Week 9 of the CFL season will wrap up with a potential Grey Cup preview as the 6-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders visit the 5-2 Montreal Alouettes. Kickoff for Roughriders vs. Alouettes is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET, and viewers in the U.S. can catch this marquee matchup on CBS Sports Network.
Will Saskatchewan shake off a subpar showing against the Elks last week to move two games clear of the Calgary Stampeders in the West Division, or will the Alouettes hold serve at home to at least keep pace with the sizzling Hamilton Tiger-Cats? Read on for a prediction and expert picks for this week’s finale before checking out odds from top online sportsbooks.
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Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Montreal Alouettes Odds
Odds are courtesy of BetOnline.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | -2.5 (-117) | -155 | Over 50 (-108) |
| Montreal Alouettes | -2.5 (-103) | +135 | Under 50 (-112) |
Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Montreal Alouettes Prediction and Picks
For the Alouettes to pick up their sixth win of the season, they will have to be better than they were in each of the last two weeks.
Sure, they rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Argos in Week 7 and rallied to win at Calgary last week, with each comeback coming courtesy of a different quarterback.
But overcoming an 18-point deficit against a one-win team is less arduous than doing it against a much better team. And overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit on the road against one of the league’s better teams is less arduous when that team is without its starting quarterback and the backup enters without having thrown a meaningful pass in the CFL.
The Roughriders, meanwhile, can’t be counted on to sleepwalk through a second straight game after not being their best selves in a 21-18 win over the Edmonton Elks in Week 8.
Up to that point, the only team that had slowed the Riders down this season was Calgary in a 24-10 upset in Regina in Week 6. They own one of the league’s most prolific offenses, led by QB Trevor Harris, the CFL’s leader in completion percentage against passing efficiency.
On the quarterback front, McLeod Bethel-Thompson will make his second consecutive start and fourth of the season, and while he did deliver in last week’s 23-21 win over the Stampeders, he will need to be better against the Roughriders. He completed 30 of 40 passes, but he averaged only seven yards per attempt and is averaging just 6.7 yards per attempt this season. Entering this week, that ranked last by a significant margin among qualified quarterbacks.
Montreal was able to find a way to win against Toronto and Calgary, but it’s tough to see them scraping and scuffling their way past Saskatchewan tonight unless Bethel-Thompson can produce a performance beyond what he has in his first three starts this season.
Roughriders vs. Alouettes Prediction: Roughriders to win
Roughriders vs. Alouettes Picks: 1) Roughriders -2.5 (-115 at Bovada) 2) Roughriders first half -1 (-115 at BetOnline & Everygame)
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