Week 20 in the CFL wraps up on Saturday night with a clash between the Edmonton Elks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
While Edmonton will finish last in the West Division standings for the third straight year, the Bombers have clinched their third consecutive West Division title after the BC Lions lost on Friday.
CFL odds opened with the Bombers listed as 11.5-point home favorites and the Over/Under at 50.5. Here are my best free CFL picks and predictions for Elks vs. Blue Bombers on October 21.
Elks vs Blue Bombers best odds
Elks vs Blue Bombers picks and predictions
Much will be made of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers motivation in this contest, especially since the Lions were upset last night, helping the Bombers clinch first place in the West. However, motivation can also be tough for eliminated teams with some players mentally checked out and coaches tinkering with lineups with an eye to the future. The Edmonton Elks sure didn't seem motivated in their last two regular season finales, closing last season with a 31-14 loss at the hands of the Lions and losing 43-10 the previous year.
I was originally considering the Over on Winnipeg's team total in this contest, but with the Bombers already clinching that important first-round bye I'm not expecting to see much of reigning MOP Zach Collaros or CFL-leading rusher Brady Oliveira. The Bombers were already going to be without top receiver Dalton Schoen due to an ankle injury and I don't see them putting their other two superstar offensive players in harm's way unnecessarily.
That said, I do think we'll see most of their top defenders in this matchup and I like this deep stop unit to keep the Elks offense in check. While QB Tre Ford has given a spark to the Elks offense, their aerial attack hasn't been a threat with Ford averaging just 195.6 passing yards per game across eight starts.
Ford actually made his first career start against the Bombers back in Week 10 and had a phenomenal first half, but the Bombers were able to slow him down after halftime in a come-from-behind victory. Winnipeg defensive coordinator Richie Hall is a master at making adjustments, which we also saw in their previous game against B.C. when he held the Lions to just six points after halftime.
With more game film now existing on Ford, Hall with undoubtedly cook up something to keep the dual-threat pivot in check on Saturday, especially coming off a bye week.
While the Bombers defense has been up-and-down this year, it's been extremely good at home holding foes to just 13.8 ppg in the last six games at IG Field. Take the Under on Edmonton's team total.
My best bet: Elks team total Under 18.5 (-110 at Bet99)
Bet on the CFL at Bet99
One of Canada’s favourite sportsbooks for football, join Bet99, which offers a 100% deposit match (up to $500) for new bettors!
Not available in Ontario.
Elks vs Blue Bombers spread and Over/Under analysis
This line opened with the Blue Bombers at -11.5 and the total listed at 50.5. The spread dropped to -10.5 and the total ticked down to 49.5 on Saturday morning after this turned into a meaningless game for Winnipeg.
The Elks have turned things around after an 0-9 start to their campaign but they are still just 0-3 straight up and against the spread in their last three games. They are coming off back-to-back lopsided defeats after losing 35-21 to the Alouettes last week and getting clobbered 35-12 by the Argos in Week 18.
In the last two years we've seen the Bombers bench key players and go 0-2 SU and ATS in the penultimate week of the CFL regular season. That said, they'll be at home where they've been dominant. With the exception of an outlier loss to the Lions at IG Field in Week 3, the Bombers have been perfect in Winnipeg this year, going 7-1 SU and ATS.
Elks vs Blue Bombers trend to know
The Over is 6-0 in Winnipeg's last six games. Find more CFL betting trends for Elks vs. Blue Bombers.
Elks vs Blue Bombers game info
| Location: | IG Field, Winnipeg, MB |
| Date: | Saturday, October 21, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Elks vs Blue Bombers key injuries
Elks: Marcus Lewis DB (Out), J-Min Pelley DT (Out), Aaron Grymes DB (Out), Steven Dunbar Jr. WR (Out).
Blue Bombers: Dalton Schoen WR (Out), Demerio Houston CB (Out), Alden Darby SLB (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
