are 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games versus a team with a winning record while the Argos are 4-0 ATS in their previous four contests against teams below .500.
Argonauts vs Roughriders game info
| Location: | Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK |
| Date: | Saturday, October 21, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Argonauts vs Roughriders key injuries
Argonauts: Robertson Daniel DB (Questionable), Dejon Allen RT (Questionable), DaVaris Daniels WR (Questionable), Kurleigh Gittens Jr. WR (Questionable), Cam Phillips WR (Questionable), DaShaun Amos DB (Out), Henoc Muamba LB (Out), Andrew Harris RB (Out).
Roughriders: Jeremy Clark DB (Questionable), Christian Albright DE (Questionable), Miles Brown DT (Out), Trevor Harris QB (Out), Rolan Milligan Jr. DB (Out), Jerald Hawkins OT (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
