The BC Lions are back at home to host the Edmonton Elks after a close victory on the road in Winnipeg over the Blue Bombers. The Lions will host the Edmonton Elks who are still looking for their first win of the season. Despite the winless record, the Elks are playing strong football this season and could punish a team that comes into a game not taking them seriously.
Game Details:
Date/Location: Thursday, June 26 /BC Place, Vancouver, BC
Kickoff Time: 10:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM PT
Channel: TSN (Canada), CFL+ (USA), CFL+ (Global)
Odds:
Spread: B.C. -7.5 (-110), Edmonton +7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: B.C. -360, Edmonton +280
Over/Under: 52.5 (Over -112, Under -102)
B.C. Lions: BC won a key divisional victory 26-24 keeping Winnipeg winless last week. Winnipeg had a home-field advantage in each of the last 3 seasons in the Western Final so BC’s 2 game lead over the Bombers could potentially help them in the playoff picture. Vernon Adams Jr. put together a strong game completing 21 of his 33 passes for 398 yards and 2 touchdowns. VA now leads the league in passing having completed 63 of his 95 passes for 1,038 yards and 6 touchdowns with only 1 interception.
Last week was also a strong game for the offensive line which found a lot of success keeping him protected. The strong play from the O-line helped support William Stanback to rush for 83 yards on 16 carries (5.2 average).
Edmonton Elks: The Edmonton Elks are winless but this is not the same Edmonton Elks that we have seen in recent seasons. All of their losses have been 1 score games with the largest margin coming in week 1’s loss to Saskatchewan by a score of 21 to 29. Edmonton lost both of the last 2 games by only 3 points against stiff competition losing at home in week 2 20-23 against the reigning Grey Cup Champions before falling 36-39 on the road to the Toronto Argonauts. McLeod Bethel Thompson had 4 touchdown passes last week as he completed 28 of his 38 passes for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns. Dillon Mitchell led the team in receiving with 5 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Lions Keys to the Game
Bend But Don’t Break Against the Passing Game
No one has attempted more passes than McLeod Bethel-Thompson so far this season. Edmonton has been running a pass-heavy offense so far this season. Strong play from BC’s secondary is going to be imperative in this contest. Edmonton has one of the most talented receiving groups in the league and a big play could happen at any moment if the coverage is not on point.
Stop the Run
Among starting running backs, Edmonton’s Kevin Brown has the second-lowest yards per carry at 4.0. He has rushed 25 times for 100 yards. BC will greatly benefit from denying Edmonton run support.
Keep Running the Ball
BC has done a great job in establishing the run so far this season. Currently, William Stanback leads the league in rushing after having rushed 42 times for 187 yards (4.5 average). Last week BC had a lot of great blocking schemes working in the full-back David Mackie. On some plays BC had Mackie lineup on the line as a 6th lineman and these plays saw great success.
Protect the Quarterback
Vernon Adams Jr. is listed as questionable for this game due to an abdominal injury. BC struggled to protect him in week 1 but gradually saw improvement with week 3 being their offensive line’s best game so far. If VA is playing through an injury on Thursday it will be important to keep Edmonton’s pass rush at bay.
5 Lions to Watch
#13 WR Alexander Hollins
Hollins is coming off of an absolute monstrosity of a game in which he caught 7 passes for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. He currently leads the league in receiving yards with 402 over 23 catches.
#18 WR Justin McInnis
McInnis caught 6 passes for 95 yards last week. He is currently 3rd in the league in receiving yards with 17 catches for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns.
#20 LB Bo Lokombo
Lokombo will get the start at weakside linebacker in place of injured Ben Hladik.
#2 LB Josh Woods
Woods had 8 tackles last week. He was involved on 5 shared run stops in week 3 against Winnipeg.
#1 CB Garry Peters
Peters continues to be one of the best corners in the CFL. Last week he led the team in tackles with 9 in addition to providing good coverage.
5 Elks to Watch
#10 QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson
So far this season MBT has completed 89 of his 122 passes for 978 yards and 6 touchdowns with 1 interception. He is 2nd in the league in passing yards.
#4 RB Kevin Brown
Brown has rushed 25 times for 100 yards this season. His success will be a key point in Edmonton finding success this season.
#17 WR Dillon Mitchell
Mitchell leads the team in receiving with 17 receptions for 274 yards and a touchdown.
#19 WR Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
Gittens Jr. is 2nd on the team in receiving with 22 receptions for 207 yards and a touchdown.
#92 DL Noah Curtis
Curtis had 2 sacks last week against Toronto and has 3 sacks so far this season.
Injury Report:
Depth Charts:
Score Prediction:
I am predicting BC to win a close game at home 31-25.
