The BC Lions look to build on their week 2 win as they travel to Winnipeg to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It is a rematch of last year’s Western Final which saw Winnipeg defeat BC at home to earn their place in the Grey Cup.

CFL Power Rankings Week 2: A Key Strength and Weakness From Every Team

Predictions: CFL News Hub Writers’ Week 3 Picks

Game Details:

Date/Location: Friday, June 20 /Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg, MB

Kickoff Time: 8:30 PM ET, 5:30 PM PT

Channel: TSN (Canada), CFL+ (USA), CFL+ (Global)

Odds: 

Spread: B.C. +2.5 (-110), Winnipeg -2.5 (-110)

Moneyline: B.C. +112, Winnipeg -134

Over/Under: 51.5 (Over -110, Under -110)

B.C. Lions: The Lions got their first win of the season last week against the Calgary Stampeders in their home opener in front of a sold-out crowd. Vernon Adams Jr. put together another strong game as he completed 17 of his 29 passes for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns. BC has struggled to protect Vernon Adams Jr. so far this season but they had a much better outing in this regard than they did in the week 1 loss to Toronto.

On defense in week 2, DT Christian Covington got his first CFL sack. Josh Archibald, Pete Robertson, and Marcus Moore also had a sack.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: The Bombers have struggled to get their offense going after resting Zach Collaros in the preseason and now find themselves 0-2. Collaros has had numbers far below what fans have come to expect from him since he joined the Bombers in 2019. Through 2 games he has completed just 54.7% of his passes for 494 yards with 3 interceptions.

Winnipeg’s offense has scored the fewest amount of points per game in the league after 2 weeks as they have averaged just 15.5 points per game. Winnipeg has also been victimized by the injury bug. Winnipeg was playing without wide receiver Kenny Lawler and runningback Brady Oliveira last week and in week 2 saw defensive lineman Celestin Haba and Myles Fox sustain injuries that resulted in them going on the 6-game injured list.

Lions Keys to the Game

Pressure Collaros

Winnipeg has struggled to protect Zach Collaros and it’s had a significant effect on him so far this season. BC will want to make him uncomfortable and make it difficult for him to regain his confidence.

Stop the Run

Winnipeg’s star runningback Brady Oliveira is questionable for this contest. If he is unable to play then Johnny Augustine will get the start. Augustine has not had many touches in recent years but he has the talent to provide good run support. The Lions will want to deny this.

Protect the Passer

The biggest concern for BC in this game is going to be pass protection. When these teams met in the Western Final BC allowed 7 sacks. Winnipeg no longer has defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat but DE Willie Jefferson has the potential to be a major problem in the pass rush.

Do Not Abandon the Run

BC abandoned the run in the Western Final and did not hand the ball off in the final 34 minutes. It will be important to stay multi-dimensional.

5 Lions to Watch

#18 WR Justin McInnis

McInnis was first in the league in receiving yards after 2 weeks with 11 catches for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns.

#13 WR Alexander Hollins

After 2 weeks Hollins was 4th in the league in receiving yards with 187 over 16 catches with 1 touchdown.

#0 DE Sione Teuhema

Teuhema had 3 pressures last week and a solo run stop.

#46 LB Ben Hladik

Hladik led the team in tackles again last week with 10. He also had an interception and a QB hurry. He was involved in 4 shared run stops.

#40 DE Pete Robertson

Robertson got his first sack as a Lion last week and also had a QB hurry.

5 Blue Bombers to Watch

#79 WR Keric Wheatfall

Wheatfall caught 3 passes for 11 yards last week including a 76-yard reception.

#83 WR Dalton Schoen

Schoen has 9 receptions for 105 yards on the season.

#5 DE Willie Jefferson

Last week Jefferson had a sack and 4 additional pressures. He also had a solo run stop and was involved in a shared run stop.

#94 DE Devin Adams

Adams is a rookie out of Peru State who had a look from the New England Patriots in a mini-camp this offseason. He is elevated to his first start in week 3. Despite not having any starts he has 2 sacks over 2 games.

#31 HB Evan Holm

Holm led the team in tackles last week with 8. His strong play last season earned him a workout with the Minnesota Vikings this past offseason.

Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

Despite all the problems with Winnipeg so far this season, I am predicting Winnipeg to win a close game this week over BC. I expected Collaros to have a poor start after not playing in the preseason as in my opinion he has a track record of underperforming after extended periods of rest. It’s partially a hunch but I just don’t see Winnipeg losing 3 games in a row. The last time that happened was in 2019. Winnipeg 27-24.

@JonathanClink on Twitter