A shorthanded Ticats team with a brand-new starting quarterback heads to BC Place looking to avoid a season sweep against a Lions squad that just found its ground game.
Game Details
- Matchup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BC Lions
- When: Saturday, August 8 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: BC Place Stadium, Vancouver
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: BC Lions -6
- Moneyline: Hamilton Tiger-Cats +275, BC Lions -345
- Over/Under: 56
Hamilton is 3-5 against the spread this season with a split four-over, four-under betting record, while BC sits 3-4 ATS with four overs, two unders and a push. Vegas clearly isn't buying the Ticats on the road, but Hamilton has kept things close enough this year to cash a backdoor cover more often than not.
Overview
This one's a battle for basement real estate in the West-East pecking order, but don't mistake the records for a lack of intrigue. Hamilton (3-5) comes in on a two-game slide, having been outscored a combined 64-38 by Montreal and Calgary the last two weeks, including a 44-20 beatdown at home that saw the Ticats' offense stall out again in the fourth quarter. BC (2-5) is riding the opposite wave, a 35-19 blowout of Winnipeg where the Lions ran for a franchise-record 377 yards — the most by any CFL team since 2009 — with Kaidon Salter setting BC's QB rushing record (160 yards) in his first career start and Zander Horvath piling up 191 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The season series already has a wrinkle: Hamilton beat BC 41-27 back in Week 3 at Tim Hortons Field, and history says these two split the season series in each of the last three years — so if that pattern holds, BC is due to even the ledger here. The Ticats also have the Lions' number defensively in one specific way: Hamilton is tied for the league low in completions allowed of 30-plus yards, and BC actually owns the CFL's best net defence at 357.6 yards allowed per game, with Hamilton right behind at 365. Two stingy defenses, two offenses trying to find rhythm — this has the shape of a game that could get away from either team in a hurry if the run game takes over the way it did for BC last week. The bigger question mark hovers over Hamilton's quarterback room. Harrison Frost is projected to make his first career CFL start after Scott Milanovich turned to him mid-game against Calgary, and Tre Ford — who is 1-4 in his career against BC — remains part of the mix behind him. That kind of uncertainty on the road, against a Lions defense anchored by Mathieu Betts, who just became the ninth Canadian in history to reach 50 career sacks, is a tough combination. BC gets the edge here — the Lions have found an identity with their legs, and Hamilton's offense has to prove it can survive a shaky quarterback situation against a defense playing its best football of the season.
Key Players
- Hamilton's Harrison Frost (QB) — Projected to make his first-ever CFL start after taking over in relief against Calgary; a huge unknown heading into a hostile building.
- Larry Rountree (Hamilton, RB) — Hamilton's leading rusher at 449 yards on 105 carries; the Ticats need him to control the clock and take pressure off a green quarterback situation.
- Julian Howsare (Hamilton, DL) — Hamilton's sack leader and the guy who has to disrupt BC's newfound ground attack before it gets rolling downhill.
- BC's Mathieu Betts (DL) — Has four sacks in his last three games and 21 over his last 25; just became the ninth Canadian ever to reach 50 career sacks.
- Zander Horvath (BC, RB) — Fresh off a 191-yard, three-touchdown night that helped set a franchise rushing record; if BC leans on him again, Hamilton's front seven is in for a long night.
Keys to the Game
- Whoever starts at quarterback for Hamilton needs to avoid the killer mistakes — turnovers and penalties have doomed the Ticats' fourth quarters all season.
- Hamilton's front seven has to bottle up Horvath and the BC run game early, before it snowballs the way it did against Winnipeg.
- The Ticats defense, which is elite against the deep ball, needs to force BC to win underneath and grind out long drives rather than give up chunk plays.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Augustine (RB) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable — Foot |
| Shemar Bridges (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable — Hip |
| Charbel Dabire (DL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable — Arm |
| Loik Gagne (LB) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Out — Knee |
| Tyler Ternowski (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable — Shoulder |
| Quavian White (DB) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Out — Hamstring |
| Isaiah Wooden (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available — Head |
Depth Chart
Hamilton Tiger-Cats projected starters by position, built from the team's current official depth chart. This may not reflect any last-minute mid-week changes.
| Position | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
|---|---|
| QB | Harrison Frost, Tre Ford, Jake Dolegala |
| RB | Larry Rountree III, Johnny Augustine |
| FB/TE | Ante Milanovic-Litre, Max Mang, Daniel Bell |
| WR (Boundary) | Myron Mitchell, Kenny Lawler |
| WR (Field) | Keric Wheatfall |
| SB | Kiondré Smith, Isaiah Wooden Sr., Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Tyson Middlemost, Tyler Ternowski |
| LT | Trevor Reid |
| LG | Brandon Revenberg |
| C | Liam Dobson |
| RG | Jonathan Denis, Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay |
| RT | Brayden Swartout |
| DE (Boundary) | Mitchell Agude, Julian Howsare |
| DT (Boundary) | Charbel Dabire, Miles Fox |
| DT (Field) | Mario Kendricks Jr. |
| DE (Field) | Owen Hubert, Philip Ossai, Isaiah Bagnah |
| LB (W) | Jordan Crook, Braxton Hill |
| LB (M) | Wynton McManis, Ryan Baker |
| LB (S) | Reggie Stubblefield |
| FS | Ronan Horrall, Robert Panabaker, Stavros Katsantonis |
| CB | Jamal Peters, Zamari Walton |
| HB | Destin Talbert, Devodric Bynum |
| K | Marc Liegghio |
| P | Mitch McCarthy |
| LS | Gordon Whyte |
| KR/PR | Isaiah Wooden Sr. |
Score Prediction
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 25 - BC Lions 31. BC's run game is peaking at the right time and Betts gives the Lions a home-field pass-rush edge against a Hamilton offense breaking in a first-time starter — enough for BC to even the season series after dropping the Week 3 meeting.
CFL Standings | Full Schedule | League Leaders
Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.