The Edmonton Elks travel to southern Alberta for a week 13 showdown vs. their hated rivals the Calgary Stampeders.  Not only is this a game that is a much-needed win for the Edmonton Elks, but the Edmonton Elks are in a good spot to snag a victory.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and the Edmonton Elks at a 3-8 record, the remainder of the schedule will not come easy. 

Their remaining games minus this one, will consist of week 14 at home vs. Calgary, week 15 (bye week), week 16 at home vs. Winnipeg, week 17 at Winnipeg, week 18 at home vs. Saskatchewan, week 19 at Calgary, week 20 (bye week), and week 21 at home vs. Toronto.  The Edmonton Elks must treat all of their remaining games as if it is a playoff game.  

Game Details

Date / Location:  Monday, September 2nd, 2024 / Mc Mahon Stadium / Calgary, Alberta

Kickoff Time:  6:00 pm EST

Channel:  TSN / TSN+ / CBS Sports Network

Weather Forecast:  24 Degrees Celsius.  It will feel like 24 Degrees Celsius.  Mainly cloudy with clear breaks.

Wind Gust:  35 kilometres per hour in a northwest direction.

Percentage of Precipitation:  30%

Odds

Spread:  Calgary Stampeders – 2.5 (-114) / Edmonton Elks + 2.5 (-106)

Money line:  Calgary Stampeders – 142 / Edmonton Elks + 118

Over / Under:  Over 52.5 (- 105) / Under 52.5 (-115)

Via FanDuel Sportsbook

Injury Report:  Edmonton Elks

Injury Report:  Calgary Stampeders

Edmonton Elks Depth Chart

Calgary Stampeders Depth Chart

As of now, the Calgary Stampeders have not unveiled their depth chart.

Players to Watch:  Edmonton Elks

Elliott Brown

He has been a huge part of the Edmonton defence and has been fun to watch.  Watch for Elliott Brown to be a key figure in halting the running game at key moments when Calgary runs to the edges of the line of scrimmage.

Kurleigh Gittens Jr.

He has been a go-to target when the Elks needed a big play or an important touchdown in a game.  Expect Kurleigh Gittens Jr. to be a big factor in the passing game for the Elks in this Labour Day Classic.

Players to Watch:  Calgary Stampeders

Demario Houston

Demario Houston is as good as they come for any player in the CFL who plays defensive back, or in the defensive secondary.  He is no stranger to any quarterback in the CFL as he is a player that is textbook when it comes to reading an offense.  His football I.Q. puts a lot of fear in quarterbacks in this league as he will make you pay for your mistakes.

Reggie Begelton

He has been a thorn in the Edmonton defence in just about every time they meet since entering the league in 2017, and most notably, in 2019 when Reggie Begelton had his career-best with 1,444 receiving yards, followed by 10 touchdowns.  He is no stranger to the Labour Day Classic he has had plenty of experience with big moments in games like this.  

Keys to an Edmonton Victory

Continue the Success of the Running Game 

It’s been their anchor of the offence when they finally broke the curse of their 0-7 record back in week 9 and it has been translating into a lot of success since.

Keep pounding the ball for a good part of the game.  With a recent average of 5.5 yards per carry, it would be wise to continue this success. 

The Front Seven Has to be Solid

The front seven has to have a big game and control the line of scrimmage as much as possible.  This will be geared mainly toward the defensive line.  Elliott Brown, Shawn Oakman, Noah Curtis, and Noah Taylor have to put a lot of pressure on Jake Maier for a good part of the game.  More importantly, if it does result in a bend but doesn’t break moment, to stall a Calgary drive when it matters most. 

Prediction

Who would have thought that the Edmonton Elks offence has been stellar in the last few weeks and has produced some big points on the board?  Not to mention even with key player injuries during four weeks, the Edmonton defence has played well enough to put the Elks in a good position to walk out with a victory.  

It was a painful loss to be at the hands of the Montreal Alouettes (21-17) in week 12.  However, they just took on the heavyweights of the CFL in a game which could also have been the reverse fortune which was also the case back in week 2 (23-20) loss to the Montreal Alouettes.

It might be too little too late for the Edmonton Elks this season to punch a ticket in the postseason, but there is a slim chance that they can achieve this feat.

And it has to continue now.

Only this time, it’s the Labour Day Classic. 

Final Score

Edmonton Elks:  29

Calgary Stampeders:  19

The Edmonton Elks enter Mc Mahon Stadium and play a physically entertaining game.  Expect the Elks to run the ball a lot in this game as this has been their recipe of success since finally establishing a running game during their week 9 tilt vs the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a 42-31 victory.

The Edmonton Elks running game trio of Javon Leake, Kevin Brown, and Justin Rankin will be too much for the Stampeders’ defence to handle and the Edmonton Elks will exit Mc Mahon Stadium with a key victory to shorten the gap in the west division.

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