The red-hot BC Lions roll into the nation's capital looking to make it five straight against a winless Ottawa Redblacks club still searching for anything to build on.
This Week's CFL Schedule
BC Lions at Ottawa Redblacks
| When | Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Where | TD Place Stadium, Ottawa |
| TV | TSN |
| Stream | Watch live on CFL+ |
| Line | BC Lions -0 | O/U 62 |
BC has won four in a row and looks nothing like the team that got run over by Toronto back in Week 8, averaging 30.5 points a game over that stretch. Ottawa, meanwhile, is 0-10 and has dropped five straight, including last week's ugly 16-46 blowout at the hands of Montreal. This is about as lopsided a matchup as you'll find on the CFL slate this weekend, and the numbers back it up — the two clubs are 4-0 in this exact home matchup over the past two seasons, but that history doesn't mean much given where these rosters currently sit.
Players to Watch:
- Nathan Rourke (BC Lions, QB) — He's thrown for 1,026 yards and six touchdowns over his last three games and sits one passing TD shy of 75 for his career against Ottawa.
- Zander Horvath (BC Lions, RB) — Leads the entire league with 12 rushing touchdowns, including seven over his last four games, and figures to get plenty of chances against a beat-up Ottawa front.
- Keelan White (Ottawa Redblacks, WR) — One of the lone bright spots for Ottawa, he's hauled in six-plus catches in six straight games and gives Jake Maier a reliable target even as the losses pile up.
Injury Watch:
- Jonah Tavai (BC Lions, DL) — Out (knee), transferred to single-game injury this week.
- Matt Spatny (BC Lions, DL) — Out (foot), thins out an already banged-up BC defensive line.
- Ronald Kent Jr. (BC Lions, DB) — Questionable (hip), moved to reserve roster.
- Luiji Vilain (Ottawa Redblacks, DL) — Out (knee), one of a long list of injured Ottawa pass rushers.
- Daniel Okpoko (Ottawa Redblacks, DL) — Out, shifted to six-game injury list.
- Giordano Vaccaro (Ottawa Redblacks, OL) — Out (shoulder), another six-game injury blow for a struggling offensive line.
- Jamie Pettway (Ottawa Redblacks, LB) — Out (knee), extended on six-game injury.
Pick: BC Lions 34-16. Ottawa just can't stop the run, BC just found the run game with Horvath rolling, and the Redblacks' injury list on the defensive front reads like a casualty report. BC is 5-5 against the spread this year but this line has them getting almost nothing — expect Rourke and company to cover comfortably, with the over (BC has hit the over in four of its last five) also in play.
CFL Standings
| Team | W | L | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Alouettes | 9 | 2 | 395 | 307 |
| Edmonton Elks | 8 | 3 | 323 | 279 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 7 | 4 | 337 | 295 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 6 | 5 | 300 | 314 |
| BC Lions | 5 | 5 | 274 | 267 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 5 | 6 | 328 | 339 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 5 | 6 | 406 | 350 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 4 | 8 | 280 | 347 |
| Ottawa Redblacks | 0 | 10 | 223 | 368 |
Quick Hits
- BC activated OL David Gusta from the practice roster and brought in DB Mac McCain III to the practice squad ahead of the trip east.
- Ottawa's roster shuffle this week was heavy on the defensive line, with Vilain, Okpoko and Vaccaro all shifted to injured reserve — a rough sign for a Redblacks front already allowing 368 points on the season.
- Fantasy managers should keep riding Horvath — his league-leading 12 rushing scores make him a must-start against an Ottawa defence that's given up 368 points this year.
- New Redblacks senior football advisor Jim Popp posted a 242-185-1 record across 428 games as a CFL GM, with his teams reaching the playoffs in 20 of 24 seasons — a reminder of the rebuild ahead in Ottawa.
Standings | Full Schedule | League Leaders
Who wins this week? Drop your picks in the comments.