The winless Ottawa Redblacks head to Montreal battered, shorthanded, and running out of runway fast.
Game Details
- Matchup: Ottawa Redblacks at Montreal Alouettes
- When: Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: Montreal Alouettes -7
- Moneyline: Ottawa Redblacks +320, Montreal Alouettes -410
- Over/Under: 55
Montreal has been a reliable bet this season, going 2-1 ATS with all three games going over — while Ottawa is 0-1 ATS with a split on the total. The market strongly favors the home side here, and the trend data backs it up.
Overview
Ottawa is in a rough spot. At 0-2 with the fewest points scored in the league (45), the Redblacks are already at risk of falling three games back of the pack before the calendar flips to July. Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie — in his first season running the show in Ottawa — has watched his team lose by a combined 28 points in two games, including a 24-44 hammering at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts in Week 3. Dinwiddie said it plainly after Week 1: "Self-inflicted wounds — there were too many to overcome." The problems haven't gone away. And now Ottawa travels to Montreal missing several key defensive contributors, making an already-uphill battle even steeper.
Montreal, meanwhile, is 2-1 and playing at home with a roster that's getting healthier. The Alouettes dropped a 29-32 overtime decision to the Edmonton Elks last week — their first loss of the year — so they'll be motivated to bounce back in front of their home crowd. Davis Alexander has been one of the steadiest quarterbacks in the league this season: 85-of-124 for 1,133 yards, 5 touchdowns, and zero interceptions through three weeks. Zero. He hasn't thrown a pick all year. That kind of ball security against an Ottawa secondary that's dealing with multiple injury concerns is a mismatch the Alouettes will look to exploit early and often. Add in Tyson Philpot torching secondaries for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns — tops in the league in receiving — and Montreal's offense has real firepower.
The Redblacks need a performance that's been elusive so far: cleaner football, fewer penalties, and some offensive rhythm from Jake Maier. Ottawa's offense has been the league's worst through two weeks, and with Eugene Lewis listed as questionable with a shoulder injury, the passing game options are thin. Montreal has home-field advantage, better health, better form, and the sharper roster right now. The edge belongs to the Alouettes — convincingly.
Key Players
- Davis Alexander (Montreal Alouettes, QB) — Has been borderline flawless through three games: 1,133 yards, 5 TDs, and not a single interception thrown all season.
- Tyson Philpot (Montreal Alouettes, WR) — The league's top receiver with 24 catches for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns, and a nightmare matchup for a banged-up Ottawa secondary.
- Tyler Snead (Montreal Alouettes, WR) — A reliable second option behind Philpot with 19 catches, 305 yards, and 2 scores — gives Alexander two legitimate weapons to stress Ottawa's DBs.
- Jake Maier (Ottawa Redblacks, QB) — Ottawa's starter needs to find consistency and keep the offense out of long-yardage situations against a Montreal defense that can tee off when it knows pass.
- Daniel Adeboboye (Ottawa Redblacks, RB) — Ottawa's rushing leader will need to carry the load, especially if the passing game is limited by injuries; keeping the offense balanced is critical.
- Aidan John (Ottawa Redblacks, DE) — Ottawa's sacks leader needs to get home and put early pressure on Alexander, the one thing that could disrupt Montreal's clean pocket operation.
- Kalil Pimpleton (Ottawa Redblacks, WR/RET) — A dual threat as both a returner and a receiver out wide, Pimpleton gives Maier a reliable short-to-intermediate target and can flip field position in an instant.
Keys to the Game
- Ottawa must limit self-inflicted mistakes — penalties and blown assignments have cost them in both losses, and there is zero margin for error as a 7-point road underdog.
- The Redblacks' defensive front needs to pressure Davis Alexander early and force him off his rhythm, because if he gets comfortable, Ottawa's secondary won't survive Philpot and Snead for four quarters.
- Jake Maier needs to get Adeboboye and the run game going to keep Montreal's defense honest and take pressure off an Ottawa receiving corps that is shorthanded without a fully healthy Eugene Lewis.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Eugene Lewis (WR) | Ottawa Redblacks | Questionable (Shoulder) |
| Alonzo Addae (DB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Questionable (Head) |
| Lucas Cormier (LB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Questionable (Oblique) |
| Brian Cole II (LB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Questionable (Head) |
| Amari Henderson (DB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available (Knee) |
| Charlie Parks (DL) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available (Foot) |
| Bennett Williams (DB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available (Head) |
| Sam Schnee (WR) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available (Ankle) |
The injury situation in Ottawa is genuinely concerning heading into this one. Four players — Lewis, Addae, Cormier, and Cole II — all practiced limited all three days this week and remain questionable. Losing Lewis at receiver and both Cormier and Cole II at linebacker in the same game would gut the Redblacks on both sides of the ball. The team did activate Binjimen Victor and Jessie Evans from the practice roster to add depth, and Amari Henderson is cleared to play after a knee scare, which helps in the secondary.
Depth Chart
Ottawa Redblacks projected starters by position, built from the official Week 4 depth chart.
| Position | Ottawa Redblacks |
|---|---|
| QB | Jake Maier (starter); Bryson Barnes, Nick Vattiato (backups) |
| RB | Greg Bell (starter); Daniel Adeboboye (backup) |
| FB | Anthony Gosselin |
| WR (Boundary) | Binjimen Victor |
| WR (Field) | Kalil Pimpleton |
| SB | Justin Hardy; Keelan White, Ayden Eberhardt |
| LT | Dino Boyd |
| LG | Drew Desjarlais; Samuel Carson (backup) |
| C | Sean McEwen |
| RG | Giordano Vaccaro; Alassane Diouf (backup) |
| RT | Zack Pelehos |
| DE (Boundary) | Charlie Parks (starter); Aidan John, Habakkuk Baldonado (backups) |
| DT (Boundary) | Cleyon Laing; Muftah Ageli (backup) |
| DT (Field) | Blessman Ta'ala; Michael Wakefield (backup) |
| DE (Field) | Jessie Evans (starter); Luiji Vilain, Bryce Carter (backups) |
| WLB | Josh Connors (starter); AJ Allen (backup) |
| MLB | Michael Brodrique (starter); Nyles Morgan (backup) |
| SLB | Marcus Barnes (starter); CJ Reavis (backup) |
| CB (Boundary) | Demerio Houston |
| CB (Field) | Shakur Brown |
| HB (Boundary) | Scott Hutter (starter); Jeremy Lucien (backup) |
| S | Scott Hutter |
| HB (Field) | Amari Henderson; Bennett Williams (backup) |
| K/P | Brett Lauther; Noah Gettman (backup) |
| LS | Peter Adjey |
| RET | Kalil Pimpleton; Cade McDonald (backup) |
Score Prediction
Ottawa Redblacks 20 — Montreal Alouettes 33. The market-implied line puts this at 24-31 Montreal, but the wave of Ottawa injury questions — particularly at receiver and linebacker — tips it further toward the Alouettes. Davis Alexander's clean pocket operation against a shorthanded Ottawa secondary should generate chunk plays through Philpot and Snead, and Ottawa's offense simply hasn't shown enough to hang with a motivated Montreal team at home. The Redblacks fall to 0-3 and the questions around this season get louder.
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Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.