Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Sunday, 4:30 p.m.

Winnipeg (12-6) hosts its first playoff game since ’11 and won the season series 2-0. But Edmonton (12-6) finished the regular season with five straight wins, including a 28-13 decision over the Riders to cement third in the West Division. Edmonton’s last loss was a 28-19 decision to Winnipeg on Sept. 30. The Bombers were 2-3 down the stretch. The Eskimos are the first 12-win team in CFL history to open the playoffs on the road. Matt Nichols (628 yards passing, three TDs) and Andrew Harris (159 rushing yards, 17 catches, 201 yards) both figured prominently in the wins for Winnipeg. Both will play Sunday but Nichols is nursing a reported calf injury, hardly ideal for a Bombers’ offence that averaged a CFL-best 27.6 offensive points per game. Then again, Harris is the central figure in Winnipeg’s offence, leading the CFL in rushing (1,035 yards) and catches (105). A Bombers defence minus lineman Jamaal Westerman and defensive back Maurice Leggett finished No. 7 in points allowed (27.9 per game), second-last in offensive TDs allowed (50) and tied for last in most TD passes (33) despite registering a league-leading 24 interceptions and 42 turnovers (second-most). Edmonton counters with CFL passing leader Mike Reilly (5,536 yards, tied for league lead with 30 TDs) who’s also a threat to run (league-best 12 rushing TDs). Brandon Zylstra (100 catches, 1,687 yards, five TDs) and veterans Derel Walker, Adarius Bowman and Vidal Hazelton are all solid options.

Pick — Edmonton Last week: 2-2. Overall: 53-27-1. Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press All games on TSN