The CFL season is past the halfway point, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape.
This week’s CFL narrative: The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been the CFL’s most consistent team, putting together an 8-1 record to this point. They close out the Saturday doubleheader against the Calgary Stampeders. Before that, the BC Lions will visit the Toronto Argonauts.
Check out the latest CFL Week 12 predictions for matchups beginning Thursday, Aug. 21, featuring a pick on the Edmonton Elks vs. Ottawa Redblacks game.
CFL Week 12 predictions
Best bet: Roughriders ML (-110)
Saskatchewan sits atop the CFL and has been getting better as the season progresses.
Last week, the Roughriders stifled the East-leading Hamilton Tiger Cats, 29-9. In Week 10, they beat the Montreal Alouettes, 34-6.
While most other teams are dealing with injuries at this gruelling part of the schedule, Saskatchewan is thriving.
Calgary did beat the Riders, 24-10, in Week 6, but I’d say that was a result of bad luck rather than bad play.
Saskatchewan’s quarterback Trevor Harris threw for 425 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. Vernon Adams Jr. countered with 428 yards, three TDs and two INTs for Calgary.
If you just saw those stats, you’d find it hard to believe that the Riders only scored 10 points.
They weren’t able to establish a run game, rushing for just 16 yards, but that doesn’t concern me.
That’s because the Riders have a proven rushing attack, averaging 122.4 ground yards in their other eight contests.
Calgary got the better of the matchup in Week 6, but I can’t see the league’s best defence getting outdueled again this Saturday.
Since then, the Stamps are 2-2, while Saskatchewan is 4-0 with a +57 point differential.
Key stat: The Roughriders allow the fewest points (20.2) and yards (337.1) per game in the CFL.
CFL best bets
Lions/Argonauts over 55.5 points (-110): With the way Nathan Rourke has been slinging it for BC, this is an appetizing line despite it being the highest of any game in Week 12.
Since returning from injury, look at Rourke’s stats over six games:
- 352 yards/game
- 13 TDs
- 69.7% completion rate
- 111.4 passer rating
During that six-game span, the Lions averaged 31.6 points, and three of the last four went over this total.
That all goes before mentioning that the Argonauts allow the most points per game in the CFL (32.0). For context, the next closest is Edmonton at 29.0 PPG.
BC isn’t a defensive juggernaut by any means, either. The side cedes 27.0 PPG, which is around the middle of the pack.
Toronto has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games (31.0 PPG over that span), so the Argos should be more than capable of contributing to this lofty total.
Elks -3 (-110): Edmonton is sneakily making a playoff push out West.
It won’t be easy, but back-to-back wins have the Elks trending in the right direction.
They beat the Montreal Alouettes in Week 10 and followed that up with an eight-point win over the Argos in Week 11.
Cody Fajardo has taken the reins as the starting QB, and the change has worked wonders so far.
- In four weeks as a starter, Fajardo has recorded seven passing TDs to just two INTs.
- His 115.9 passer rating would be the highest mark of his CFL career.
On the other side, the Redblacks will once again be without Dru Brown, who picked up a knee injury in Week 11 after missing three games earlier this season.
Dustin Crum will likely start for Ottawa, and the difference in career numbers between the two signal callers is quite vast.
- Brown: 44 TDs, 17 INTs
- Crum: 12 TDs, 16 INTs
It’s hard to trust Ottawa’s offence without its starting quarterback, and I like the momentum Edmonton has built ahead of Friday.
CFL Week 12 predictions as of 10:31 a.m. on 08/21/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.