Hamilton Tiger-Cats Game #8

Visiting Team: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-2, T-1st in East Division)

Home Team: Edmonton Elks (1-5, 5th in the West Division)

Date and Time: Saturday, August 2nd at 3 pm EDT

Game Location: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta

Where to Watch: In Canada, TSN/CTV In the US and International, CFL+

DraftKings Betting Line: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-4.5), Edmonton Elks (+4.5), O/U 54.5 points

Coming into Week 9 of the 2025 CFL season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-2) are on a five-game winning streak, and they are in a heated race with the Montreal Alouettes for the top spot in the East division. This week’s challenge for Hamilton is to overcome the instinct to start to relax when they are on a long win streak. When the Tiger-Cats travel to Edmonton to face the Elks, they mustn’t let the Elks’ record allow Hamilton to begin to lose attention to detail and stay focused.

Last week, the Tiger-Cats needed a comeback and a 3-minute drill drive to pick up their fifth straight win on the road against the BC Lions. On the other side of this matchup, the Elks have played very well at times, especially in establishing their running game on offense. Despite playing well, the Elks keep coming up short by making a cluster of mistakes, like allowing the Saskatchewan Roughriders to sack their quarterback eight times during the Elks’ 18- 21 loss.

So during Week 9, the stage is set for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to head into Commonwealth Stadium prepared to fight against the Edmonton Elks while they strive to win their 6th straight game.

Over the last few weeks, the Tiger-Cats have been struggling with a multitude of injuries on their roster. Fortunately, this week the CFL Week 9 Injury Report indicates that Hamilton is much healthier for this game compared to last week’s game in Vancouver. Two injuries that could be a factor in this game for Hamilton are Jordan Murray (knee), who has sat out of practice early this week, and fullback Ante Milanovich-Litre, who is Hamilton’s go-to short-yardage back in quarterback sneak situations.

The Edmonton Elks are also coming into this game mostly healthy. Unfortunately for Edmonton, they have two linebackers injured, with Nick Anderson missing time this week with a groin injury, and Michael Brodrique dealing with a shoulder injury. If Anderson and Brodrique are both injured, there is a good chance the Elks’ defensive front seven will struggle to stop the Tiger-Cats’ run game on the offensive side of the ball.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Depth Chart

Edmonton Elks Depth Chart

Key to Victory #1: Pressure Edmonton QB Tre Ford

The Elks’ offensive line has allowed the most quarterback sacks in the CFL, with 15 sacks allowed during their first six games. That has put quarterback Tre Ford into a survival mindset where he is doing all that he can to overcome pressure from opposing defensive units. Hamilton and Tiger-Cats defensive coordinator Brent Monson have shown the ability to run blitzes that allow the Tiger-Cats’ pass rush to get free hits on opposing quarterbacks. It is essential that Hamilton pressures Ford early and often in this game so that Ford is unable to get into a comfort zone during the game.

Key to Victory #2: Contain the Edmonton Run Game

In contrast with the Elks’ lack of adequate pass protection, Edmonton has had success establishing its run game on the offensive side of the ball. That success is mainly due to running back Justin Rankin running the ball with a violent attitude and overcoming the weaknesses of his offensive line. In addition to Rankin, Elks quarterbacks Tre Ford and Cody Fajardo are also effective runners who can pick up key yards when they can break contain. The Tiger-Cats’ defensive front seven has not shut down opponents’ running games, but they have done a nice job of containing those run games, only allowing 98.0 rushing yards/game.

Key to Victory #3: Protect QB Bo Levi Mitchell

For a second season in a row, the outstanding play of Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has catalyzed Hamilton’s success. Unlike the Elks quarterbacks, Bo Levi Mitchell is not a dual-threat quarterback, and he does his best work when feeling comfortable in the pocket. So far this season, the Tiger-Cats’ offensive line has done a great job of pass protection, only allowing their quarterback to be taken down seven times in seven games. During the off-season, the Elks invested significant resources into their defensive line, and that magnifies the effect that good pass protection will have on Hamilton’s offensive game plan.

Key to Victory #4: Win the Turnover Battle

A key statistic that directly translates into winning and losing games in the CFL is a team’s ability to win the turnover battle. That means that a driving factor for a team’s success is a combination of their ability to protect the ball on the offensive side of the field and turn their opponent’s mistakes into takeaways. So far this season, the Tiger-Cats have successfully taken the ball away from their opponents, and many times have converted those turnovers into points. While the Elks have played solid football, they have a strong tendency to turn the ball over, which is why they tend to come up short in games every week. At some point in this game, the Tiger-Cats need to take the ball away and either score a defensive touchdown or allow the Tiger-Cats to punch the ball in the endzone with a short field.

Key to Victory #5: Produce Explosive Plays

Last week, the BC Lions committed themselves to making sure that Tiger-Cats wide receiver Kenny Lawler was not going to have a big game. That required Hamilton’s other receivers to step up, and Kiondre Smith and Tim White stepped up to the challenge. Hamilton has an impressive set of offensive weapons, and head coach Scott Milanovich needs to make sure that they are optimizing those weapons to score points. A few explosive plays can go a long way, either allowing the Tiger-Cats to convert second-and-long situations or by putting some quick points on the scoreboard. While the Tiger-Cats are competing for the title of best team in the East division, they must stay aggressive offensively.

Game Prediction:

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 32, Edmonton Elks 24

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