CFL Week 4 Game Preview: Toronto Argonauts (0-3) at Ottawa REDBLACKS (1-2)
Game Details:
Date & Time: Sunday, June 29, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
Location: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, ON
Broadcast: TSN/RDS (Canada), CBS Sports (U.S.), CFL+ (International)
CFL+ for international audiences, with on-demand viewing available for 48 hours post-game
Betting Odds & Trends
Spread: Ottawa -2.5 (home favorites due to Toronto’s 0-3 start and Ottawa’s recent win).
Over/Under: 48.5 points (both teams have trended toward high-scoring games in past meetings).
Moneyline: Ottawa favored, reflecting Toronto’s struggles and Ottawa’s home-field edge.
Trend: Toronto’s 0-3 start is their worst since 2021, while Ottawa’s 1-2 record includes a strong defensive showing in Week 3. The under has hit in two of Ottawa’s three games this season.
Team Overviews:
Toronto Argonauts (0-3, East Division): The defending Grey Cup Champion Argonauts are off to a rough start, winless through three weeks, conjuring up memories and similarities to the 2018 Boatmen, who followed up an improbable championship in 2017 with a disappointing 4-14 mark.
There has been just one team to go 0-4 in the year following a Grey Cup victory – Calgary in 2002.
The Argos’ latest loss was a heartbreaker at home, falling 39-32 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders after a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown by Mario Alford with nine seconds left. A play where Toronto fielded only 11 players in what was another mistake-prone effort, unbecoming of a defending champion.
The demoralizing defeat prompted Double Blue leader Ryan Dinwiddie to go on a tirade, blasting his team’s lack of mental readiness and even physical conditioning. Dinwiddie threatened changes, but with the Argos in mid-stream of a downturn, very little change has occurred for a depleted bunch dealing with a self-dealt losing hand.
Ottawa REDBLACKS (1-2, East Division): Ottawa snapped a two-game skid with a gritty 20-12 road win over the Calgary Stampeders in Week 3, led by QB Dustin Crum’s steady performance and a strong rushing attack led by an emerging former Argo, Daniel Adeboboye.
A year ago, a resurgent Redblacks squad under Bob Dyce raced out to an 8-3-1 start, which included a takedown of Toronto at home along the way. But Ottawa faltered down the stretch, winning only one of their final six games before being vanquished by the Argos in the playoffs. The Redblacks on Sunday night have a chance to exact revenge by dealing the Double Blue an early-season death blow.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS AT OTTAWA REDBLACKS WEEK 4 INJURY REPORT
The bad news first for the Boatmen is that quarterback Chad Kelly remains sidelined indefinitely. Toronto’s quarterback on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Wynton McManis, is also out for a second consecutive week. The good news for Double Blue is that they finally get back electrifying returner Janarion Grant, who greatly aided the club last year in so many tight-knit games with big plays and flipping field position.
However, Toronto’s special teams may be in a bind with K Lirim Hajrullahu, who is now listed as a game-time decision. Global player Alfred Gachuz-Lozado may get elevated from the practice roster in his place
Ottawa has 14 players listed as out for Sunday night’s opener. The most notable is quarterback Dru Brown, who was limited all week with a hip injury. Dustin Crum will once again command the controls for the Redblacks.
Week 4 Toronto Argoanauts-Ottawa Redblacks Depth Charts
The Redblacks need to continue playing a black-and-blue smashmouth style on offense. Ottawa is coming off its best run game performance in ages, rushing for over 200 yards against the Stamps in rainy Calgary. They face a Toronto defense that has struggled mightily to stop the run, allowing over 130 yards per contest.
Toronto, which has the worst scoring and net offense in the CFL, with Nick Arbuckle being tasked to shoulder a larger load this year, is not built to play come-from-behind football. If Ottawa can dictate the pace of play and keep things ugly, they should be sitting pretty by game’s end.
Ryan Dinw
iddie has lost too much talent from a year ago and is missing key pieces this year. As a result, his team more closely resembles an expansion outfit rather than an established championship club. The 2025 Argos, as constituted, aren’t good enough to overcome self-inflicted wounds.
If Dinwiddie’s hard-line messaging has registered. Toronto will finally play its first clean game in 2025. If not, real change could arrive, but at 0-4, it could be too late, very early in the CFL season for Toronto.
Prediction
The Argos’ troubles go beyond not having Chad Kelly. They are a significantly worse team than they were last season, when they overcame numerous adversities to hoist the Grey Cup. I don’t believe threatening jobs at this point will be the remedy for all of what ails Toronto’s weakened roster.
Should be an interesting matchup — both teams have shown flashes but also some big question marks, especially on defense. Speaking of which, I was reading about Edmonton’s ongoing struggles on that side of the ball, which might end up shaping the West more than people expect.More on that here https://lcn.today/edmonton-elks-2025-defence-struggles/
Daria Walieva
July 3, 2025 at 5:34 am
Should be an interesting matchup — both teams have shown flashes but also some big question marks, especially on defense. Speaking of which, I was reading about Edmonton’s ongoing struggles on that side of the ball, which might end up shaping the West more than people expect.More on that here https://lcn.today/edmonton-elks-2025-defence-struggles/