Every single home team is favoured in Week 6, two by more than a touchdown.
That’s notable because visitors are 14-5-1 straight-up through five weeks of three-down action. For example, Winnipeg is 0-3 at home and 1-1 on the road. Montreal and Ottawa—two other teams without a win in front of their hometown fans—host games this week.
It feels like home sides could finally be tilting the supposed advantage of playing in their own stadium.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-4) vs. Edmonton Eskimos (2-2)
Mercifully, Drew Willy has been benched. The inability to look off defenders—often starting at targets—and attack defences down the field were evident through the blue and gold’s rough 1-4 start. That said, a $400,000 backup is very expensive by CFL standards.
Matt Nichols faces the team he broke into the CFL with, and clearly No. 15 brings a different attitude to the Bombers offensive huddle. Nichols told the media in The ‘Peg: “If they keep me upright I’m going to pick them apart.”
That’s the kind of confidence we’ve never heard since Willy came to Winnipeg.
A motivated quarterback lining up across from a defence that gave up 31 straight second-half points during the worst blown lead in Edmonton history—take the points.
Line: Eskimos -10
Pick: Winnipeg
Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-3) vs. Montreal Alouettes (1-3)
Except for two major coverage busts, Chris Jones’s defence was markedly improved in Saskatchewan’s 30-29 win a week ago, the first under the heralded coach.
The Riders’ defensive front racked up four sacks with prized free agent acquisition Canadian defensive end Justin Capicciotti notching his first two sacks in green and white. Interior lineman Corvey Irvin has been a consistent disruptor so far in 2016 and recorded two tackles and sack No. 1 against Ottawa. That shed the spotlight on a player who makes it miserable for offences. The six-foot-two, 295-pounder sees his old team in Montreal and you know he’ll be trying to put the Alouettes in a deeper hole.
If the Riders’ banged up offensive line can hold up, Saskatchewan could go streaking.
Line: Alouettes -2.5
Pick: Saskatchewan
BC Lions (3-1) vs. Calgary Stampeders (2-1-1)
Back in Week 1 Calgary blocked not one or two, but three B.C. punts and the Stampeders weren’t able to capitalize. The Stamps dubbed it a “wake-up call” and since have gone on a three-game undefeated run—two wins and a tie.
There are some new faces on Calgary’s defence and perhaps the most intriguing player to keep close tabs on is Canadian linebacker Alex Singleton. The 22-year-old CFL rookie made his first career start in Week 5 and he’s got the skills to be a ratio-breaker at middle linebacker for years to come.
B.C.’s coming off a bye week and are 2-0 on the road, but the Stamps are the only undefeated home team left in the league, albeit 1-0. Calgary gets a hard-fought win at McMahon Stadium.
Line: Stampeders -5.5
Pick: B.C.
Toronto Argonauts (3-2) vs. Ottawa Redblacks (3-1-1)
In the last two instances where Ricky Ray has been out for an extended period of time, Toronto saw a quarterback emerge; in 2013 it was Zach Collaros and last year Trevor Harris. Logan Kilgore gets the chance to try and become the next in that line with Ray sidelined three-to-six weeks by a sprained left MCL.
Kilgore came on in the fourth quarter of the Argos’ win against Montreal after Ray went out and looked shaky. He threw a terrible interception on a screen pass intended for Brandon Whitaker—the ball should’ve been thrown in the dirt. The 26-year-old first-time starter, who works out with Drew Brees in the off-season, needs to come out in rhythm on Sunday in the nation’s capital because Ottawa’s offence has put the ball in the end zone more than any other team (15 touchdowns).
Line: Redblacks -9.5
Pick: Ottawa
Overall record against the spread: 11-9