WEEK 13 PICKS
OTTAWA (6-4) AT B.C. (3-6) FRIDAY AT 10 P.M.
Just when you think the Redblacks are going to run away with the East Division crown, they lay an egg. They were shot full of holes at home in a loss to the improving Montreal Alouettes. It was a game that featured a dangerous hit from repeat offender Kyries Hebert, for which he was handed a two-game suspension. They need the next man up to fill the void and they have to get a handle on their defensive lapses, which were exploited by Montreal. The Lions, meanwhile, took the Labour Day weekend off and will be rested, but will have to play without WR Manny Arceneaux. They are 3-1 under their own dome this season and opened as 21/2-point favourites. But the Redblacks are a 3-2 road team. Ottawaby7
HAMILTON (5-5) AT TORONTO (3-7) SATURDAY AT 1 P.M.
The Labour Day win was costly for the Ticats, who lost receiver Jalen Saunders. If he can’t play in Toronto, the Tabbies will need another big day from Brandon Banks and Luke Tasker, who combined for 278 of Jeremiah Masoli’s 385 passing yards in Monday’s win. While the Ticats are gaining momentum, the Argos have been unable to find any through two losses as QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson has hit a performance plateau after some early heroics. The Cats are five-point favourites and should cover. Hamilton by 7
SASKATCHEWAN (6-4) AT WINNIPEG (5-6) SATURDAY AT 4 P.M.
The Riders’ impressive climb out of their early season funk continues, as does Winnipeg’s disappointing spiral. The Riders are fresh off a Labour Day weekend win in Regina and are 2-2 on the road. There may in fact be little comfort at home for the Bombers, who lost their previous game at Investors Group Field and were booed lustily by the Winnipeg crowd. Bombers QB Matt Nichols needs to have success early — he completed just 53 per cent of his passes in the loss to the Riders — or this could be an ugly scene. The declining Bombers opened as 31/2-point favourites, but the Riders are rolling. Saskatchewan by 3
CALGARY (9-1) AT EDMONTON (6-5) SATURDAY AT 7 P.M.
The Alberta rivals limp into the Labour Day rematch poorer personnel wise for the first half of this home-andhome series. The Eskimos lost WR Derel Walker to a knee injury Monday, while the Stamps went much of the tilt without WR Kamar Jorden. It looked like Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell was done, too, but he strapped on a bulky knee brace after falling awkwardly in the pocket. His mobility was limited, but he engineered the drive that ended in Rene Paredes’ winning field goal. If Mitchell can’t go in Edmonton, the Eskimos have to be favoured heavily, but the home team opened as three-pointshould be a close contest as the Eskimos were an illegal contact penalty away from getting Monday’s game into overtime or perhaps winning it late with their own field goal. Eskimos by 3