The Montreal Alouettes will wrap up their regular season on the road in Winnipeg as the Bombers close out a season in which every game is a sellout. Davis Alexander will get the start in this game regardless of playoff implications as Montreal looks to build on its momentum and continue giving its young quarterback experience. Winnipeg is resting its starting quarterback, Zach Collaro, and will instead start Chris Streveler.
Game Details:
Date/Location: Saturday, October 25 / Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg, MB
Kickoff Time: 3:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM PT
Channel: CTV, TSN, RDS (Canada), CFL+ (USA, Global)
Odds (If you place bets, please do so responsibly in moderation):Â
Spread: Montreal +5.5 (+100), Winnipeg -5.5 (-122)
Moneyline: Montreal +220, Winnipeg -275
Over/Under: 49.5 (Over -110, Under -110)
Montreal Alouettes (10-7): The Alouettes are coming off their second straight victory over Ottawa after winning 39-28 on the road last week and have won their last 5 games. Over the last 5 games, Montreal has averaged 35.2 points per game.
Davis Alexander will look to extend the record for best win-loss record to start a CFL career by a quarterback, as he currently holds an 11-0 record.
If Hamilton loses at home to Ottawa on Friday night and Montreal wins, then Montreal will finish first in the East. However, the most likely outcome will see Montreal finish 2nd and host Winnipeg in the East Semi-final.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-8): It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but they still have the opportunity to win 10 games for the 9th season in a row. The Bombers opened up their season 3-0 before losing the next 3 and have had 2 3-game losing streaks this season. Winnipeg is coming off a close victory on the road in Saskatchewan, 17-16. Winnipeg has averaged only 15.5 points against over the last 4 games.
Winnipeg will be finishing 4th in the West unless they win this weekend, BC loses to Saskatchewan, and Calgary wins over Edmonton. In any case, the Bombers will not have a home playoff game unless they make it to the Grey Cup, which they are the host city for this year.
Alouettes Keys to the Game
Stop the Run at all Costs
I like Chris Streveler, but this has not been a good season for him. He has the lowest passer efficiency rating among quarterbacks with 100 pass attempts this season at 68.9. Montreal will want to get Winnipeg to go away from the run game. If Montreal can make Winnipeg’s OC think that they cannot run the ball against Montreal, then that would be the best-case scenario for Montreal this week and next week.
Winnipeg is resting Brady Oliveira this week, but their next running back, Matthew Peterson, is also dangerous.
Pass Rush
Make reading the field harder by eliminating the safety of a pocket for the quarterback. Force Streveler to roll out and limit him to one side of the field to throw to. He has not been reading the field as well as he has in the past this season. Whether it’s his fault or a lack of intervention from coaches to help point him in the right direction, Montreal will want to encourage this trend to continue.
Protect Davis Alexander
With Winnipeg likely playing Montreal in the East Semi-Final next week and this game potentially being somewhat meaningless to the playoff picture, the most important thing is not to sustain any key injuries. I applaud Montreal’s intention to keep their momentum going and give their young QB more valuable reps. But if he gets injured in this game, it would be a disaster that people would remember for many years.
With RG Donny Ventrelli out this week due to an ankle injury sustained last week, we will see Des Holmes in that spot.
5 Alouettes to Watch
#1 LB Darnell Sankey
Darnell Sankey has 96 tackles, including 2 sacks, on the season. If he has at least 4 tackles, then it will be his 3rd season with 100 tackles.
#12 LB Najee Murray
Last week saw Murray record 3 tackles and 2 interceptions. He has 72 tackles, including 2 sacks, on the season.
#94 DT Mustafa Johnson
Last week, Johnson was highly productive with 3 tackles, including a sack and 2 solo run stops. He had 6 pressures by my count, including the sack, making him the most productive pass rusher in the game last week.
#8 RB Stevie Scott
Scott was highly effective last week, rushing 13 times for 63 yards (4.85 average) with 2 missed tackles forced and a touchdown. He also caught all 5 of his targets for 52 yards and had an additional 3 missed tackles forced on his receptions.
#85 WR Tyler Snead
Snead was the most targeted receiver last week, catching 7 of his 9 targets for 114 yards.
#19 K Jose Maltos
Maltos has made 55 of his 62 field goals this season, with the longest being from 58 yards. He has made 32 of his 33 extra points.
5 Blue Bombers to Watch
#22 RB Matthew Peterson
Peterson will get the start as the Bombers rest Oliveira. Peterson had 23 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown in his CFL debut in week 2. He has rushed 49 times for 249 yards and a touchdown this season.
#89 WR Jerreth Sterns
Sterns was the most targeted receiver for Winnipeg last week against his old team in Saskatchewan, catching 4 of his 7 targets for 40 yards. He has 46 receptions for 496 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.
#82 WR Gavin Cobb
Cobb caught all 4 of his targets last week for 44 yards in his first start for Winnipeg.
#33 LB Tony Jones
Jones led the team in tackles with 6 last week. He is 2nd in the league in tackles with 100, including 3 sacks, and has an interception.
#93 DE James Vaughters
Vaughters leads Winnipeg in sacks with 6 and has 36 tackles in his first season as a Bomber. He has 27 sacks and 133 tackles over his 5 seasons in the CFL.
#14 Sergio Castillo
Castillo has made 44 of his 50 field goals this season, with the longest being from 63, which is the longest in CFL history. He has made 39 of his 42 extra points.
Injury Report:
Depth Charts:
Score Prediction:
I predict Montreal to win 23-19.Â
