It's Week 20 in the CFL, and the Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats will close their regular season with a home-and-home matchup against one other.
The first contest will take place at Tim Hortons Field on Friday night, with the Ticats looking to close in on a playoff spot and the Redblacks trying to avoid elimination. CFL betting lines hit the board with the Tabbies installed as 6-point home favorites for this East Division showdown.
Here are our best free CFL picks and predictions for Redblacks vs. Tiger-Cats on Friday, October 21.
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Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats best odds
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats picks and predictions
Much is being made of the importance of this game for Hamilton (who can clinch a postseason berth with a win and a Saskatchewan loss), but it's just as big of a contest for Ottawa. Despite a 4-12 record, the Redblacks could still make the playoffs so long as they win their next two games against the Ticats and the Roughriders lose out.
The Ticats have looked better over the last month, but this is still quite a few points to lay with a 6-10 team — especially one that has imploded as much as Hamilton has this year.
The Redblacks were able to keep things very close when they played in Hamilton earlier this year and lost on a last-minute touchdown.
The Redblacks have also gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games on the road while going 7-2 ATS in their last nine trips to Tim Hortons Field.
My best bet: Redblacks +6 (-110 at bet365)
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats spread analysis
The Tiger-Cats entered this year with Grey Cup hopes after being second-fiddle in each of the past two seasons. However, they got their season off to a brutal start thanks to way too many turnovers and a worrying tendency to collapse during the second half of games.
While they still rank last in the league in turnover margin at minus-21, they've done a better job at holding on to the football over the last few weeks, and that has led to some big wins.
The Tabbies are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four games, including a 48-31 victory against the Grey Cup favorite Blue Bombers in Week 15 and a comeback win in Calgary last Friday.
The Redblacks have also struggled this year despite showing promise at the beginning of the season. A serious injury to quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in Week 5 put this team in a tough spot, and they ended up firing head coach Paul LaPolice two weeks ago. They subsequently won their next game, beating the Alouettes 24-18 in Montreal, but then lost at home to the Als last week despite covering the spread as 4.5-point pups.
Nick Arbuckle has settled in as Ottawa's starting quarterback. The Redblacks have been getting strong play in the trenches in recent weeks, with the offensive line doing a good job in pass protection and the defensive line pressuring opposing QBs.
The Ticats are fifth in the league in net offense while ranking third in net defense, and if they manage to figure out their issues with turnovers (specifically quarterback Dane Evans), they could be a dark horse in the postseason.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats Over/Under analysis
The Redblacks are seventh in the league in scoring defense with 26.4 points per game allowed, while the Tiger-Cats are one spot behind them with 26.9 ppg. That said, there is reason to think that number is a bit unfair to Hamilton's stop unit.
Hamilton has a very strong defense on paper, and a big reason why the Tabbies have allowed so many points is due to their offense turning the ball over to teams at the expense of good field position. With the offense being more efficient over the last few weeks, Hamilton's defense has been stingier as well.
Meanwhile, both offenses have become very one-dimensional and have leaned on their passing attacks to move the ball due to non-existent ground games. That leads to more predictable game plans and defenses that can focus on limiting deep passes.
It could also be tougher to pass the ball than usual on Friday, with winds expected to average 26 km/h (16 mph) in Hamilton.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats trend to know
The Tiger-Cats are 2-5 ATS against teams with a losing record. Find more CFL betting trends for Redblacks vs. Tiger-Cats.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats game info
| Location: | Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, ON |
| Date: | Friday, October 21, 2022 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats key injuries
Redblacks: Jaelon Acklin WR (Out), William Powell RB (Questionable), DeVonte Dedmon WR (Out), Patrick Levels DB (Out), Abdul Kaneh DB (Out), DeVonte Williams RB (Out), Tevaun Smith WR (Out), Praise Martin-Oguike DT (Out), Davon Coleman DT (Out), Frankie Griffen LB (Out), Ucambre Williams OT (Out), Jeremiah Masoli QB (Out), Kwaku Boateng DE (Out), Nate Behar WR (Out), Justin Howell LB (Out).
Tiger-Cats: Ciante Evans DB (Questionable), Dylan Wynn DT (Out), Bralon Addison WR (Out), Alex Fontana C (Out), Chris Van Zeyl OT (Out), Papi White WR (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Redblacks vs Tiger-Cats weather
