The CFL season is now in crunch time as it rolls into Week 17.
This week’s CFL narrative: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick off Saturday’s action with an exciting matchup. After that, the Saskatchewan Roughriders look to regain some momentum when they take on the Edmonton Elks.
Check out the latest CFL Week 17 predictions for the games beginning Friday, Sept. 26.
CFL Week 17 predictions
Best bet: Tiger-cats/Blue Bombers over 51.5 points (-110)
Hamilton’s offence is one of the best in the CFL, and certainly the most consistent, scoring 25+ points in 11 of 14 games this season.
When these two met in Week 15, the Tiger-Cats beat the Blue Bombers, 32-21, in a game that just barely sneaked over this total.
But there’s reason to believe there will be more scoring this time around.
- Hamilton is one of two teams averaging 30+ points per game.
- Winnipeg allows the fifth-most points (26.4/game) and scores the fifth-most points (25.9/game).
- The Tiger-Cats have a slightly worse defence, giving this game high offensive potential.
And this line is too modest for this game. Bo Levi Mitchell leads the league with 28 touchdown passes, while Chris Streveler has carved out a role as a dangerous dual-threat quarterback for Winnipeg.
Key stat: Tiger-Cats games have averaged 56.8 total points this season.
CFL Week 17 picks
Roughriders -4 (-110): The Riders were trending downward, but I think a bye week will do the team wonders ahead of this weekend.
- Saskatchewan is 2-2 in its last four, losing by multiple TDs to both the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes.
- The Roughriders still hold the best record in the CFL (10-3).
- They have the second-best defence in the league, but the team allowed 32 points to Calgary and 48 points to Montreal.
That uncharacteristic play makes me believe fatigue was starting to set in. A week off should help with a reset.
And this is a good spot to get right. The Elks are 1-3 in their last four and haven’t had a bye week since mid-July.
Their defence is unreliable, allowing 28+ points in all four of those contests.
While one team is refreshed coming off a bye, the other is at a gruelling part of its schedule with a less talented roster to begin with.
Edmonton’s bye comes next week, so this is a natural letdown spot, but even without that, Saskatchewan is the better football team.
CFL betting odds and matchups: Sept. 26
Stampeders (+180) vs. Alouettes (-223)
Friday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m. CT
- Calgary is the underdog in this game after losing by 29 to BC a week ago. The Stamps are still in second place in the West but have lost back-to-back games. Montreal is on an opposite trajectory, winning two consecutive on the road behind solid play from backup QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
Argonauts (+333) vs. Lions (-450)
Friday, Sept. 26, 9 p.m. CT
- The Lions are one of the more exciting teams in the CFL with Nathan Rourke at the helm. BC has scored 30 or more points in seven straight games. The downside is that the Lions allow 29.1 points per game, which is the most in the league. The Argonauts are a similarly chaotic team, which explains the monstrous 57.5-point projected total for this game.
CFL Week 17 predictions as of 12:32 p.m. on 09/25/2025.
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.