For the 2nd week in a row, the BC Lions will take on an opponent looking for their first win. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are still looking for their first win after losing last week due to a field goal from their opponents on the final play of the game for the 2nd time this season.

Game Details:

Date/Location: Sunday, July 7 /Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, ON

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

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

Odds: 

Spread: B.C. -4.5 (-115), Hamilton +4.5 (-115)

Moneyline: B.C. -245, Hamilton +198

Over/Under: 53.5 (Over -110, Under -110)

B.C. Lions: The B.C. Lions defeated the Edmonton Elks at home last week 24-21 on a 42-yard game-winning field goal from Sean Whyte on the final play. The Elks had some success getting pressure on Vernon Adams Jr. but his mobility helped mitigate the effects of the pressure as Adams Jr. completed 27 of his 38 passes for 331 yards and a touchdown. Adams Jr. currently leads the league in passing yards with 1,369 yards and 7 touchdowns with 1 interception. The best touchdown to interception ratio in the league.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have been off to a disappointing start to their season although there have been positives that inspire hope for the rest of their season. Bo Levi Mitchell is currently second in passing yards having completed 113 of his 166 passes (68.1%) for 1,297 yards with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. While Hamilton has had success offensively, they need to tighten things up on defense as they have allowed the most points per game from their opponents at 31.3.

Lions Keys to the Game

Keep Vernon Adams Jr. Clean

The worst thing that could happen to this team would be if Vernon Adams Jr. suffered an injury. While he has been good at playing well under pressure it will be important to lessen the amount of hits that he takes.

Pound the Rock

Keep the defense on their toes by smashing the ball at them with William Stanback.

Limit Big Plays From Hamilton’s Passing Offense

Hamilton seems to be only improving as far as their passing offense goes. It will be important for BC’s defensive backs to ensure that there are not big plays allowed.

Stop James Butler Early

Hamilton’s running back James Butler is back in the lineup after missing last week due to an injury. If B.C. can stop him early they may be able to get Hamilton to partially abandon the run game.

5 Lions to Watch

#19 WR Ayden Eberhardt

Eberhardt led the team in receiving last week catching 6 passes for 78 yards.

#86 Jevon Cottoy

Cottoy was second in receiving for the Lions last week after catching 5 passes for 68 yards.

#62 C Tyler Packer

Despite some recent struggles in pass protection this season for BC, Packer had a strong week last week allowing only 1 pressure by my count.

#21 HB Ronal Kent Jr.

Last week Kent Jr. led the team in tackles with 6 including 2 stops against short passes. He provided good coverage not allowing any big plays his week last week.

#40 DE Pete Robertson

Last week Robertson led the team in total pressures on the quarterback as he had 2 QB hits and 4 total pressures.

5 Tiger-Cats to Watch

#19 QB Bo Levi Mitchell

Last week Mitchell completed 30 of his 45 passes for 322 yards and 2 touchdowns.

#12 WR Tim White

Last week White had his best game of the season yet catching 8 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.

#6 WR Steven Dunbar Jr.

Dunbar Jr. also had his best game of the season yet recording 4 receptions for 90 yards.

#44 DT Casey Sayles

While he did not record a tackle last week Sayles was highly impactful generating frequent pressure on the quarterback and also breaking up a pass.

#75 Nick Usher

Usher recorded 5 tackles last week and had one of his better games of the season making frequent contributions in pass rushing and stopping the run.

Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

BC’s offense has been fantastic so far this season while Hamilton’s defense has left some room for improvement. I am anticipating a high scoring game in which BC comes out on top. BC over Hamilton 34-27.

@JonathanClink on Twitter