Who will win the Grey Cup

So who will win the 2011 Grey Cup? Peerless Perry, the pundit of Canadian Football League predictions, is going with the B.C. Lions, who are favoured to win the game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at B.C. Place Stadium.

Peerless went on record before the season began, picking the Lions to win the Cup. Here is what he said back then:

"It all begins with the quarterback, and Travis Lulay is into his third year and knows the team, the league and what it takes to win. He is capable of potentially throwing for more than 4,700 yards and running for at least 500 or more - as long as he slides and takes care of his body. Frankly, he takes far too many chances. Jarious Jackson is finally healthy and is a serviceable backup.

"One of the keys to the Lions' success will be the offensive line, which has been a huge concern since allowing Rob Murphy to leave via free agency three seasons ago. Signing free agent Ben Archibald was a huge move by the Lions. They knew they had to upgrade the offensive line, and he'll be invaluable at left tackle and allow second-year tackle Jovan Olafioye to move to right tackle. I look for the Lions to ground-and-pound a lot more with running back Jamal Robertson. Too often they abandoned this last year.

"The team will miss receiver Manny Arceneaux, but in the short term I think they'll overcome it by relying more on veteran Geroy Simon and a decent supporting cast that includes highly touted rookie Dobson Collins. They have some interesting young Canadian receivers in Shawn Gore and Marco Iannuzzi. Paris Jackson is the X factor. If he ever finds his old form following numerous injuries, it will elevate the entire Lions' offence.

"Defensively, the Lions have the best, young middle linebacker in the league in Solomon Elimimian. The defence will feature variations of a 3-4, 4-3 front, and when tackle Aaron Hunt is on his game, he's among the best at his position. If kicker Paul McCallum has another year like the last, it's added value for field position and points. The Lions will miss the versatility of all-purpose player Yonus Davis, but newcomer Tim Brown may prove to be a quality replacement."

Lulay passed for 4,815 yards en route to winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. He also rushed for 391 yards. He's elevated his game as a full-time starter and is the best young quarterback to have developed in the CFL since Warren Moon in the late '70s.

The Lions' offensive line is solid. Archibald played up to his potential, and Olafioye was a runner-up for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. Robertson was supplanted as the feature back by Canadian Andrew Harris, a young stud. Veteran Geroy Simon had a great year, and was helped by the addition of Arland Bruce via a midseason trade. The young Canadian receivers have matured, and Jackson is still the X factor.

Defensively, the Lions are sound. Elimimian is outstanding in the middle, and the supporting cast is underrated though highly productive.

Kicker-punter Paul McCallum had the best year of his career.

There is absolutely no reason for the Lions to lose. They have rebounded from a 1-6 start to finish with an 11-7 record. They cruised to an easy 40-23 win over the Edmonton Eskimos in last Sunday's West Division Final at B.C. Place. They will have the crowd totally on their side and will make it difficult for Winnipeg to call plays at the line.

The Bombers handled Hamilton 19-3 in the East Division Final. Their strength is their defence, which is fast and physical. They need to be better on offence. Quarterback Buck Pierce has to take his game to a level earlier in the season. He is playing with a variety of aches and pains, but you can't deny his courage. His receivers have to play better.

The Bombers need to run the ball early and often to establish the line of scrimmage. The game will be won and lost in that area. Chris Garrett is small but shifty and strong on his feet. As long as he's getting good, positive yardage, particularly on first down, the Bombers have a chance.

Their kicking game can't match the Lions', but they have a good return game.

Lions favoured by seven.

And the pick is: Lions to cover.

Peerless's playoff record: 3-1.

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