3DownNation CFL picks straight-up & against the spread: Week 14

Week 14 of the CFL season is here, and we have four games on tap once again. The Lions and Redblacks will look to rebound off a bye, the Ticats and Alouettes hope to end long losing skids in a battle for first in the East, and both the Bombers and Elks look to avenge rivalry losses in Labour Day rematches against the Riders and Stamps.

Edmonton-based reporter Andrew Hoskins, Calgary-based reporter Ryan Ballantine, and B.C.-based reporter J.C. Abbott are tied for the lead in our straight-up picks, while Regina-based reporter Brendan McGuire has a strong lead in our picks against the spread. Below are our picks for Week 14 in the CFL.

Friday, September 5: B.C. Lions at Ottawa Redblacks (-6.5) at 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Redblacks are heavy home underdogs to the B.C. Lions on Friday night, where they’ll look to avoid a third-straight loss. Both of these teams are coming off a bye, though only one will have its starting quarterback in the lineup as Dru Brown will miss a second-straight start due to a knee injury, giving way to Dustin Crum. The Lions, meanwhile, will be missing a trio of contributors along an already struggling defensive line, as they look to rebound from an embarrassing loss to Toronto.

ABBOTT: Facing Dustin Crum is a perfect get-right matchup for this beleaguered Lions defence.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: B.C.

BALLANTINE: Rourke has been good lately, but I’m not confident the Lions’ defence stops Ottawa often enough.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: Ottawa.

FILOSO: It’s pretty simple: Nathan Rourke > Dusin Crum. That said, the Redblacks rarely get blown out, so they’ll cover.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: Ottawa.

GASSON: It feels like Ottawa is poised to fall behind in the East with Toronto putting it together a little bit.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: Ottawa.

HERRERA-VERGARA: The Lions aren’t playing their best football, but it should be enough to beat Dustin Crum

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: B.C.

HODGE: The Redblacks have fallen, and I’m not sure they can get up.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: B.C.

HOSKINS: I know it’s three time zones, but I just can’t see it affecting B.C. much against Ottawa.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: B.C.

KLEIN: The Redblacks’ injuries and defensive issues are going to be too much for them to overcome.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: B.C.

McGUIRE: The Redblacks don’t excite me right now in any way, shape or form.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: B.C.

THOMAS: B.C. is the better team despite their defensive struggles.

Straight-up: B.C. Against the spread: Ottawa.

TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: B.C. 10, Ottawa 0.

TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: B.C. 6, Ottawa 4.

Saturday, September 6: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Montreal Alouettes (+3) at 1:00 p.m. EDT

The Alouettes are short home underdogs to the Hamilton Ticats on Saturday afternoon, and the team is finally starting to get healthy. Austin Mack, Tyson Philpot, Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Mustafa Johnson, and James Letcher Jr. are among those who could be back in the lineup, though it appears James Morgan will make a second-straight start at quarterback with Davis Alexander still out. Meanwhile, the Tiger-Cats have lost three straight and could be knocked out of first place in the East if they lose to the Als.

ABBOTT: Montreal’s returning injured players will be a shot in the arm, but it won’t be more powerful than the kick in the butt Hamilton received last week.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

BALLANTINE: Hamilton will be feeling some kind of way after coughing one up last week.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

FILOSO: I don’t think the Ticats will continue to slide for much longer, but I also don’t think they will turn it around this week. The Alouettes are always tough at home.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

GASSON: The Als spiral without Davis Alexander continues against an angry Ticats team.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

HERRERA-VERGARA: The Als will have many players back, but their starting quarterback won’t be.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

HODGE: The Tiger-Cats are the best team in the East Division… right?

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

HOSKINS: Montreal is getting healthier at the right time. I’m going with the underdog here.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

KLEIN: Injuries have held the Alouettes back. Now that they are healthy, they have the roster to take down the Ticats.

Straight-up: Montreal. Against the spread: Montreal.

McGUIRE: Not even those cheap downsized airhorns will be enough to help this sick dog of a season for the Alouettes get well.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton

THOMAS: Hamilton needs to turn this skid around. An Alouettes team without Davis Alexander is the perfect remedy, even if they are at home and coming off a bye.

Straight-up: Hamilton. Against the spread: Hamilton.

TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Hamilton 7, Montreal 3.

TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Hamilton 7, Montreal 3.

