Perry Lefko

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.

Can the Lions and Eskimos knock off the Stampeders and Roughriders? Inconceivable!

Did you ever see the Princess Bride?

You may be asking yourself what does that movie have anything to do with the Canadian Football League, specifically handicapping its games?

Well, there's a character in the Princess Bride played by the incomparable Wallace Shawn, who simply can't conceive a variety of circumstances.

"Inconceivable," he says repeatedly. Editor's note: click here for your viewing pleasure.

Well, it's simply inconceivable that even after a bye week that the underdogs can win this week. Calgary is 6-1 and plays the B.C. Lions, who have a 1-6 record.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are 5-2, and play the Edmonton Eskimos, keeping B.C. company with a 1-6 record.

So, when the Stamps play in B.C. on Friday night, it is inconceivable they will lose to the toothless Lions.

And when the Roughriders play in Edmonton on Saturday night, it is inconceivable they will lose to the Eskimos, who are also 1-6.

Folks, we're talking about the top two teams in the West playing the bottom feeders in the entire league.

This could get ugly.

As you know by now, Perry's Peerless Predictions is wont to play the favourites, despite multiple lectures from his handicapping mentor Randall the Handle. My mentor is back on the air on Sundays with his National Football League wagering buddies Jorey Middlestadt and Steve Rapp, who have a show called Between The Lines. These guys rule the airwaves when it comes to breaking down NFL games, but they've been known to offer some input on other sports. We figure if we keep mentioning the trio and their sponsor Bet365.net, they will have the Peerless One on to pontificate on Canadian pigskin football.

The Peerless One went 2-0 last week by going with the favourite in the Montreal-Winnipeg game - the Als won in a walk - and the underdog in the Toronto-Hamilton game, which saw the Ticats score an upset victory.

All those tutorials with Randall, who insists you take the underdogs because the favourites not only have to win but they have to cover the spread, too, may be starting to sink in.

Maybe, just maybe, Peerless is starting to understand what handicapping CFL games is all about?

Inconceivable.

FRIDAY

Calgary (6-1) against B.C. (1-6)

These eyes have not seen a team as dominant as the Stamps in some time. Throw out an awful loss in Toronto early in the season and the Stamps have been awesome. I pinpoint it to receivers Nik Lewis and Ken-Yon Rambo putting some attitude into this team. Lewis played through injuries last year and was off his game, while Rambo missed almost all the season with an injury. But they've overcome their wonky knees. Then you look at the defensive backfield and cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Dwight Anderson, who have become the best shutdown tandem in the league. You can go up and down the Stamps roster and try to find holes, but there aren't many, if any.

All that talk about the porous offensive line, which seemed to be the one gaping feature in this team at the start of the season, has been sealed, particularly with the return of Dmitri Tsoumpas.

In the Stamps' last four games, quarterback Henry Burris has thrown for 11 touchdowns and only had three passes picked off. In his first three games, he had five TD passes and six picks. He had a quarterback rating of 140.7 last time out. I don't expect him to duplicate that, but I don't think the dropoff will be that precipitous.

Calgary head coach John Hufnagel has had his ex-boss Wally Buono's number, as he's yet to lose to Buono. The Stamps finally showed a killer instinct last time out, throttling Edmonton 56-15.

Now we turn to the Lions. Winless in their temporary digs at Empire Field in three games. The offensive line is a mess. The receiving corps is frustrated. And Buono is having his worst year as a head coach.

After beating Edmonton opening week, they have lost their last seven.

It's been a case of revolving players throughout the season, notably at quarterback. Casey Printers, sidelined since the third game of the season with a knee injury, is back and scheduled to start. He will play with a knee brace. He'll likely be running around, either trying to move the pocket or avoiding the rush from the Calgary defence, which can throw all kinds of blitz packages.

It is inconceivable to think that even with Printers in the lineup, the Lions will win. Even if he starts, will he finish?

The Handle has the Stamps favoured by six.

So the question is, do you play the obvious favourite or do you take the underdog?

And the prediction is: Stamps to cover.

Saturday

Saskatchewan (5-2) at Edmonton (1-6)

The Roughriders' only two losses this year have come against Calgary and Montreal. In games against havenots, they have done the job. They will be playing in front of a raucous crowd, many of which will be their own fans coming in from Saskatchewan. In an earlier game this year in Regina, the Roughriders won 24-20, and they had to come back from a 14-10 halftime deficit. The Roughriders throttled B.C. in their last game with some excellent defence, notably from the front four. This is where the game will be won and lost. You had to be impressed with Roughriders' defensive tackle Jerrell Freeman, who busted out with three sacks against B.C. With all this time off during the bye week, defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry has probably devised some more crazy fronts to throw at the Eskimos, whose offensive line has been porous in pass protection.

The Eskimos will obviously be looking to do something to make an impression following all the coaching and personnel changes from the last game. But even with a new offensive line coach and linebackers coach, you simply can't drastically alter the schemes. It's still Richie Hall's defence, which has given up way too many points, and Kevin Strasser's offence, which hasn't scored enough.

The Eskimos have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and yet some people have been suggesting Ricky Ray should be replaced by third-stringer Jared Zabransky. The Eskimos' best success is with running back Arkee Whitlock. But Ray likes to throw a lot and stretch the defence. He likes to throw to the wideside and that is the Roughriders' weak point.

The Roughriders have given up the second most total yards on average with 400 per game, while the Eskimos are only slightly better at 393.

I think this could be a case where the Eskimos' fans could be drowned out by the Roughriders', thereby making this seem almost like a road game for the home team, which may have to go with a silent snap count a lot.

The Handle has the Roughriders by 6½.

The half point is usually what ends up being the killer. At least for me.

And the prediction is: Roughriders to cover.

Record last week: 2-0.

Record to date: 13-16-1.