Week 7 in CFL betting is highlighted by a common theme: Injuries to star quarterbacks. And a Saturday showdown between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Elks features exactly that situation for the home side.
The Elks placed Trevor Harris on the six-game injured list and now sit as 7-point home underdogs against the defending Grey Cup champs.
Can they pull off the upset victory, or at least cover the touchdown spread? We let you know what we think with our best free Blue Bombers vs. Elks picks and predictions for Saturday, September 18, with kickoff at 9:45 p.m. ET.
Blue Bombers vs Elks game info
• Location: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AB
• Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021
• Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN
Blue Bombers vs Elks odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Check out the full line movement for this game.
Blue Bombers at Elks betting preview
Weather
Key injuries
Blue Bombers: Nic Demski WR (Probable), Darvin Adams WR (Probable), Andrew Harris RB (Questionable), Willie Jefferson DE (Questionable), Jackson Jeffcoat DE (Questionable), Jake Thomas DT (Questionable), Kyrie Wilson LB (Doubtful).
Elks: Trevor Harris QB (Out), Kwaku Boateng DE (Questionable), Colin Kelly OL (Questionable), SirVincent Rogers OL (Probable).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 7-1 in the Blue Bombers' last eight games overall. Find more CFL betting trends for Blue Bombers vs. Elks.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup in 2019 and are the favorites to win the title again after going 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS to start the season. Winnipeg has won three games in a row, including back-to-back dominant victories over a Roughriders team that looked great against every other opponent they faced this season.
The Elks, on the other hand, have been the most bizarre team in the CFL this season. They lead the CFL in both offense (400 yards per game) and defense (282.2 ypg allowed) but have a middling 2-3 record with one loss against the worst team in the league and two other defeats which came by at least 16 points.
Now they'll be without the league's leading passer in Trevor Harris, who was placed on the six-game IL with a neck injury after removing himself from practice on Wednesday. They'll replace Harris with rookie passer Taylor Cornelius, who had an excellent senior season for Oklahoma State in 2018 but had mixed results in the XFL last year.
The Elks had a tough time executing and coming up with clutch plays with Harris under center and things likely won't get any better with an inexperienced QB — especially with Cornelius going up against a ferocious Bombers defense that brings pressure from the outside and holds opposing passers to just 6.8 yards per pass attempt.
Winnipeg has also begun playing more efficiently on the offensive side of the ball, with Zach Collaros averaging 10.4 yards per pass attempt over the last three games and the ground game rumbling for 104 rushing yards per game over that span.
With the Bombers 4-1 ATS in their last five games on the road and Edmonton 0-4 ATS in its previous four contests at home, take Winnipeg to win and cover.
PREDICTION: Winnipeg -7 (-110)
Over/Under pick
While it's no surprise to see the line for this game grow following the news about Harris, it is a bit strange to see the total increase to 44.5.
Cornelius is certainly talented (especially in a league made up of star quarterbacks who didn't start in a Power Five conference as he did) but he doesn't have a single pass attempt in the Northern game. It will be extremely tough for the Elks to move the ball down the field against a Bombers stop unit that allows a league-low 12.7 points per game.
That said, Edmonton has a very tough defense of its own and holds opponents to a CFL-best 5.93 yards per play. The Elks' best chance of winning this game is by playing conservatively on offense and trying to control the clock with their running game and James Wilder Jr.
If they can make this game ugly enough in the trenches, they could pull off the upset — which should lead to a slower-paced game script where field position and limiting turnovers are stressed. With the Under cashing in seven of the Blue Bombers' last eight games, back it again on Saturday night.
PREDICTION: Under 44.5 (-110)
Blue Bombers vs Elks betting card
- Winnipeg -7 (-110)
- Under 44.5 (-110)
Picks made on 9/17/2021 at 11:30 a.m. ET
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