The BC Lions look to end a 2 game losing slide as they head to the prairies to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who remain undefeated after 3 games. The Roughriders will be without quarterback Trevor Harris this week, who is on the 1-game injured list, and instead will have Jake Maier make his first start at quarterback as a Roughrider. For BC, Nathan Rourke is listed as a game-time decision.

Game Details:

Date/Location: Saturday, June 28 /Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK

Kickoff Time: 7:00:00 PM ET, 4:00 PM PT

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

Odds: 

Spread: B.C. +2.5 (-108), Saskatchewan -2.5 (-112)

Moneyline: B.C. +115, Saskatchewan -138

Over/Under: 48.5 (Over -105, Under -115)

B.C. Lions (1-2): The BC Lions dropped 31 points on the Elks in week 1 but have had trouble offensively in the 2 games since. BC was held to 20 points in week 2 and to 14 points in last week’s loss, both of which were to Winnipeg.

This week, Nathan Rourke is listed as a game-time decision after missing last week due to a core injury. Last week saw Jeremiah Masoli complete 25 of his 44 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown with 2 interceptions. On the ground, James Butler rushed 9 times for 44 yards (4.9 average).

Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-0): The Roughriders are coming off a 39-32 victory over the Toronto Argonauts and are currently tied with Winnipeg for first in the West. Saskatchewan has 98 points in just 3 games, but they will be without quarterback Trevor Harris this week due to what is listed as a head/illness injury. Instead, Jake Maier will start at quarterback, who was Calgary’s starter in 2023 and 2024, where he amassed 8,085 yards and 41 touchdowns with 29 interceptions over that span.

A.J. Ouellette is currently third in the league in rushing yards after rushing 33 times over the last 3 games for 208 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns.

Lions’ Keys to the Game

Run the Ball

The Lions’ passing game has been a little shaky over the last 2 weeks. BC should look to establish the run to provide a foundation of run support to help the passing game find it’s rhythm.

Pressure the Passer

Jake Maier had some tough games in the past against BC, and that was in large part due to strong performances from the pass rush, particularly in 2023 from Mathiue Betts. All 3 of his games in 2023 saw him held to under 200 yards. In 2024, he had over 300 yards in 2 games vs BC when Betts was in the CFL before Betts came back, and he was held to under 200 yards again in the final meeting against BC.

Strong Game of Run Defense

Saskatchewan is one of the more dangerous rushing teams in the league. BC must not allow A.J. Ouellette to fully unleash at home.

5 Lions to Watch

#86 WR Jevon Cottoy

Cottoy was the third most targeted receiver for the Lions last week, catching 4 of his 8 targets for 51 yards and a touchdown.

#4 WR Keon Hatcher

Hatcher caught 6 passes for 92 yards last week.

#18 WR Justin McInnis

McInnis led the team in receiving last week, catching 9 passes for 94 yards.

#90 Mathieu Betts

Betts seems to have some of his most impactful games in the pass rush in games against Jake Maier. We will see if this continues with Maier on a different team.

#26 CB Robert Carter Jr.

Carter had 3 tackles and his first CFL interception last week.

5 Roughriders to Watch

#88 WR Dohnte Meyers

Last week, Meyers had 4 catches for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has 12 catches for 193 yards on the season.

# WR KeeSean Johnson

Johnson is currently 6th in the league in receiving, having caught 16 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown.

#26 CB Tevaughn Campbell

Last week, Campbell had 4 tackles and his 5th career CFL interception. He played in the CFL from 2016 to 2018 before leaving for the NFL and returns to the CFL this season.

#8 CB Marcus Sayles

Sayles has 14 tackles on the season. He has 16 interceptions over his CFL career.

#4 DT Micah Johnson

Johnson had 3 tackles, including a sack, in last week’s win.

ass="wp-block-heading">Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

I predict the home team to win this one with the Roughriders coming out on top 27-23, with a stronger commitment to the run-game in this match being the difference maker.

@JonathanClink on Twitter