Coming off a laugher in Toronto, Hamilton heads to McMahon looking for revenge against the team that hung 44 on them three weeks ago.
Game Details
- Matchup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Calgary Stampeders
- When: Saturday, August 29 at 3:00 PM ET
- Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: Calgary Stampeders -6
- Moneyline: Hamilton Tiger-Cats +220, Calgary Stampeders -275
- Over/Under: 60
Hamilton has covered at a 5-6 ATS clip with the under hitting seven times in 11 games — this defense has bent, and bettors have noticed. Calgary is right at .500 against the number (4-5-1) but has gone over eight times in ten games, a sign of just how much these Stamps like to score.
Overview
Both of these teams sit outside the playoff cut line as things stand, but only one of them still has real life left in its season. The Calgary Stampeders (4-6) are two losses off the pace in the West, while Hamilton (4-7) is fighting for its playoff pulse in a crowded East. The Ticats have dropped four of their last five, including a 20-39 face-plant in Toronto last week where the offense went cold and the defense couldn't get off the field in the second half. Calgary, meanwhile, is 2-3 in its own last five and coming off a bye after a 26-30 loss to BC.
This is a rematch of a Week 9 blowout, when Calgary rolled into Tim Hortons Field and put up 44 points on Hamilton in a 44-20 rout. History says the trend continues at McMahon — Calgary is 5-1 in this series at home since 2017, and the all-time head-to-head sits lopsided at 71-35 in the Stamps' favor. Dave Dickenson also arrives one win away from his 100th career victory as Calgary's head coach, and there's no place he'd rather get it than in front of his own building against a team he owns 12-5 all-time.
Give the edge to Calgary here, and not by a little. The Stampeders have the league's top scoring offense (37.8 points per game) and a quarterback in Vernon Adams Jr. who leads the CFL in passing touchdowns. Hamilton's defense is allowing 29 points a night and ranks in the bottom half of the league in net offense on the other side of the ball. Tre Ford gives Hamilton a puncher's chance — he's 2-2 in his career against Calgary and coming off a career-high 356-yard passing night — but this Ticats team needs a complete 60 minutes, something it hasn't strung together in weeks.
Key Players
- Tre Ford (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, QB) — Torched Toronto for a career-high 356 yards last week with four completions of 30+ yards, and he's 2-2 in his career against Calgary.
- Reggie Stubblefield (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, LB) — Leads the entire league with 59 defensive tackles and will need a monster game to slow down Calgary's ground-and-air attack.
- Keric Wheatfall (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, WR) — Has 12 catches for 232 yards and a touchdown over his last two games and looks like Ford's clearest go-to target right now.
- Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary Stampeders, QB) — Leads the CFL with 22 passing touchdowns and sits at 8-4 for his career against the Ticats.
- Clarence Hicks (Calgary Stampeders, DL) — Has four sacks over his last five games and figures to test a Hamilton line that gave up four sacks last week alone.
Keys to the Game
- Hamilton has to keep Tre Ford clean — the four-sack meltdown in Toronto can't repeat itself against a Calgary front that's been getting after the quarterback all year.
- Larry Rountree and the run game need to control the clock and keep this from turning into the track meet Calgary wants, given this offense ranks 9th in net offense.
- The Ticats' secondary, led by pick-machine Stavros Katsantonis, has to manufacture takeaways against Adams Jr. — bend-but-don't-break won't cut it against a unit averaging nearly 38 a game.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| De'Jon Benton (DL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable — Ankle |
| Devynn Cromwell (DB) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Out — Knee |
| Charbel Dabire (DL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available — Arm |
| Jonathan Denis (OL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable — Knee |
| Harrison Frost (QB) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available — Back |
| Mario Kendricks Jr. (DL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available — Ankle |
| Tyson Middlemost (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Out — Knee |
| Myron Mitchell (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available — Hand |
| Tyler Ternowski (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available — Shoulder |
| Kiondre Smith (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Out — Knee |
Also worth flagging: starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell remains on the six-game injury list, leaving Tre Ford under center with Jake Dolegala and Harrison Frost behind him. Hamilton also shuffled its receiver room this week, moving Jaelen Gill to the practice roster and adding Cameron Peters and Hakeem Harris behind Ford.
Depth Chart
Hamilton Tiger-Cats starters by position, built from the official Week 13 depth chart. This is a projected look and may not reflect final gameday inactives.
| Position | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
|---|---|
| QB | Tre Ford (Jake Dolegala, Harrison Frost) |
| RB | Larry Rountree III (Johnny Augustine) |
| FB/TE | Ante Milanovic-Litre (Max Mang, Daniel Bell) |
| WR (Boundary) | Kenny Lawler |
| WR (Field) | Keric Wheatfall |
| SB | Kiondre Smith, Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Myron Mitchell (Isaiah Wooden Sr.) |
| LT | Trevor Reid |
| LG | Brandon Revenberg |
| C | Liam Dobson (Brayden Szeman) |
| RG | Nate Dumoulin-Duguay |
| RT | Brayden Swartout |
| DE | Julian Howsare, Philip Ossai (Charbel Dabire, Owen Hubert) |
| DT | Miles Fox, Mario Kendricks Jr. (Mitchell Agude) |
| LB | Jordan Crook (W), Wynton McManis (M), Reggie Stubblefield (S) |
| CB | Jamal Peters, Zamari Walton |
| HB | Destin Talbert, Quavian White |
| FS | Jake Nitychoruk, Stavros Katsantonis (Robert Panabaker) |
| K | Marc Liegghio |
| P | Mitch McCarthy |
| KR/PR | Isaiah Wooden Sr. |
Score Prediction
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27 - Calgary Stampeders 33. Tre Ford and Wheatfall give the Ticats enough juice to make this respectable and cover the number, but Vernon Adams Jr. and a Calgary offense that's been lighting up scoreboards all year get the last word at McMahon, backing up the head-to-head history and the trends both teams have shown all season.
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Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.