The Montreal Alouettes travel to Edmonton to take on a Western opponent for the first time this season. The Alouettes are coming off another strong victory in the form of a 39-18 win over the Ottawa RedBlacks, while the Edmonton Elks are coming off a bye week. 

Game Details:

Date/Location: Thursday, June 19 / Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AB

Kickoff Time: 9:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM PT

Channel: CTV, TSN, RDS (Canada), CBS Sports (USA), CFL+ (Global)

Odds: 

Spread: Montreal -6.5 (-105), Edmonton +6.5 (-115)

Moneyline: Montreal -265, Edmonton +215

Over/Under: 48.5 (Over -115, Under -105)

If you place bets, please do so responsibly in moderation.

Montreal Alouettes: Davis Alexander has been efficient for Montreal in his first season as a starter. He has completed 42 of his 58 passes for 549 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. Last week saw him pass for 344 yards.

On the ground last week, Travis Theis and Sean-Thomas Erlington combined for 95 rushing yards.

Edmonton Elks: The Edmonton Elks look to get a win in their home opener for the first time since 2019. The Elks have been afflicted at home by the Commonwealth Curse in recent years, which saw them have an at-home losing streak extend to 22 games before it was broken in 2023. Since breaking the streak, the Elks have gone 5-6 at home.

Week 1 saw Tre Ford complete 18 of his 27 passes for 178 yards with 1 interception while adding 6 carries on the ground for 54 yards. Behind him, Cody Fajardo is listed as QB2, who was awarded the 2023 Grey Cup MVP for Montreal, which led to him having a contract extension through the 2025 season, although Montreal traded him this past offseason.

Alouettes Keys to the Game

Contain Tre Ford

The BC Lions have had a lot of success over the past 2 seasons in limiting Tre Ford and that in large part stems from pressuring him in such a way that tends to limit his ability to escape for large gains on the ground.

No Fly Zone

Tre Ford can be dangerous on deep shots, and Edmonton has a great cast of receivers. Montreal’s secondary will be called upon not to allow big plays.

More Solid Run Defense

Montreal has had solid run defense over the first 2 weeks. Last week saw Montreal limited their opponents’ running backs to just 34 yards, although they only had 9 carries. It does not seem sensible that their opponents are not trying to establish the run more with backup quarterbacks under center, but it’s a winning recipe for Montreal.

5 Alouettes to Watch

#85 WR Tyler Snead

Last week, Snead caught 4 of his 5 targets for 117 yards.

#81 WR Austin Mack

Mack caught 5 passes for 103 yards last week.

#30 RB Travis Theis

Theis rushed 12 times for 75 yards last week and caught 2 passes for 25 yards.

#60 LT Des Holmes

Holmes will get his second start at left tackle, filling in for injured Nick Callender.

#12 LB Najee Murray

Last week, Murray led the team in tackles with 7.

5 Elks to Watch

#31 RB Justin Rankin

Week 1 saw Rankin rush 7 times for 24 yards (3.4 average) and catch 5 passes for a team-leading 67 yards.

#0 WR Kaion Julien-Grant.

KJG will face his old team this week after playing for Montreal from 2019 through 2024.

#81 WR Zach Mathis

Mathis was the most targeted receiver in week 1, catching 4 of his 8 targets for 34 yards.

#48 LB Nick Anderson

Anderson led the team in tackles in week 1 with 9.

#45 LB Nyles Morgan

Morgan had 6 tackles in week 1.

Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

I predict the Alouettes to win 27-20, with the Alouettes’ defense having a strong game in particular.

@JonathanClink on Twitter