Everything stays exactly the same for this week’s CFL countdown as the West division continues to reign. It’s been a bit of a bizarre season as the teams have continued to trend in the same directions without much change. The Edmonton Eskimos and B.C. Lions continue to slump while the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Stampeders continue to roll. In the East Division, things are still a mess as the division leader isn’t even above .500, which means we are very likely to see some crossover action come playoff time.
There are just five weeks left in the regular season, so let’s take a look at the power rankings for Week 16. The teams are sorted in order of what the odds makers rate them in terms of the futures to win the Grey Cup.
1. Calgary Stampeders
Last Week: 1
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +140
The Stampeders (12-1-1) avenged their lone loss of the season last week at home, and they did it in a big way as they trounced Montreal 59-11. Bo Levi Mitchell was 14-of-19 for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Terry Williams had 16 carries for 156 yards and three scores for the Stampeders, who also had two 100-yard receivers and a punt-return touchdown. The Stampeders finally have a bye, going into this week with the most points scored and the fewest points allowed. They’ll return in two weeks on the road as the Stampeders head to Hamilton.
2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Last Week: 2
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +325
The Blue Bombers (10-3-0) are still five points behind the Stampeders in the West, but more importantly they extended their second-place lead by five points with a big 28-19 win in Edmonton. Matt Nichols went 24-of-32 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Andrew Harris had eight carries for 54 yards and a score, and he also had nine catches for 81 yards for the Blue Bombers, who will return home to host Hamilton on Friday.
3. Edmonton Eskimos
Last Week: 3
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +400
The Eskimos (7-6-0) dropped to fourth with the loss to the Blue Bombers, and they didn’t do themselves any favors with two turnovers. Mike Reilly was 31-of-46 for 311 yards, two touchdowns and a pick for the Eskimos, who also got 152 yards on nine catches from Brandon Zylstra. The Eskimos have now lost six in a row and they really need a win to stop the bleeding as they head to Montreal on Monday.
4. Toronto Argonauts
Last Week: 4
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +900
The Argonauts (7-7-0) are three points clear in the East division after a 43-35 overtime win in Hamilton. Ricky Ray was 25-of-38 for 330 yards, three touchdowns and a pick for the Argonauts, and DeVier Posey had seven receptions for 104 yards and a pair of scores. Martese Jackson also ran a punt back 92 yards for a score for the Argonauts, who gave up 477 yards, but got big stops when they needed to. The Argonauts will be at home on Saturday as they take on Saskatchewan, looking to extend their lead atop the East.
5. Ottawa RedBlacks
Last Week: 5
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +1000
The RedBlacks trail Toronto by three points in the East after a tough 18-17 loss at home to Saskatchewan, and Ryan Lindley was 17pof-31 for 164 yards, a touchdown and a pick. William Powell had 26 carries for 187 yards for the RedBlacks, who were up 17-7 going into the fourth quarter and these are the games that can drive a team mad when they look back at the season. They have to forget about this game quickly, however, as the RedBlacks head west on Saturday to face British Columbia.
6. Saskatchewan Roughriders
Last Week: 6
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +1800
The Roughriders (7-6-0) are now third in the West after their massive come-from-behind win over the RedBlacks, as Kevin Glenn was 20-of-32 for 252 yards and a pick. Duron Carter had five catches for 89 yards for the Roughriders, who also got a 97-yard punt-return touchdown from Christion Jones, and the defense turned it up a notch in the second half. The Roughriders will stay on the road on Saturday as they travel to Toronto.
7. British Columbia Lions
Last Week: 7
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +1800
The Lions (6-7-0) slipped to fifth in the West division as they had a bye week, and they’re still in the hunt as they are on 12 points, with Saskatchewan and Edmonton coming in at 14 points. All they need is to get to fourth in the West division and via the crossover rule, that should be enough to get them to the playoffs (if a fourth-place team has more points than the third-place team from the other division, then they would get the playoff spot instead). That means the Lions aren’t out of it yet, but they need to put more points on the board; only Hamilton and Montreal have scored fewer points than the Lions, who host Ottawa on Saturday.
8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Last Week:
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +2000
The Tiger-Cats (3-10-0) are third in the East after their overtime loss at home to Toronto as Jeremiah Masoli was 18-of-32 for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran five times for 32 yards. C.J. Gable had 18 carries for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Tiger-Cats, who also had a pair of turnovers and 15 penalties for 135 yards. The Tiger-Cats fought hard, but they couldn’t overcome those mistakes, especially with five penalties on special teams. They’ll look to rectify that when they head to Winnipeg on Friday.
9. Montreal Alouettes
Last Week: 9
Grey Cup Championship Odds: +5000
The Alouettes (3-11-0) are dead last in the East after getting mauled by Calgary on the road, and they failed to score a point after halftime. Drew Willy was 13-of-19 for 137 yards and a touchdown before he was replaced by Matt Shiltz, who went 8-of-10 for 75 yards. However, it didn’t matter who was at quarterback as the Stampeders were on a mission to avenge their earlier loss to Montreal, and there wasn’t much that the Alouettes could do about it as they were soundly beaten in all three facets of the game. The Alouettes have now lost seven in a row and they need a win badly as they host Edmonton on Monday, and the Eskimos need a win as well.
Click here to bet on the CFL football futures for the 2017 season right now. DSI will have futures as well as all of the weekly lines, totals and props once the season gets underway!
