Hamilton Tiger-Cats Game #3

Visiting Team: Montreal Alouettes (3-0, 1st in the East division)

Home Team: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-2, T-3rd in the East division)

Game Date and Time: Friday, June 27th at 7:30 pm EDT

Game Location: Hamilton Stadium, Hamilton, Ontario

Where to Watch: In Canada, TSN and RDS In the US and International locations, CFL +

DraftKings Betting Line: Montreal Alouettes (-3), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+3), O/U 50.5

This Week 4 matchup features the hottest team in the CFL, the Montreal Alouettes (3-0), and a team that has once again struggled out of the gate for another season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-2). To start this season, Montreal has made all of the right plays, and they have done so on the backs of a strong defensive unit that has excelled at taking the ball away from opposing offensive units. The Tiger-Cats are leading the CFL in passing yards, but that has not translated into wins for the Tiger-Cats.

Hamilton has the benefit of coming into this game off of a bye week, and Montreal will be playing their fourth consecutive game to start the season. That should allow the Tiger-Cats to come into this game healthy, rested, and at home, which could be an advantage against an Alouettes team that could be feeling road-weary.

Both teams have some notable injuries to contend with heading into this game. The Montreal Alouettes’ quarterback, Davis Alexander, experienced a hamstring injury last week and was replaced by veteran quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Bethel-Thompson will likely start at quarterback for the Alouettes this week. The Tiger-Cats will be missing running back Greg Bell, who Hamilton has ruled out with an injury to his calf that continues to linger.

Despite the injuries, both teams will need to play their best game; the Tiger-Cats will hope to capitalize on any mistakes the Alouettes make during the game.

Montreal Alouettes Depth Chart

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Depth Chart

Key to Victory #1: Establish the Running Game

Offensively, the Tiger-Cats have failed to find balance early in their 2025 campaign. Hamilton is one of the top passing teams in the CFL statistically, but to win games against the top teams in the CFL, running the ball successfully is critical. Running the ball has not been a strength of this Tiger-Cats team, and with running back Greg Bell out, the pressure for establishing the run will rest on Hamilton’s offensive line.

Key to Victory #2: Touchdowns > Field Goals

Another area the Tiger-Cats have struggled with this season is when their offensive drive has hit the red zone. So far this season, Hamilton has opted to attempt a field goal rather than play aggressively and score a touchdown. Montreal is very good at scoring touchdowns on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. If the Tiger-Cats come out settling for field goals, they could quickly find themselves fighting an uphill battle against the Alouettes.

Key to Victory #3: Protect the Ball

A significant part of the Alouettes’ recipe for success this season, as well as the last two seasons, is their ability to take the ball away from their opponents. Not only do they take the ball away, but they also have immediately turned those opportunities into points with defensive touchdowns. Hamilton already felt the sting of giving up a defensive touchdown off of an interception against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and they will need to be sure to protect the ball from ball-hungry Montreal defenders.

Key to Victory #4: Protect the Quarterback

Pass protection will be a big part of the story of this game between Montreal and Hamilton. Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is a classic pocket-passing quarterback who prefers to get the ball to his weapons rather than run the ball. For Montreal, McLeod Bethel-Thompson is very similar to Mitchell, and while both quarterbacks can run the ball situationally, neither wants to take needless open-field hits. If Hamilton’s front seven can get Bethel-Thompson to move out of the pocket, they could force Montreal into turning the ball over due to Bethel-Thompson’s poor habits of missing throws and fumbling the ball when making plays on the run.

Key to Victory #5: Create Explosive Plays

The outcome of this game will likely come down to which team can produce the most explosive plays. For Montreal, explosive plays have been easy to come by on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Hamilton has struggled to produce explosive plays outside of the outstanding performance of new wide receiver addition Kenny Lawler. Suppose the Tiger-Cats want to upset the Alouettes and get their first win of the season. In that case, they will need to prevent the Alouettes from getting their share of explosive plays while calculating chances to produce explosive plays on the offensive side of the ball.

Game Prediction:

Montreal Alouettes 35, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 26

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