The Calgary Stampeders will host the BC Lions on Sunday night to wrap up week 7. The Stampeders have lost by 4 points in each of their last 2 games while the BC Lions are on a 5 game-winning streak. Over the last 5 games, the Lions have averaged over 30 points per game as they have outscored their opponents 155-110 over that span.

CFL Power Rankings Week 6

Predictions: CFL News Hub Writers’ Week 7 Picks

Game Details:

Date/Location: Sunday, July 21 /McMahon Stadium, Calgary, AB

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

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

Odds: 

Spread: B.C. -4.5 (-110), Calgary +4.5 (-110)

Moneyline: B.C. -205, Calgary +168

Over/Under: 52.5 (Over -115, Under -115)

B.C. Lions: The B.C. Lions have extended their win streak to 5 games since losing to Toronto in week 1. Last week BC took control of first in the West Division with a 35-20 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Vernon Adams Jr. is currently on pace to break the record for most passing yards in a CFL season. Last week he completed 26 of his 41 passes for 451 yards and a touchdown with 2 interceptions. Adams Jr. now has 2,203 yards on the season with 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Justin McInnis caught all 14 of his targets for 243 yards and a touchdown in the week 6 win. 4 separate Lions recorded a sack in the game as linebacker Bo Lokombo had 1 as well as defensive lineman Christian Covington, Jonah Tavai, and Joshua Archibald.

Calgary Stampeders: The Calgary Stampeders are coming off of a close loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in week 6 in which they lost a high-scoring affair 37-41. Jake Maier threw for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions in the loss. On the ground, Dedrick Mills was highly effective with 131 yards over 15 carries (8.7 average) with his longest being for 53 yards. Clark Barnes led the team in receiving last week having caught all 5 of his targets for 80 yards. Defensive linemen Charles Wiley and Ryan Leder both had a sack in week 6.

Lions Keys to the Game

Get William Stanback Going

Last week William Stanback was held to 14 yards on 12 carries, 1.2 yards per carry. It was the first time he was limited to less than 3 yards per carry this season. It was in large part due to the Roughriders’ run defense simply playing better than BC’s run blocking.

Better Pass Protection

Last week the Lions allowed 4 sacks as the Riders. Vernon Adams Jr. has been under pressure frequently so far this season. The Lions are fortunate their quarterback has a skillset to mitigate the effects of pressure but it will be important to improve in this area throughout the season.

Consistent Run Defense

The Stampeders have a dangerous threat in their running back Dedrick Mills. Currently, Mills has the highest yards per carry among starting running backs at 5.7. He has 55 rushes for 315 yards over 4 games this season.

Good Pass Coverage in Extended Plays

Jake Maier has shown good accuracy in making throws on the run when rolling right to extend plays. It will be important for BC’s secondary to maintain good pass coverage on these plays in which Maier extends the play in such a fashion.

5 Lions to Watch

#18 WR Justin McInnis

McInnis leads the league in receiving having caught 45 passes for 725 yards and 5 touchdowns over 5 games.

#13 WR Alexander Hollins

Hollins is 2nd in receiving in the CFL with 38 catches for 656 yards and 4 touchdowns. Last week he caught 5 passes for 83 yards.

#94 DE Josh Archibald

Archibald leads the team in sacks with 4 and has 1 in each of the last 2 games. Additionally, he has 9 tackles on the season and 2 forced fumbles.

#1 CB Garry Peters

Peters is one of the premier cornerbacks in the CFL. He has 22 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble on the season.

#23 S Adrian Greene

Greene recorded his first interception of the season last week and has 15 tackles on the season.

5 Stampeders to Watch

#12 QB Jake Maier

Maier has completed 70.2% of his passes for 1,252 yards with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions over 5 games.

#80 WR Marken Michel

Currently leads the team in receiving with 26 receptions for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns.

#84 WR Reggie Begelton

Begelton has 20 receptions for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. Last year he led the team in receiving.

#31 CB Tre Roberson

Last week Roberson recorded 2 interceptions and 2 tackles. He has 12 tackles on the season and is now 2nd in interceptions in the league with 3.

#7 LB Micah Awe

Awe leads the team in tackles currently with 26. The middle linebacker will play a big role in opposing BC’s run game this week.

Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

I am predicting the Lions to win 30-24.

@JonathanClink on Twitter