The defending Grey Cup champions open their 2026 regular season at home against a banged-up BC Lions squad — and Regina is ready.
Game Details
- Matchup: BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders
- When: Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Mosaic Stadium, Regina
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: Saskatchewan Roughriders -1
- Moneyline: Saskatchewan Roughriders -135, BC Lions +114
- Over/Under: 52
Overview
Both teams enter Week 2 at 0-0, which means neither has played a regular season snap yet in 2026 — and yet everything about this matchup feels loaded. Saskatchewan is coming off a Grey Cup title and opens at home in front of what will be a packed Mosaic Stadium crowd. The Roughriders went 1-1 in the preseason, dropping their opener to Calgary 20-15 before rallying past Winnipeg 31-27 on a late touchdown drive. Corey Mace's group knows how to win close games. That matters in Week 1 of the regular season when nerves are real and execution isn't always clean.
BC rolls in having impressed in the preseason — beating Winnipeg 30-19 in their final tune-up — but the Lions are a mess injury-wise heading into game day. The transactions from June 12 tell the story: Joshua Donovan (OL), Nate Demontagnac (WR), Jett Elad (DB), Mark McNamee (K), Andrew Peirson (OL), and starting cornerback Garry Peters (DB) all landed on the six-game injured list in a single day. That's six players wiped out, including two offensive linemen protecting Nathan Rourke and their projected starting corner. This is a significant blow to a team that needed to be healthy to pull off a road win.
Saskatchewan has its own injury concerns — seven players are listed as Out — but none carry the same collective weight as BC's sudden wave of unavailability. Trevor Harris gets the nod at quarterback for the Riders in what should be a sold-out home opener. The moneyline at -135 suggests the books see this as genuinely close, and the spread of just -1 backs that up. But with the Mosaic crowd behind them, a healthy home roster relative to their opponent, and Rourke's O-line now scrambling for answers, Saskatchewan has the edge. Take the Riders at home.
Key Players
- Trevor Harris (Saskatchewan, QB) — The 14-year CFL veteran gets the start under centre for the defending champions and brings steadiness and experience that will be leaned on heavily in a tight opener.
- A.J. Ouellette (Saskatchewan, RB) — The veteran back figures to carry the load in the Saskatchewan ground game, and getting the run game going early could set the tone on the Mosaic turf.
- KeeSean Johnson (Saskatchewan, WR) — The former NFL receiver is Harris's top target on the perimeter and will look to exploit a BC secondary that just lost Garry Peters for at least six games.
- Nathan Rourke (BC, QB) — The Lions' franchise quarterback is the most dangerous player on the field when healthy, but his offensive line just took two hits — protecting him is now the number one concern for BC's coaching staff.
- Mathieu Betts (BC, DE) — The Lions' pass rush anchor is the one defender who can change the game by himself, and if he can pressure Harris into mistakes, BC is very much in this.
Keys to the Game
- Saskatchewan's offensive line — anchored by Jermarcus Hardrick and Payton Collins — must establish a consistent run game with Ouellette and keep Harris upright against a dangerous Betts-led BC front.
- The Riders' secondary, led by Marcus Sayles, Tevaughn Campbell, and Kerfalla Exumé, needs to make Rourke uncomfortable early and take advantage of BC's weakened corner depth with Peters out.
- Saskatchewan's special teams — with kicker Alex Hale and punter Oscar Chapman both in their first regular season action — must win the field position battle against a BC return game that features Seven McGee.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Darius Bell (OL) | Saskatchewan | Out (Ankle) |
| Dylan Djete (WR) | Saskatchewan | Out (Thigh) |
| Daniel Johnson (OL) | Saskatchewan | Out (Shoulder) |
| Lake Korte-Moore (DL) | Saskatchewan | Out (Knee) |
| Benoit Marion (DL) | Saskatchewan | Out (Shoulder) |
| Ryder Varga (LB) | Saskatchewan | Out (Knee) |
| Nick Wiebe (LB) | Saskatchewan | Out (Head) |
| Joshua Donovan (OL) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
| Nate Demontagnac (WR) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
| Jett Elad (DB) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
| Mark McNamee (K) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
| Andrew Peirson (OL) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
| Garry Peters (DB) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
| Isiah Cage (OL) | BC Lions | Six-Game Injured List |
Depth Chart
Saskatchewan Roughriders confirmed starters by position from the official Week 2 depth chart, alongside BC Lions projected starters:
| Position | Saskatchewan Roughriders | BC Lions |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Trevor Harris (backup: Jack Coan, Tommy Stevens) | Nathan Rourke |
| RB | A.J. Ouellette (backup: Albert Awachie) | James Butler |
| FB | Morgen Runge | Riley Pickett |
| WR | KeeSean Johnson, Kian Schaffer-Baker, Jaylen Johnson | Justin McInnis, Keon Hatcher Sr., Jevon Cottoy |
| SB | James Letcher Jr., Dhel Duncan-Busby, Samuel Emilus | Stanley Berryhill, Jermaine Jackson |
| OL | Payton Collins (LT), Zack Fry (LG), Logan Ferland (C), Jacob Brammer (RG), Jermarcus Hardrick (RT) | Dejon Allen (LT), Kory Woodruff (LG), Michael Couture (C), Anu Una (RG), Chris Schleuger (RT) |
| DE | James Vaughters, Desmond Evans | Mathieu Betts, Sione Teuhema |
| DT | Ali Saad, Mike Rose | Casey Sayles, Jonah Tavai |
| WLB | Josh Woods | Ben Hladik |
| MLB | Jameer Thurman | Darnell Sankey |
| SLB | Antoine Brooks Jr. | Deontai Williams |
| CB | Marcus Sayles, DaMarcus Fields | C.J. Coldon Jr. (Peters out) |
| HB/S | Rolan Milligan Jr., Nelson Lokombo | T.J. Lee, Ronald Kent Jr. |
| FS | Jaxon Ford | Jackson Findlay |
| K | Alex Hale | Sean Whyte (McNamee out) |
| P | Oscar Chapman | Carl Meyer |
| LS | Aaron Crawford | Cameron Foran |
Score Prediction
Saskatchewan Roughriders 28 - BC Lions 24. The market has this essentially as a pick'em, and it probably will be — but BC's injury wave, particularly losing two O-linemen and their starting corner on the same day, tips the scales just enough. Rourke is good enough to keep it close, but Harris and the Riders' home crowd close this one out in the fourth quarter.
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Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.