Winless and running out of patience, the Ottawa Redblacks host a bruised but battle-tested Saskatchewan Roughriders squad craving a bounce-back.
Game Details
- Matchup: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Ottawa Redblacks
- When: Friday, July 3 at 7:30 PM ET
- Where: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: Saskatchewan Roughriders -5
- Moneyline: Ottawa Redblacks +195, Saskatchewan Roughriders -238
- Over/Under: 57
Ottawa is 1-1 against the spread this year with two overs and a single under, so backers of the points have cashed more often than not in Redblacks games. Saskatchewan is 2-1 ATS with three overs in three tries — every game the Riders have played has gone over the total, and that trend lines up nicely with a 57-point number here.
Overview
There's no sugarcoating where Ottawa sits. Three games, three losses, and a minus-30 point differential that ranks near the bottom of the league. The Redblacks have actually put points on the board — 80 through three weeks, including a 35-point outburst last week in a heartbreaking 37-35 loss at Montreal — but the defense keeps handing games away, allowing 110 points already this season. Jake Maier has flashed some big plays, but this team has yet to find a way to close.
Saskatchewan arrives at 2-1 but coming off its own gut-punch, a 34-40 shootout loss to Toronto where Trevor Harris couldn't outscore the Argos in a track meet at Mosaic Stadium. Before that, the Riders had wins over Calgary and BC, showing they can win high-scoring affairs when their offense clicks. Harris has been sharp all year — 87-of-115 for 1,175 yards and 8 touchdowns against just one pick — and with Kian Schaffer-Baker and KeeSean Johnson both averaging over 13 yards a catch, this passing attack has answers for whatever Ottawa's secondary throws at it.
The Riders are favored by 5 for a reason. Their defense, led by James Vaughters and Mike Rose up front and Antoine Brooks Jr. and Jameer Thurman at linebacker, has more juice than an Ottawa offensive line that's been shuffled all season. Add in a genuinely banged-up Redblacks receiving corps — with Nick Mardner out and Keelan White questionable — and Saskatchewan looks like the side better equipped to survive a shootout. Ottawa's desperation and TD Place crowd noise make this closer than the moneyline suggests, but the edge here belongs to the Riders.
Key Players
- Trevor Harris (Saskatchewan Roughriders, QB) — 87-of-115 passing for 1,175 yards, 8 TDs and just 1 interception, one of the most efficient arms in the league right now.
- Jake Maier (Ottawa Redblacks, QB) — Ottawa's engine, coming off a 35-point showing against Montreal that proves this offense can move the ball against anybody.
- Kian Schaffer-Baker (Saskatchewan Roughriders, WR) — 27 catches for 384 yards and 2 scores, the top target Ottawa's secondary needs to account for on every snap.
- Daniel Adeboboye (Ottawa Redblacks, RB) — Ottawa's lead back and a key piece if the Redblacks want to control tempo and keep Harris off the field.
- Alonzo Addae (Ottawa Redblacks, DB) — Back on the active roster after clearing a head injury designation, and Ottawa needs his playmaking at safety in a game that could turn into a track meet.
Keys to the Game
- Ottawa's front seven has to find pressure on Harris — Aidan John and the pass rush can't let him sit in the pocket all night against this receiving corps.
- The Redblacks need Maier to avoid the killer turnover that's plagued this offense in every loss so far.
- Special teams and field position matter here — Kalil Pimpleton has to give Ottawa a short field against a Riders defense that can bend but rarely breaks completely.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Alonzo Addae (DB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available |
| King Ambers (DB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Out |
| Emeric Boutin (FB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Out |
| Aaron Casey (LB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Out |
| Brian Cole II (LB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available |
| Lucas Cormier (LB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available |
| Adrian Frye (DB) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available |
| Eugene Lewis (WR) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available |
| Nick Mardner (WR) | Ottawa Redblacks | Out |
| Sean McEwen (OL) | Ottawa Redblacks | Available |
| Daniel Okpoko (DL) | Ottawa Redblacks | Out |
| Keelan White (WR) | Ottawa Redblacks | Questionable |
Depth Chart
Ottawa Redblacks starters by position, built from the Ottawa Redblacks depth-chart data provided. This is a projected chart based on the official Week 5 release and may not reflect any last-minute changes.
| Position | Ottawa Redblacks |
|---|---|
| QB | Jake Maier, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Bryson Barnes |
| RB | Greg Bell, Daniel Adeboboye |
| FB | Anthony Gosselin |
| WR (boundary) | Eugene Lewis |
| WR (field) | Kalil Pimpleton, Cade McDonald |
| SB | Justin Hardy, Keelan White (GTD), Ayden Eberhardt |
| LT | Dino Boyd |
| LG | Drew Desjarlais |
| C | Sean McEwen, Samuel Carson |
| RG | Giordano Vaccaro |
| RT | Zack Pelehos |
| DE | Charlie Parks, Aidan John, Habakkuk Baldonado / Kemari Munier-Bailey, Luiji Vilain, Bryce Carter |
| DT | Muftah Ageli, Jelani Stafford / Cleyon Laing, Michael Wakefield |
| WLB | Brian Cole II, Lucas Cormier, AJ Allen |
| MLB | Michael Brodrique, Jamie Pettway, Nyles Morgan |
| SLB | Marcus Barnes, CJ Reavis |
| CB | Demerio Houston, Adrian Frye |
| HB | Bennett Williams, Amari Henderson |
| S | Scott Hutter, Alonzo Addae |
| K/P | Brett Lauther, Noah Gettman |
| LS | Peter Adjey |
| Returner | Kalil Pimpleton, Cade McDonald |
Score Prediction
Ottawa Redblacks 26 - Saskatchewan Roughriders 31. Ottawa's offense has shown it can score with anybody, but a leaky defense and a shorthanded receiving room tip this one to Harris and the Riders in what should be another over-the-total shootout at TD Place.
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Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.