Do you have a feel for who is who yet in the Canadian Football League?
If so, send some help my way because I’m still figuring it out. Hamilton was a pleasant surprise for all except those in Winnipeg last week as Bo Levi Mitchell shone for a second straight week and the Tiger-Cats cleaned up their mistakes from Week 1.
Trevor Harris and the Roughriders were cruising early against the Lions until Nathan Rourke roared back in the second half to force the Riders to score a last-minute touchdown for the win. (Sound familiar? I believe that was the same script as last year’s Western Final.)
After the first two weeks featured only three games apiece, this week we get Friday Night Football followed by a Saturday tripleheader.
As I look at the matchups, it’s going to be another fascinating week of action. My prediction of a wild and unpredictable season is at least coming true because sitting at .500 on my picks after Week 2 isn’t exactly doing much for my confidence.
Let’s begin!
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BC AT HAMILTON
Friday, June 19
7:30 p.m. ET
TSN/CFL+
If you’ve been here a while on CFL.ca for my weekly predictions, you know there’s one trend I go with time and time again. A West Division team on a short week travelling East, or vice versa, has me leaning heavily toward the home team.
Now take into consideration how well Bo Levi Mitchell and the Tiger-Cats looked on the road in Winnipeg last week, along with their overtime loss to the undefeated Alouettes in Week 1, and the warning signs for the BC Lions have to be going up.
We also saw a pair of Lions starting receivers go down in their first game of the season, so that could be a concern heading into the short week and long flight east.
Did I mention the Lions watched Trevor Harris light them up for more than 400 passing yards last week?
Braxton Hill was a welcome addition to the defence for the Ticats, who were without him and Wynton McManis in their first game of the season.
Nathan Rourke and the Lions got off to a slow start last season and it could happen again in 2026 if my prediction comes true.
PICK: HAMILTON
TORONTO AT OTTAWA
Saturday, June 20
1:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CFL+
The Saturday tripleheader starts off with the intrigue of Ryan Dinwiddie facing the team he left in the off-season to head to Ottawa.
Dinwiddie’s team will be going up against the quarterback he won a Grey Cup with and his former assistant coach. That begs the question: who knows more about whom when it comes to game planning? I’m going to side with the head coach who has won two Grey Cups over the last four seasons.
Both teams are still feeling things out, but I like the talent on paper a little better in Ottawa, even though I liked the way Chad Kelly performed more than Jake Maier in the first game. Maier, we do need to point out, was playing in unfavourable conditions for a quarterback.
However, if there is a coach in the CFL with the book on Kelly’s tendencies and how to exploit them, it’s Ryan Dinwiddie.
PICK: OTTAWA
MONTREAL AT EDMONTON
Saturday, June 20
4:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CFL+
The first pick in every single one of my CFL Fantasy presented by theScore Bet leagues, if I didn’t take Nathan Rourke first overall, was Justin Rankin.
I also had him in the top 10 of my top 50 ballot for this season, and Rankin was phenomenal against the REDBLACKS and will be a problem all year long. Now he gets a week of rest as the Alouettes come to town.
On the other side of the field, can anyone stop the aerial assault of Davis Alexander to Tyler Snead and Tyson Philpot?
Herein lies the battle of who to pick. What wins? The high-flying aerial show or the ground package that Rankin and the Elks put together?
And it’s bound to happen. Davis Alexander can’t go perfect in the regular season forever, and here are Cody Fajardo and company to hand Montreal a rare ‘L’.
PICK: EDMONTON
SASKATCHEWAN AT CALGARY
Saturday, June 20
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CBSSN/CFL+
The X-factor for this game is Dedrick Mills. Calgary beat Saskatchewan twice last year, and while Mills didn’t exactly have mind-blowing games against the Riders, he was able to have more success than most did against a very good Saskatchewan front. That front seven has five different starters in 2026 compared to 2025.
The group held up against James Butler, though the Lions were chasing through the air for most of the game. Nathan Rourke was able to find cracks and take off for big chunks last week. Vernon Adams Jr. can also use his legs to extend plays.
The Stamps gave the Riders fits last season, as they were the only team that can claim they weren’t beaten by the Green and White during their championship season. Yes, Jalen Philpot and others have brought that up heading into this season.
But do you know what was also missing from BOTH games against the Stampeders in 2025?
Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker were injured and not in the lineup!
If you watched the Riders last week, those are two special weapons in Trevor Harris’ arsenal.
I think they will offset any damage Mills is able to create along the ground for the Stamps.
PICK: SASKATCHEWAN
