The CFL season is winding down and I have picks on two favourites this weekend.
The pregame narrative: The BC Lions lost 33-17 last time out but I think they have an edge this weekend and can rebound with a sizeable win. On Friday, I’ve got action on the red-hot Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Check out the best CFL Week 17 picks below.
CFL Week 17 picks
Full CFL Week 17 betting markets
Best Bet: Lions -7 (-115)
Some may call me crazy with how the Lions looked against the Toronto Argonauts two weeks ago but that game was their seventh in as many weeks and the much-needed bye in Week 16 should do them wonders.
BC was just finding its groove before the game with Toronto and again, I think fatigue was the largest factor in that loss.
In the three games before that, Nathan Rourke threw for 863 total yards but struggled with chemistry, throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions.
An extra week of rest and practice could be all the quarterback and his offence needed to reach peak form.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have won three straight but were in Toronto last weekend and now play across the country.
This is a letdown spot for the Ti-Cats in my eyes.
Key stat: BC has a +11.3 point differential in Rourke’s 14 career starts.
Quick pick
Blue Bombers -5.5 (-110): The Bombers are rolling right now, winning six straight and covering this spread in three.
The team has seemingly found its groove behind its strong defence. The Bombers have allowed the fewest points in the league (288) and are 5-2 at home.
Just last week, they beat the Edmonton Elks by 27-14 on the road where Winnipeg is a much less impressive 3-4. Edmonton is not good on defence (369 points against).
Against the lesser teams, the offence fills it up but struggles when it’s time to face the better defensive units.
Quarterback Mcleod Bethel-Thompson lit up the Calgary Stampeders defence earlier in September (705 yards across back-to-back games) but could only complete five passes for 48 yards against the Blue Bombers’ defence last week.
Picks made at 3:14 p.m. ET on 09/25/24.
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.