When the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders were last in the Grey Cup, they both came away with the trophy. Unfortunately, that was in 2011 for the Lions and 2013 for the Roughriders. So, when the Lions face off vs. the Roughriders in today’s West Final (6:30 p.m. ET, CFL+), both teams will be hoping to bring a long-lost feeling back to their respective fanbases.
The Lions needed every second in last week’s West Semi-Final against the Calgary Stampeders, but they walked it off 33-30 courtesy of Sean Whyte’s 43-yard field goal.
Defeating the Stampeders for the third time this season sets up this matchup at Mosaic Stadium, where the Lions won 27-21 in Week 21 to secure second in the West and the opportunity to host last week’s battle at BC Place.
That wasn’t a meaningful game for the Riders, who secured the West Division title in Week 19 then largely rested their regulars in close losses to the Blue Bombers and Lions.
Now it’s time for the biggest game in Regina since the 2019 West Final, when Winnipeg went into Mosaic Stadium and defeated Saskatchewan 20-13 to advance to their first of their five consecutive Grey Cup appearances.
Today’s Lions vs. Roughriders matchup will be the Riders’ fourth West Final since their last Grey Cup appearance, all in the last six seasons (with an East Final appearance in 2017 as well). For the Lions, it will be their fifth West Final since their last Grey Cup appearance and their third in the last four seasons.
After playing second fiddle to the Blue Bombers for five straight seasons, who will rule the West this year? Read on for our Lions vs. Roughriders prediction and picks. Plus, get the best betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC Lions | +3 (-104) | +153 | Over 53.5 (-105) |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | -5 (-116) | -175 | Under 53.5 (-115) |
Lions vs. Roughriders Prediction and Picks
Prediction: Lions to win
Against the Stampeders, the Lions showed why they will be a popular pick for the West Final and the Grey Cup despite being an underdog today and owning the fourth-best Grey Cup winner odds among the four remaining contenders.
Unfortunately, they also showed why they are on the road today and not at home and why the odds do not favor them.
After allowing Nathan Rourke and the BC offense to have too much of the ball in both regular season matchups, Calgary had a near-perfect gameplan in the West Semi-Final.
What is the best way to keep Rourke from racking up big yards and points? It is much, much easier said than done, but limiting how much time they spend on the field can go a long way.
While Calgary ran 61 offensive plays (and put up 476 yards and 7.8 yards per play in the process), BC ran only 41 offensive plays. Rourke threw only 22 passes and ran the ball six times, while running back James Butler had only seven carries.
Still, the Lions scored 33 points, which shows just what they are capable of.
At the same time, they could have easily ended up with a ticket to Elimination Station, as their defense did not do the same job it did against former Lion Vernon Adams Jr. in both regular season matchups. Also, Dedrick Mills ran for 111 yards on only 14 carries.
What does any of this mean for today’s Lions vs. Roughriders matchup? If BC had a better defense, I would not hesitate to pick them to win, even on the road. But because their defense remains such a significant question mark, that confidence is diminished.
It still is very present, however.
Lions vs. Roughriders Picks
1) Lions ML (+153 at BetOnline)
While the Lions did take the Week 21 matchup vs. the Roughriders, Saskatchewan did have the upper hand overall against BC during the regular season. The Roughriders rolled 37-18 in Regina in Week 4, and they pulled out a 33-27 in Vancouver in Week 7.
This was when the Riders were at their best this season and when the Lions were still figuring things out.
After going 8-1 in the first half of the season, Saskatchewan went 4-5 in the second half of the season. Was it the difficulty of sustaining a high level of play for an entire season, or is it that they aren’t as good as the gaudy record they had for much of the season would seemingly have indicated?
Reality tends to lie between two or more different possibilities, and that may be the case here. That the Riders are 9-3 in games decided by eight or fewer points shows that they can be trusted in close games, but five of those nine wins were against Ottawa (4-14), Toronto (5-13), and Edmonton (7-11).
The Lions come with their own set of concerns, but the Riders’ struggles to produce many points down the stretch, even when Trevor Harris put up 300+ yards through the air, make it hard to back them when BC’s offense has been so hard to stop during the team’s seven-game win streak.
2) Keon Hatcher to Score a Touchdown Anytime (+125 at Lucky Rebel)
Against the Stampeders last week, Hatcher caught four passes (from seven targets) for 51 yards, his fourth-lowest yardage total of the season.
He didn’t put up big numbers in any of the Lions vs. Roughriders matchups in the regular season (three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown in Week 4, five catches for 58 yards in Week 7, and seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 21), so I’m hesitant to take him to record over 83.5 yards.
However, I do like the value in his anytime touchdown prop. As noted, he found the end zone in two games against Saskatchewan, and prior to last week, he had caught a touchdown pass in each of his prior three games. At these odds, I really like this play.
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