Ottawa tries to avoid history while Calgary chases a six-game Mosaic Stadium streak in Week 18's two-game slate.
This Week's CFL Schedule
Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ottawa Redblacks
| When | Friday, October 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Where | TD Place Stadium, Ottawa |
| TV | TSN |
| Stream | Watch live on CFL+ |
| Line | Hamilton Tiger-Cats -0 (Pick'em) | O/U 60 |
Two teams stuck in five-game losing skids collide, but Hamilton swept Ottawa last season and brings the better recent quarterback play. Harrison Frost has thrown seven touchdowns over his last three starts, though he's never faced Ottawa before. The Redblacks have at least put points on the board lately — 69 combined over their last two games — behind McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who's a career 6-6 against Hamilton.
Justin Hardy just locked up his fourth straight 1,000-yard receiving season and has 21 catches for 227 yards over his last two outings. On the other side, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. has scored in three straight games. Hamilton's defense has been surprisingly stingy on the deep ball — a league-low 13 completions of 30-plus yards allowed all year — which could frustrate an Ottawa offense that's been throwing it around in desperation mode.
Players to Watch:
- Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (Hamilton, WR) — a touchdown in three straight games and the engine of Hamilton's passing attack.
- Harrison Frost (Hamilton, QB) — seven TD passes in his last three starts, making his Ottawa debut.
- Justin Hardy (Ottawa, WR) — 21 catches, 227 yards over his last two games and a fourth straight 1,000-yard campaign in the books.
Injury Watch:
- Jamal Peters (Hamilton, DB) — extended on single-game injury.
- Robert Panabaker (Hamilton, DB) — extended on single-game injury, thinning the Ticat secondary.
- Miles Fox (Hamilton, DL) — extended on single-game injury.
- Kori Roberson Jr. (Ottawa, DL) — transferred to six-game injury.
- Michael Wakefield (Ottawa, DL) — extended on six-game injury.
- Bryce Carter (Ottawa, DL) — extended on six-game injury, another hole in Ottawa's pass rush.
Pick: Hamilton Tiger-Cats 34-27. Both teams are reeling, but Frost's recent touchdown surge and that last-place-but-stingy Hamilton pass defense tip the scale, with the O/U 60 line signaling the books expect fireworks from two defenses missing bodies up front.
Calgary Stampeders at Saskatchewan Roughriders
| When | Friday, October 2, 2026 at 9:30 PM ET |
| Where | Mosaic Stadium, Regina |
| TV | TSN |
| Stream | Watch live on CFL+ |
| Line | Saskatchewan Roughriders -6 | O/U 62 |
Calgary stunned Saskatchewan 40-37 back in Week 3, and oddly enough the Stampeders need to win by at least four points this time just to claim the season series. They've won six straight at Mosaic Stadium and are riding a two-game win streak of their own, having hung 85 combined points on Ottawa the last two weeks. Vernon Adams Jr. has been lights-out lately, completing 73.2 percent of his throws for 779 yards and five touchdowns over his last two starts, and he's 6-3 in his career against Saskatchewan.
The Roughriders counter with the league's best time-of-possession average (31:30 per game) and the top mark in fewest big plays allowed — a problem for a Calgary attack that ranks second in the league in big plays created. Trevor Harris sits 4-13-2 lifetime against Calgary but torched them for 349 yards and three scores in the first meeting. A.J. Ouellette needs just 73 rushing yards to crack 4,000 for his career, though Calgary's run defense has been shaky — the Stampeders rank second in yards per carry on offense (5.6) but Saskatchewan's run D sits eighth at 4.7 allowed.
Players to Watch:
- Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary, QB) — five TDs and a 73.2 percent completion rate over his last two games.
- Jalen Philpot (Calgary, WR) — 15 catches, 245 yards and a touchdown over his last two outings.
- A.J. Ouellette (Saskatchewan, RB) — needs just 73 yards to join the 4,000-yard club.
Injury Watch:
- Preston Nichols (Calgary, OL) — extended on single-game injury, a concern against Saskatchewan's run front.
- Derick Roberson (Saskatchewan, DL) — transferred to single-game injury.
- Tevaughn Campbell (Saskatchewan, DB) — transferred to single-game injury.
- Juwuane "JuJu" Hughes (Saskatchewan, DB) — extended on six-game injury.
Pick: Saskatchewan Roughriders 33-27. Calgary's Mosaic hex is real, but the Stampeders are 5-9-1 against the spread this season and Saskatchewan's ball-control offense paired with the league's best big-play defense should be enough to snap the six-game skid at home — even with a shaky secondary.
CFL Standings
| Team | W | L | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Alouettes | 11 | 3 | 498 | 410 |
| Edmonton Elks | 11 | 4 | 470 | 382 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 9 | 6 | 445 | 431 |
| BC Lions | 8 | 6 | 428 | 381 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 8 | 6 | 399 | 371 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 7 | 7 | 373 | 382 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 7 | 8 | 535 | 510 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 4 | 11 | 362 | 458 |
| Ottawa Redblacks | 0 | 14 | 339 | 524 |
Quick Hits
- Ottawa's defensive line is getting hammered by injuries, with Kori Roberson Jr., Michael Wakefield, Aidan John and Bryce Carter all shelved, forcing the Redblacks to activate linebackers Aaron Casey and Kyahva Tezino off the practice roster and grab kicker Paul Geelen.
- Hamilton's banged-up secondary — Jamal Peters and Robert Panabaker both on single-game injury — will be tested against an Ottawa offense that's scored 69 points over its last two games.
- Fantasy players should keep an eye on Jalen Philpot, who's piled up 15 catches for 245 yards and a score over his last two games heading into a trip to Mosaic Stadium.
- Calgary's offense has been nearly impossible to stop lately, racking up 85 points over its last two games, but a 5-9-1 ATS record all year says the betting market still doesn't fully trust it.
Standings | Full Schedule | League Leaders
Who wins this week? Drop your picks in the comments.