Fresh off a record-shattering night in Winnipeg, the Stampeders roll into Hamilton as heavy favorites to keep their turnaround going.
Game Details
- Matchup: Calgary Stampeders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- When: Saturday, August 1 at 3:00 PM ET
- Where: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: Calgary Stampeders -5
- Moneyline: Calgary Stampeders -258, Hamilton Tiger-Cats +210
- Over/Under: 60
Calgary has covered at a modest 3-3-1 clip against the spread this year, but the Over has hit in every single one of their seven games. Hamilton, meanwhile, sits at 3-4 ATS with the Under cashing in four of seven — a total of 60 is asking a lot from a Ticats offense that's had trouble finishing drives.
Overview
Both the Stampeders (3-4) and Tiger-Cats (3-4) are looking to punch their records back to .500 in this Week 9 tilt at Tim Hortons Field, and it's the first of two meetings between these clubs in August. Calgary arrives with real momentum after demolishing Winnipeg 52-30 last Friday, a game that saw Vernon Adams Jr. throw his 18th touchdown pass of the season without an interception — the best interception-free start to a season in league history — before piling on two more scores. Tyreik McAllister did something no CFL player has ever done, scoring on a run, a catch and a kick return in the same game. The defense chipped in five knockdowns, four picks and three sacks. That's about as complete a win as you'll see. Hamilton's story is a tougher one. The Ticats hung with Montreal into the fourth quarter before the Als scored twice late to pull away 31-18. Tre Ford went 15-of-23 for a touchdown and an interception, added 24 yards on the ground, and got a huge assist from Isaiah Wooden's 100-yard punt return touchdown. But it wasn't enough, and Hamilton now sits 2-2 against the West while Calgary is 1-2 against the East after wins over Toronto and two losses to Montreal. History leans Red and White here too — Calgary is 70-35 all-time against Hamilton, including 29-25 on the road, and while the Ticats have won the last two meetings between these teams, this Stampeders squad looks like a different animal than the one that lost those. Calgary's offense is scoring at a historic clip — 278 points through seven games, an average of 39.7 per contest that has them on pace to challenge the franchise's own 1994 league record of 698 points in a season. That kind of firepower against a Hamilton defense that's already given up 190 points is the whole ballgame here. The edge goes to Calgary, and it's not particularly close.
Key Players
- Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary Stampeders, QB) — Sits at 1,989 passing yards and needs just 11 more to hit 2,000 on the season, riding the hottest streak of his CFL career.
- Jalen Philpot (Calgary Stampeders, WR) — Coming off a career-high 128 yards and a 69-yard touchdown against Winnipeg, he's topped the Stampeders in receiving yards two straight weeks and has 535 yards on the season, 165 more than any other Calgary target.
- Bo Levi Mitchell (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, QB) — Leads Hamilton with 1,107 passing yards and gives the Ticats their best chance to keep pace if Calgary's defense lets up.
- Larry Rountree (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, RB) — Hamilton's leading rusher at 386 yards will need a big day to keep Calgary's pass rush honest and control the clock.
- Zy Alexander (Calgary Stampeders, DB) — Leads the Stampeders with 4 interceptions, part of a secondary that just picked off Dru Brown four times in Winnipeg.
Keys to the Game
- Keep feeding Philpot and Adams early — Calgary's offense has been nearly unstoppable when it establishes rhythm through the air in the first half.
- Force Tre Ford or Bo Levi Mitchell into mistakes — the Stampeders defense has been opportunistic all year and Hamilton's had turnover issues down the stretch of games.
- Avoid the letdown trap — Calgary is coming off an emotional blowout win and now has to turn around for a road-and-practice trip through Southern Ontario, with Toronto looming five days later.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jaydon Grant (DB) | Calgary Stampeders | Available — Ankle |
| Adrian Greene (DB) | Calgary Stampeders | Available — Eye |
| Tristan Marois (DL) | Calgary Stampeders | Available — Ankle |
| Folarin Orimolade (DL) | Calgary Stampeders | Available — Not Injury Related |
| Eric Rascoe (LB) | Calgary Stampeders | Out — Shoulder |
Depth Chart
Calgary Stampeders starters by position, built from the team's official Week 9 depth chart. This is a projected look and may not reflect any last-minute mid-season changes.
| Position | Calgary Stampeders |
|---|---|
| QB | Vernon Adams Jr. | Josh Love | Quincy Vaughn |
| RB | Dedrick Mills | Ludovick Choquette | Tyreik McAllister |
| WR (Boundary) | Tevin Jones | Damien Alford |
| WR (Field) | Clark Barnes |
| SB | Jalen Philpot, Dejon Brissett, Erik Brooks | Jesulayomi Ojutalayo |
| LT | D'Antne Demery |
| LG | Zack Williams |
| C | Chris Fortin | Bryce Bell |
| RG | Christy Nkanu |
| RT | Bakyne Coly |
| DE (Weak) | Kelon Thomas, George Idoko, Clarence Hicks |
| DT (Weak) | Miles Brown |
| DT (Strong) | Elijah Hills | Jaylon Hutchings |
| DE (Strong) | Charles Wiley | Folarin Orimolade |
| WLB | R.J. Moten | Kyle Wilson |
| MLB | Terrence Ganyi, Micah Teitz, Marquel Lee |
| SAM | Derrick Moncrief |
| CB (Weak) | Anthony Johnson |
| HB (Weak) | Godfrey Onyeka | Zy Alexander |
| S | Ashton Miller-Melancon | Damon Webb |
| HB (Strong) | Anton Haie | Jaydon Grant |
| CB (Strong) | Adrian Greene | Ben Labrosse |
| K | Jude McAtamney |
| P | Mark Vassett |
| LS | Jason MacGougan |
Score Prediction
Calgary Stampeders 33 - Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28. Calgary's offense is playing at a historic level and Ben Labrosse's breakout game in the secondary gives this defense another weapon, while Hamilton's late-game mistakes have cost them all season. Expect the Ticats to hang around behind Tre Ford and Isaiah Wooden's big-play ability, but Adams Jr. and Philpot pull away in the fourth quarter.
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Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.