The Montreal Alouettes hold an impressive 8-1 record and are coming off another strong performance in which they defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-23 at home. Saskatchewan fans are hungry to see their team get a win after they tied last week 22-22 against Ottawa. Saskatchewan has gone 3 games without a win.

Game Details:

Date/Location: Thursday, August 16 /Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK

Kickoff Time: 9:00 PM ET, 8:00 PM CT

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

Odds: 

Spread: Montreal -1.5 (-124), Saskatchewan +1.5 (-102)

Moneyline: Montreal -137, Saskatchewan +114

Over/Under: 50.5 (Over -115, Under -105)

If you do place bets please do so responsibly and if you may have a gambling problem please seek help.

Montreal Alouettes: The Montreal Alouettes will see Davis Alexander start at quarterback for the third week in a row. Alexander was impressive last week as he completed 17 of his 24 passes for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cody Fajardo is back in the lineup after missing the last 4 games due to injury but is listed as the 2nd string quarterback for this matchup, presumably, it is to give him more time to heal. If Fajardo is not quite 100% then it may have made more sense to roster James Morgan in that spot rather than potentially put Fajardo in a position where he could risk re-injury.

On defense, linebacker Darnell Sankey set the tone early as he forced a fumble and recorded an interception to end Hamilton’s opening 2 drives.

Saskatchewan Roughriders: The Saskatchewan Roughriders rallied back to force overtime against Ottawa after scoring only 3 points in the first 3 quarters. It was a game with controversy as there were 2 separate instances where the command center oversaw a video review that resulted in a penalty being called in overtime on what otherwise would have been the final play of the game. Instead, the game ended in a rare tie with a score of 22-22.

Shea Patterson entered the 4th quarter with 3 interceptions and no touchdowns but added a touchdown pass in the 4th quarter and in overtime. He finished the day with 30 completions on 49 passes for 299 yards. Running back Frankie Hickson had a tough outing as he managed only 23 yards on 12 carries as Saskatchewan struggled to be consistent in the run game. Saskatchewan did have a good game limiting their opponent’s running back last week as they kept Ottawa’s Ryquell Armstead to 27 yards on 13 carries. Rolan Milligan Jr. added to his great ball-hawking season as he recorded his 6th interception and is currently the league leader. 5 different Roughriders recorded a sack in the tie last week. This week the Riders will see the return of quarterback Trevor Harris who is starting in his first game since he was injured in week 3 with a left MCL sprain.

Alouettes Keys to the Game

Get the Run Defense Back on Track

Montreal has seen their opponents have success in the ground game in recent games. Thankfully for Montreal, their opponents have primarily been bashing their heads against the glass over and over with an imbalance of passing plays rather than a high frequency of run plays. Montreal currently has the 2nd most rushing yards per carry allowed at 5.4.

More Great Play From the Secondary.

Last week Montreal 2 passing touchdowns which is rare for them as they have only allowed 7 passing touchdowns over 8 games so far this season. Montreal’s play from the secondary has been very solid. They currently have the lowest opponent passing efficiency allowed at 83.1.

Mix in the Run Game

Saskatchewan has the 2nd lowest opponent passer efficiency allowed at 87.4. Walter Fletcher has been effective rushing 73 times for 415 yards, 5.7 yards per carry. Montreal at this point is tied for the 2nd fewest rushing attempts in the league at 149. If there is a game to go a little more run-heavy it is this one to take some pressure off their young quarterbacks’ shoulders against a defense that defends the pass well.

Roughriders Keys to the Game

Get the Run Game Back on Track

Saskatchewan’s run game has been highly inconsistent which has a lot to do with inconsistent run blocking. Montreal has the 2nd most yards per rush allowed while having the best defense against the pass. If there is a time to play smash-mouth football it is now.

Short Passes and Crossing Routes

Saskatchewan could do well to focus on high-percentage plays in the passing game by using a lot of crossing routes designed to get receivers open on short routes. While Saskatchewan will want to start fast after a slow start last week they will want to avoid trying to force things and potentially digging a hole for themselves.

Stop the Run Early, Get Pressure on Alexander

In the past Montreal at times is quick to go away from the run game. If the Riders can stop the run early they can encourage Montreal to focus on the pass which Saskatchewan has been successful defending against. The Riders will then look for their strong defensive line to put pressure on Alexander in the hopes that a mistake could be forced.

5 Alouettes to Watch

#10 QB Davis Alexander

So far this season Alexander has completed 51 of his 69 passes for 687 yards and 5 touchdowns with 1 interception.

#17 WR Cole Spieker

With Tyson Philpot being out of the lineup Spieker will likely see an increase in targets in this match. He has 29 catches for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns this season.

#14 WR Charleston Rambo

Rambo led the team in receiving the last 2 weeks. Last week he caught 6 passes for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns.

#1 LB Darnell Sankey

Last week Darnell Sankey had 6 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. 3 of his tackles were solo stops against the pass and he also assisted on 2 run stops.

#94 DT Mustafa Johnson

Johnson leads the team in sacks with 5 which is tied for first in the league. He has 24 tackles on the season.

5 Roughriders to Watch

#7 QB Trevor Harris

Harris is back in the lineup to start at quarterback for the first time since week 3 which saw him leave the game due to injury. Harris has completed 70 of his 97 passes for 872 yards and 7 touchdowns with 3 interceptions this season.

#45 RB A.J. Ouellette

Ouellette is back in the lineup after missing 3 games due to injury. He has rushed 96 times for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns this season, 4.1 yards per carry.

#19 WR Samuel Emilus

Emilus leads the team in receiving with 48 catches for 539 yards and has 3 touchdowns.

#0 HB Rolan Milligan Jr.

Milligan Jr. leads the team in tackles with 56 and has a league-leading 6 interceptions.

#4 DT Micah Johnson

Johnson leads the team in sacks and is tied for first in the league with 5. He has 17 tackles on the season.

Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

Saskatchewan has some issues to sort out in their run blocking and pass protection for me to see them as true contenders until that improves. Montreal has the most points for and the fewest against and has been a well-rounded football team. I predict Montreal to win 27-20.

@JonathanClink on Twitter