Calgary Stampeders vs BC Lions Preview
The Calgary Stampeders travel to Vancouver to play the BC Lions in their second game of the CFL season on Saturday at 4:00 pm. Calgary began strongly in 2024 with a win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last weekend. They are desperate to build on that outing and maintain a charge toward the Grey Cup.
The Lions are searching for their first points of the season following their loss to the Toronto Argonauts in week one. They were disappointing in their season opener and will be determined to put things right this weekend.
Calgary Stampeders vs BC Lions Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Calgary welcomed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to McMahon Stadium on Friday. After a penalty on the Tiger-Cats’ first play, the Stamps defence held strong to force a turnover after two plays. The offence took to the field in a strong position at their 46-yard line. Calgary put points on the board from their first drive. Maier led them to Hamilton’s 35-yard line before Rene Paredes nailed a field goal to open the scoring after four minutes.
Calgary’s defence continued to play strongly. They allowed just 17 yards on the Tiger-Cats’ second drive following a sack from Clarence Hicks to force a punt. A penalty forced the Stamps to start on their 10-yard line, but an excellent drive pushed them all the way to Hamilton’s 45. Paredes’ field goal attempt was good from an impressive 52 yards and Calgary doubled their lead.
Paredes scored his third field goal of the evening before Hamilton returned with a punt for a single. Calgary then made it four successive scoring drives. The Tiger-Cats defence could not keep Dedrick Mills quiet and the running back ate up yards for the visitors. He helped a push to the seven-yard line, where Maier found Cameron Echols-Luper for the game’s first touchdown.
Calgary’s defence followed up with an interception before their offence made it an incredible five successive scoring drives with another field goal. The Tiger-Cats scored one of their own and the half ended 19-7 to the Stamps. Hamilton finally got in the end zone after a 12-play drive that stretched between quarters. But it didn’t take long for Calgary to reply when Clark Barnes scored their second touchdown. Paredes finished the game with a 100% record, burying six of six field goals. The Tiger-Cats scored their second touchdown of the game in the next play with a minute on the clock. The damage was done and Calgary recorded a win in their first game of the season.
The Lions faced a tricky opening test on the road to the Toronto Argonauts. Toronto was one of the standout performers in 2023, finishing 16-2 and reaching the East finals. The BC Lions fancied their chances, having reached the West finals with a 12-6 record. The football betting odds had them as favourites, but Toronto stunned the visitors.
A back-and-forth first quarter saw some excellent plays cancelled out by strong defences. The Argonauts found an opening after a near six-minute drive. They made it 76 yards up the field before Cameron Dukes found Ka’Deem Carey, who waltzed into the end zone. The Lions entered the second quarter down 6-0. BC replied instantly as Vernon Adams Jr. (VA) led the charge up the field, capping it off with an excellent 29-yard touchdown pass to Justin McInnis. The offence returned to the field not two minutes later and Adams made an astonishing 50-yard touchdown to Travis Fulgham.
The Leos completed an incredible turnover when Joshua Archibald sacked Dukes to force a fumble. Tibo Debaillie recovered the ball and brought it all the way home to score BC’s third touchdown of the evening. Toronto replied with a touchdown and a field goal to close the half with BC up 20-16.
The Argonauts took the lead in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown on their first play. BC scored a field goal to level the game at 23-23 before Toronto got one of their own to regain control. The Leos scored a single through a punt to put them within two at the end of the third quarter. Toronto scored a touchdown and a field goal to end the game 35-27. BC was left wondering how they lost despite dominating the game.
Calgary Stampeders vs BC Lions Predictions
Score prediction: Calgary Stampeders 27-35 BC Lions
Our football prediction is that BC will bounce back with a win at home. They began with a tough game on the road in their season opener but did not play as badly as the scoreline would suggest. VA put up a gigantic 363 yards through the air and will lead the charge in their home opener.
However, Calgary showed they have the tools to be competitive in their first game of the season. They will focus on their run game in the hunt for success here. Dedrick Mills showed his class in their victory last week with 87 rushing yards. The highlight of his game came with an excellent 23-yard rush. BC allowed 120 yards on the ground against Toronto and the Stamps will smell some weakness there.
Calgary’s pass defence was not great in that victory. They allowed over 300 yards through the air. VA’s eyes will light up at the sight of that stat following his 363-yard game against Toronto. He has several tools at his disposal with a deep roster of receivers. Justin McInnis and Alexander Hollins caught 103 and 90 yards respectively and will be the prime targets for VA on Saturday. Calgary won’t be able to deal with their class, making them a rewarding moneyline bet this weekend.
If the Stamps have to chase the lead, they will abandon their run game and focus on getting the ball downfield faster. The Lions have a strong pass defence and will force turnovers through the air. The Lions have a lot more talent than the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and this step up in competition will be too much for Calgary.
What is also worth noting is this will be the largest regular-season CFL game in Vancouver. Over 45,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture at BC Place with 50 Cent set to perform before kickoff. The Leos fans can create an electric atmosphere in one of the biggest venues in the league. That will help the Lions over the line, and they will dominate in front of a massive audience.
Calgary Stampeders vs BC Lions Betting Picks
A bet on the BC Lions is worth 1/4 but there is little value in making this bet. The spread has opened very wide with our online sportsbook at 8.5. Although we expect the Lions to dominate this game, we are backing Calgary against the spread at 5/6. The Lions have not covered this in their last seven games and Calgary proved they can score in their season opener.
Veteran receivers Hollins and McInnis had excellent games against Toronto. McInnis led for yards with 103 and seven receptions. He may not reach a ton in yards, but we expect his receptions to remain at that level. His receptions line has opened at 5.5. Looking at the over/under reveals the over is very attractive at 6/5 and he can match his success through the air again here.
Justin McInnis gets it started 🔥#BCLions #RoarLikeNeverBefore pic.twitter.com/YWQFmbAh2w
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) June 10, 2024
The Lions’ offensive line was weak in their game against the Argonauts. This allowed Toronto to force turnovers with good field position. Calgary can find joy here and exploit BC’s run defence within 30 yards. Dedrick Williams had a strong game and will be the Stamps’ main scoring threat. CFL betting offers 17/10 for Williams to score anytime. With Calgary likely to focus on their run game, he will be their best chance at getting the ball into the end zone.
The total is set at 50.5 for this game. The over has landed in BC’s last eight games. However, they are heavy favourites here and our betting site expects the Lions to keep Calgary scoring to a minimum. Holding off on this bet until the game has started and looking at the live betting odds would be beneficial. We like the over here, but if BC looks strong defensively, back the under in-play.
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Calgary Stampeders Team News
Malik Henry will miss the rest of the season after a knee injury sustained in training. Jalen Philpot has been limited in training following a hamstring issue but will return on Saturday. Malcolm Thompson has a back injury and did not practice this week, potentially ruling him out of the clash.
BC Lions Team News
Ciante Evans did not practice this week for non-injury reasons. He will play on Saturday. Michael Couture has a back injury and is questionable for Saturday, having not practiced this week. Garry Peters picked up a knock in the Toronto game but will return in time for the game against Calgary.