Saturday, September 6: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-1.5) at 4:00 p.m. EDT

The Bombers are narrow home favourites over the Riders on Saturday afternoon for the annual Banjo Bowl. These two teams clashed in an incredible Labour Day Classic last weekend as the Riders avoided a late scare when Tevaughn Campbell recorded a pick-two off Zach Collaros in the final minute of the game. Winnipeg will be without the man who caught the late touchdown prior to that play, Dalton Schoen, but may have Ontaria Wilson back in the lineup after an NFL stint. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan should be rocking with much the same crew that got the job done on Labour Day and will look to break a streak of five straight losses in the rematch.

ABBOTT: Saskatchewan slipped up last week and escaped. They won’t this time.

Straight-up: Winnipeg. Against the spread: Winnipeg.

BALLANTINE: With a pick’em spread, I’ll take the home team.

Straight-up: Winnipeg. Against the spread: Winnipeg.

FILOSO: The Bombers should’ve won last week.

Straight-up: Winnipeg. Against the spread: Winnipeg.

GASSON: The Riders took a pretty good shot last week and still found a way to win. They can end the streak in Winnipeg.

Straight-up: Saskatchewan. Against the spread: Saskatchewan.

HERRERA-VERGARA: It is never easy to win two straight games against the same team.

Straight-up: Winnipeg Against the spread: Winnipeg.

HODGE: After blowing last week’s finish, the Blue Bombers get it done at home.

Straight-up: Winnipeg. Against the spread: Winnipeg.

HOSKINS: The toughest one to call this week. Sask is on a roll and finding ways to win.

Straight-up: Saskatchewan. Against the spread: Saskatchewan.

KLEIN: The Riders were the better team last week, and the chaos made it look closer than it was. This game can’t be more chaotic than last week…can it?

Straight-up: Saskatchewan. Against the spread: Saskatchewan.

McGUIRE: Zach might not feel so hot these days after the shots he took in the LDC, but the sound of Princess Auto Stadium is the one thing that facility has that no one else, not even Regina, has.

Straight-up: Winnipeg. Against the spread: Winnipeg.

THOMAS: The Bombers had the Riders last week, and they let them off the hook. They get it done this week.

Straight-up: Winnipeg. Against the spread: Winnipeg.

TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Winnipeg 7, Saskatchewan 3.

TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Winnipeg 7, Saskatchewan 3.

Saturday, September 6: Calgary Stampeders at Edmonton Elks (+7) at 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Elks are heavy home underdogs to the Stampeders on Saturday evening, where they’ll look to bounce back following an embarrassing performance in the Labour Day Classic. Edmonton’s defence actually had a solid day to limit Vernon Adams Jr. to under 200 passing yards, but still lost by 21 points as the offence simply struggled to move the football. This week, the Green and Gold will be missing two of their best defenders in Jake Ceresna and Nyles Morgan, but may have caught a break with outstanding Calgary defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings listed as questionable.

ABBOTT: Did anything we saw last week suggest a bounce-back?

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

BALLANTINE: Not sure how the spread is smaller than last week after a 21-point win, but thank the oddsmakers, I guess.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

FILOSO: Unless the Elks reinvent their offence this week, I don’t think they have any way of cracking that Stampeder defence.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

GASSON: Not sure Edmonton has the answer to that Calgary defence.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

HERRERA-VERGARA: It is never easy to beat a team twice in two weeks, but Edmonton has too many issues right now.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

HODGE: The Stampeders are rolling.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

HOSKINS: The line may be generous…to Edmonton. I want them to prove me wrong.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

KLEIN: The Stamps won by 21 last week, and VA had less than 200 yards passing. So, this might actually get more one-sided.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

McGUIRE: This spread looks generous to me.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

THOMAS: Sometimes the back end of the home and home looks nothing like the Labour Day game. This is not one of those times.

Straight-up: Calgary. Against the spread: Calgary.

TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Calgary 10, Edmonton 0.

TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Calgary 10, Edmonton 0

2025 records (straight-up)

BALLANTINE — 34-16

HOSKINS — 34-16

ABBOTT — 34-16

HERRERA-VERGARA — 32-18

HODGE — 31-19

KLEIN — 31-19

THOMAS — 31-19

McGUIRE — 31-19

FILOSO — 27-23

GASSON — 27-23

2025 records (against the spread)

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