Ryan Dinwiddie makes his Ottawa head coaching debut Saturday night as the Elks and Redblacks kick off Week 1 with plenty on the line.
This Week's CFL Schedule
Edmonton Elks at Ottawa Redblacks
When | Saturday, June 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM ET |
Where | TD Place Stadium, Ottawa |
TV | TSN |
Line | Pick 'em | O/U 52 |
This one has a lot of early-season intrigue. Edmonton swept Ottawa 2-0 in the 2025 regular season, and Cody Fajardo is a flat-out problem for the Redblacks — he's 9-1 all-time against Ottawa. On the other sideline, Ryan Dinwiddie makes his debut as Ottawa's head coach, bringing a 51-35 record from his time in Toronto. New coach energy is real, but so is Fajardo's track record against this specific opponent.
Edmonton is dealing with a significant injury wave up front and on defense heading in. Three defensive linemen — Brandon Barlow, Darien Newell, and Silas Hubert — are all out with six-game injuries, and receiver Joe Robustelli won't play either. Ottawa isn't healthy either: Nick Mardner (WR, six-game injury), James Peter (LB, six-game injury), and Daniel Okpoko (DL) are all out, and Sam Schnee is questionable after being transferred to the single-game injury list Friday. Keep an eye on Cody Fajardo, who needs just three TD passes to reach 100 for his career and two rushing touchdowns to hit 50 — he could be motivated to hit those marks early.
Edmonton last won its season opener back in 2019, so there's a streak on the line there too. Jake Maier draws the start for Ottawa and is 3-3 against the Elks — a far cry from Fajardo's dominant 9-1 mark. The over/under sits at 52, which feels ambitious given both teams are banged up defensively. Sharp money might want the under here.
Players to Watch:
Cody Fajardo (Edmonton, QB) — He's 9-1 against Ottawa and needs three TD passes to reach 100 in his career; this could be a big night.
Eugene Lewis (Ottawa, WR) — The active CFL leader in TD receptions, Lewis is three catches away from 50 career receiving touchdowns and is Ottawa's go-to threat.
Justin Hardy (Ottawa, WR) — Needs just 29 receptions to pass Greg Ellingson for third on Ottawa's all-time list; expect him to be heavily targeted with Mardner out.
Injury Watch: Edmonton is missing three defensive linemen (Brandon Barlow, Darien Newell, Silas Hubert — all out six games) and WR Joe Robustelli. Ottawa is without WR Nick Mardner (six-game IR), LB James Peter (six-game IR), and DL Daniel Okpoko, with WR Sam Schnee questionable and DB Amari Henderson out.
Pick: Edmonton 28-24. Fajardo's 9-1 record against Ottawa is hard to bet against, and the Elks' experience edge over a first-game Dinwiddie sideline should be the difference in a tight one.
CFL Standings
Team | W | L | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Montreal Alouettes | 1 | 0 | 30 | 27 |
Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 1 | 0 | 30 | 28 |
0 | 1 | 28 | 30 | |
Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 0 | 1 | 27 | 30 |
Edmonton Elks | 0 | 0 | — | — |
Ottawa Redblacks | 0 | 0 | — | — |
Quick Hits
Edmonton elevated DB Tyshon Blackburn from the practice roster to the active roster Friday, a move that takes on added importance with Benjamin Sangmuah out six games in the secondary.
Ottawa transferred backup QB Bryson Barnes to the reserve roster and lost RB Greg Bell to a single-game injury — depth at multiple spots is being tested before the season even starts.
Fantasy tip: Target Eugene Lewis as a must-start receiver — he's Ottawa's most dangerous weapon and faces an Edmonton secondary already missing Sangmuah.
Ryan Dinwiddie's Ottawa debut is the story of the night — he went 51-35 in Toronto and made the playoffs four out of five seasons, so the Redblacks are betting on his track record to turn the franchise around.
Standings | Full Schedule | League Leaders
Who wins this week? Drop your picks in the comments.