CFL PICKS
THURSDAY, 7 P.M. MDT
Winnipeg at Edmonton Matt Nichols will make his first visit to Commonwealth Stadium since he was traded away last September, and he gets to start, too, after the Bombers demoted Drew Willy. The Eskimos are coming off their biggest collapse in franchise history and playing on a short week, so will they be motivated or vulnerable? The Bombers are probably just what the doctor ordered. Eskimos by 12.
FRIDAY, 5 P.M. MDT
Saskatchewan at Montreal The struggling Alouettes will have plenty going against them in this one, most notably the fact they played on Monday night in Toronto and have only three days to prepare. On the other hand, the veteran defence will likely be facing Mitchell Gale in just his second career start, which could be an equalizer. But it won’t be. Riders by 4.
FRIDAY, 8 P.M. MDT
B.C. at Calgary This is an early season showdown for the West Division’s penthouse suite and a rematch of last year’s division semifinal. The Stampeders are healthy and coming off a 15-point victory over the Bombers, while the Leos just enjoyed a bye but lost two starters in their win over the Riders two weeks ago. This one has all the makings of a barnburner, but the home side should prevail. Stampeders by 7.
SATURDAY, 5:30 P.M. MDT
Toronto at Ottawa Logan Kilgore vs. Brock Jensen? Hands up if you saw that one coming even a week ago. If that ends up being the matchup, it would be two quarterbacks making their first CFL starts in the same game. It would also mean anything could happen, but the Redblacks have been playing more consistent football than the Boatmen so far. Redblacks by 8. Last week: 2-2 Overall: 8-12