Calgary Stampeders vs Montreal Alouettes Preview
The Montreal Alouettes travel to McMahon Stadium to face the Calgary Stampeders on September 14 at 7:00 pm. The Alouettes have already captured a place in the playoffs after an excellent season so far.
Calgary put on one of their worst performances of the season last week and is looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Can the Stamps prey on any potential complacency against the division leaders, or will Montreal show their class?
Calgary Stampeders vs Montreal Alouettes Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes last met in week five of the regular season at Molson Stadium. Montreal came out victorious after a late rally, despite Calgary holding a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. Cody Fajardo threw two interceptions, but the Stamps failed to take advantage, falling to defeat in the final 70 seconds of the game.
Fajardo finished with 374 passing yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Walter Fletcher had an incredible game, putting up 160 all-purpose yards and a rushing touchdown for the Alouettes. Tyson Philpot was also on fire, pulling down 12 receptions from 13 targets for 134 yards. The Stamps struggled to get their offence moving, and the scoreline flattered them. Jake Maier finished with just 106 passing yards through 28 attempts with one touchdown and one interception. Peyton Logan was one of their few shining lights, rushing for 65 yards through six carries.
The Alouettes last played against the BC Lions on September 6 at Molson Stadium. The leaders of the East Division were stunned by the Leos in a 37-23 dismantling. BC took the lead with a touchdown on their first drive. Montreal’s run defence uncharacteristically fell apart to allow David Mackie into the endzone with a 23-yard run after a six-play drive.
A sack for a loss of eight yards forced a punt on Montreal’s next possession and they failed to take advantage of an interception after a 5-yard penalty for an illegal sub forced another punt. The Leos kept them scoreless for the first quarter and scored a field goal to pull away 10-0. Two field goals between an interception gave Montreal some hope in the second. The Leos scored a touchdown to make it a two-score game once again before Cody Fajardo found Cole Spieker in the endzone to narrow the deficit and enter the break at 17-13.
Montreal never got out of second gear in the second half though and allowed 20 points, scoring just 10. They finished with a net offence of just 270 yards compared to 472 for BC. Nathan Rourke threw three interceptions, but Fajardo and co. failed to take advantage. The Lions were more ruthless with a 74% second down completion rate compared to 50% for Montreal.
The Calgary Stampeders last stepped out onto the field against the Edmonton Elks at Commonwealth Stadium in the second of a doubleheader. One of their worst offensive displays of the season saw Logan Bonner throw five interceptions on the way to a 37-16 thrashing. Calgary had to settle for lone field goals in each of the first three quarters.
A poor first quarter saw the Stamps score a field goal and Bonner throw an interception. Edmonton scored a pair of singles to end the first 15 minutes 3-2 to Calgary. The Elks came alive in the second quarter. Calgary fell apart on defence, allowing two touchdowns and two field goals along with a two-point conversion to take a 23-6 lead at halftime. Calgary kept Edmonton scoreless in the third, but another interception and poor overall offensive work quelled any threat of a comeback from the Stamps. They settled for a field goal.
The Elks opened the last quarter with a touchdown before Mike Rose scored an 83-yard pick-six for Calgary in their only bright moment of the evening. Another Edmonton touchdown followed and Bonner threw his fourth and fifth interceptions to end a terrible day at the office for Calgary. Reggie Begelton managed 123 receiving yards through eight receptions for Calgary despite a poor display from their offence. The Stamps’ defence allowed a shocking 213 rushing yards. They racked up 137 yards in penalties, emphasising just how poorly they performed on both sides of the ball.
Calgary Stampeders vs Montreal Alouettes Predictions
Correct score prediction: Calgary Stampeders 21-30 Montreal Alouettes
The Calgary Stampeders are on their worst run of the season so far with four losses in four. Back-to-back defeats to the Edmonton Elks sum up how poor they have been. Edmonton was statistically the worst team in the league before a duo of wins over Calgary. The Montreal Alouettes have already punched their ticket to the playoffs. They have comfortably been the best team in the CFL this season. They may have taken their foot off the gas in their loss to the Lions last week, but they are too strong to fall to Calgary. Our football prediction is for a victory for the Montreal Alouettes.
The Alouettes have lit the league on fire this season. They stand tall at the top of the East Division on a 10-2 record. Montreal has been superb on both sides of the ball, but their defence is what has led them to the playoffs. No team has allowed fewer points than Jason Maas’s and only Winnipeg has a better yards allowed per game average. Calgary has the worst offence in the league, scoring just 282 points in 2024. Montreal’s defence will dominate at Molson Stadium.
Jake Maier’s performances for the Stampeders have been terrible recently. His form has fallen off a cliff after a strong start to the season. Backup quarterback Logan Bonner was called in to play against Edmonton last week following Maier’s poor performances, but that did nothing for Calgary’s fortunes. Bonner threw an agonising five interceptions. With no end to their offensive woes in sight, Calgary is in big trouble against this formidable defence.
Calgary’s offensive stats get even worse the deeper you look into them. They have turned over the ball 31 times this season, more than any team in the league, with 21 of them coming in their last six games. They also have the worst turnover differential in the league at -15. Nothing is going right for them on either side of the ball and even with their foot off the gas, Montreal has no excuse not to beat the Stamps convincingly.
Calgary Stampeders vs Montreal Alouettes Betting Tips
Montreal is a -233 road favourite with our online sportsbook. The Alouettes are unbeaten away from home this season with a 5-0 record and already have a win over the Stamps, back in week five. However, a road favourite at those odds does not represent great value, especially for a team who may be taking it easy after confirming an early playoff spot. We think there are better ways to bet on Montreal.
Montreal averages 28 points per game on the road with 27.6 per game overall and Calgary is averaging 30.1 points allowed per game with the worst defence in the league. The Alouettes will want to recover from last week’s disappointment by showing what they are capable of and putting the Stamps to the sword. Bet on Montreal to score over 28.5 points, worth -110.
After Logan Bonner’s five picks last week and Jake Maier’s overall underperformance in recent weeks, it is evident Calgary has a problem with their passing games. They will probably pivot to the running game for this game in a desperate attempt to get their offence moving. However, they have been unimpressive along the ground too. CFL betting has Dedrick Mills rushing line at 65.5 and we like a bet on the under. He has only hit the over by that line twice this season.
Live betting is also an option for this game. Montreal are heavy favourites here but fell to a surprising loss last week. They have already secured a spot in the playoffs and may have taken their foot off the gas in anticipation of their postseason run. There is no doubt that Calgary has more to play for and could spring a surprise against the Alouettes. Check the in-play markets if the Stamps look capable of the upset.
Calgary Stampeders Team News
Defensive back Malcolm Thompson is out for this game with a knee injury and there is no timeline for his return to the team at the time of writing. Offensive lineman Bryce Bell was limited by the medical team in training on Thursday with a calf injury. He is questionable to play against Montreal. Josiah Coatney has not been in training this week with a knee injury and is a doubt for Saturday. Bentlee Sanders has also been missing with a hamstring injury and is questionable.
Montreal Alouettes Team News
Marc-Antoine Dequoy has a head injury and is doubtful, having not trained all week. Linebacker Frederic Chagnon is available after being limited in training by the medical team this week. There are otherwise no injury worries for Montreal for this game.
