The BC Lions look to add another game to the win column after 21-20 win in Montreal. The Edmonton Elks are also coming off a win after winning their first game of the season last week at home, 39-33 over Ottawa.
Game Details:
Date/Location: Sunday, July 13 /Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AB
Kickoff Time: 7:00:00 PM ET, 4:00 PM PT
Channel: TSN (Canada), CFL+ (USA, Global)
Odds:Â
Spread: B.C. -2.5 (-105), Edmonton +2.5 (-115)
Moneyline: B.C. -142, Edmonton +118
Over/Under: 51.5 (Over -106, Under -114)
B.C. Lions (2-3): The BC Lions won last week on a 43-yard field goal from Sean Whyte to defeat Montreal 21-20 in part thanks to Montreal’s defenders rushing to make a tackle following a 13-yard pass to Jevon Cottoy on the previous play. This helped ensure there was time left on the clock for a Sean Whyte field goal. This was reminiscent of a game in 2023 in which Hamilton had a defender quickly make a tackle that saved time on the clock for Sean Whyte to kick a game winning field goal and avoid overtime.
In the win over Montreal, Nathan Rourke completed 22 of his 36 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown with 1 interception. Rourke also rushed 8 times for 43 yards and a touchdown. James Butler had 12 carries for 41 yards (3.4 average), and caught a pass for 19 yards.
Edmonton Elks (1-3): The Edmonton Elks are looking to pick up their 2nd win of the season after defeating Ottawa 39-33 at home. Tre Ford completed nearly all of his passes as he threw 15 for 17 for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the ground, Justin Rankin rushed 12 times for 105 yards and a touchdown, with the longest rush being for 74 yards. Rankin also led the team in receiving, catching 4 targets for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Lions’ Keys to the Game
Strong Tackling and Smart Coverage On Short Passing Plays
Last week, Edmonton saw most of their receiving yards come from their running backs, with Justin Ranking leading the team with 4 catches for 69 yards (all of which were YAC) and a touchdown. Javon Leake caught a pass for 46 yards downfield, and fullback Tanner Green had an 18-yard reception, 15 of which were YAC. That’s 133 of the 212 passing yards last week coming from running backs and fullbacks, demonstrating Edmonton’s reliance on success on short passing plays. BC will need their defence to be aware of this threat with sure tackling on these plays and quick reactions from their linebackers when running backs run out for passes.
Strong Play From the Offensive Line
The Lions struggled in week 4’s loss to Saskatchewan but played much better last week in the win against Montreal in pass protection. BC will need to see this level of pass protection fromt he offensive line continue.
Strong Game From Nathan Rourke
Edmonton has the most pass yards allowed per game at 326.3, the most passing touchdowns allowed at 11, and the highest opponent passer efficiency at 131.1. If this trend continues, then we may very well see a monster game from Nathan Rourke.Â
5 Lions to Watch
#86 Jevon Cottoy
Cottoy was targeted 3 times last week, catching them all for 38 yards. If Edmonton is overly focusing on the other talented receivers in BC’s offense, then Cottoy could have a breakout game.
#4 WR Keon Hatcher
Hatcher now has 21 catches for 386 yards and 2 touchdowns over 5 games, making him 4th in receiving yards in the league.
#18 WR Justin McInnis
McInnis is 6th in the league in receiving with 26 catches for 322 yards and a touchdown.
#98 DE Jalil Clemons
Clemon will make his CFL debut listed as a second string defensive end. The Southern Miss product will get an opportunity following the suspension to Kemoko Turay.
#90 Mathieu Betts
Betts had 2 tackles last week and was in on a shared run stop. By my count, he had 6 total pressures last week in the pass rush.
5 Elks to Watch
#5 Justin Rankin
Rankin accounted for 174 yards of total offense and 2 touchdowns last week.
#6 Steven Dunbar Jr.
Last week, Dunbar caught all 6 of his targets for 55 yards and was the most targeted receiver.
#19 Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
Gittens was the 2nd most targeted receiver for Edmonton as he caught 3 of his 4 targets for 24 yards and a touchdown last week.
#48 WLB Nick Anderson
Anderson leads the Elks in tackles so far this season with 29 over 4 games.
#94 DT Jake Ceresna
Ceresna has 6 tackles, including a sack, so far this season. He was a critical part in Toronto’s Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg last season and has been a serious problem for offensive linemen for years.
#94 LB Deontai Williams
Last week, Williams had 4 tackles, including a shared run stop. He had 3 targets come his way in coverage without a completion allowed and had a pass breakup.
Injury Report:
Depth Charts:
Score Prediction:
I predict the Lions to win 30-20. Edmonton’s struggles against the pass so far this season gives me a feeling that BC will see this game be the one where their offense gets properly aligned.
