Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders Preview
The Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders clash for the first time this season on September 20 at 9:30 pm. Both sides are looking to snap long winless streaks after strong starts to the season.
Saskatchewan’s playoff hopes are holding on by a thread and they need to start winning games fast to make it into the postseason. Can the Riders get their season back on track against Calgary or will the Stamps get back to winning ways after tying with the league leaders last week?
Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders last played on October 13 last year in the penultimate game of the regular season. Saskatchewan had a higher net offence with 378 all-purpose yards to 206, but six giveaways allowed Calgary to steal a 26-19 victory.
A drab first quarter ended scoreless with both teams’ offence playing poorly. Saskatchewan took the lead, heading into halftime with a touchdown and two field goals in the second quarter. Calgary scored a field goal and two points from a safety put them down 13-5 at the break. Jake Maier secured his first passing touchdown in the third and a pick-six helped the Stamps take the lead. Saskatchewan’s offensive woes continued in the fourth quarter and Calgary came out with the victory.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders last played on September 7 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Princess Auto Stadium. Another poor offensive performance saw the Riders stretch their winless streak to seven with a 26-21 defeat. Their defence kept Winnipeg to a lower net offence, second down percentage, and had more sacks, but their offence could not take advantage. Trevor Harris threw two touchdowns and two interceptions for 287 yards. Kian Schaffer-Baker caught six passes for 120 yards, but could not help his team into the endzone.
Harris threw his first interception in the first quarter and the Bombers took it to the endzone on the resulting possession. He led a touchdown drive immediately after, but a Winnipeg field goal ended the first quarter 10-7 to the hosts. Two field goals in the second ended the half 13-10 to the Bombers.
Harris threw his second touchdown of the day on the first possession of the second half, finding Samuel Emilus for eight yards. A Winnipeg field goal and a single from the Riders helped Saskatchewan to their only winning quarter of the game. The Bombers opened the last quarter with a touchdown to take the lead. Saskatchewan replied with a frustratingly long drive that resulted in just a field goal. Another field goal extended Winnipeg’s lead and Harris ended a disappointing day on offence with an interception.
The Calgary Stampeders played on September 14 against league leaders the Montreal Alouettes. A tightly contested affair saw Calgary take a surprise lead before Montreal came back to send the game to overtime. Neither team could gain an advantage after two possessions each, resulting in a 19-19 tie.
The Stamps took the lead early, helped by a forced fumble turnover. Jake Maier found Marken Michel with an 18-yard touchdown pass to go ahead. Calgary’s defence remained strong, and a field goal extended their lead to 10 after 15 minutes. Montreal got on the board on their second possession of the second quarter when Cody Fajardo rushed three yards into the endzone. A disappointing offensive showing from both teams marred the rest of the half, but Calgary entered the break with an unlikely 10-7 lead.
Both teams only managed field goals for the rest of the game with one each in the third. Montreal scored another in the last quarter to level the scores at 13-13 and force overtime. Four field goals were not enough to separate the teams, but Calgary could take some pride in avoiding defeat after losing their previous four. Dedrick Mills had an excellent game with 122 rushing yards. Reggie Begelton and Marken Michel caught seven and six passes for 68 and 73 yards, respectively.
Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders Predictions
Correct score prediction: Calgary Stampeders 21-24 Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders are on terrible runs in the CFL. Calgary is winless in five and the Riders have lost their last six after going 5-1 through their first six games of the season. Picking a winner between two teams in such poor form is tough. Calgary may be buoyed by their tie with Montreal last week and will look to build on that performance. However, the Riders have a stronger team and have performed better than Calgary this season despite their recent struggles. Our football prediction is for the Saskatchewan Roughriders to snap their losing streak.
The Stampeders have been one of the worst teams in the league on both sides of the ball. They are statistically the second-worst offensive and defensive team in the league, scoring 301 points and allowing 381. Calgary leads the league in turnovers with 33 — 23 of them coming in their last seven games. Their offensive performances have been poor enough for coach Dickenson to drop quarterback Jake Maier for Logan Bonner. That experiment ended no better with Bonner throwing an eye-watering five interceptions against Edmonton. Maier showed improvement on his reappearance against Montreal last week, but Calgary still went scoreless in two quarters.
So much for beginner’s luck…
Kai Gray snags the third interception of Logan Bonner’s debut.#CFL #Elks #GoElks #OurTeamOurCity
pic.twitter.com/0mW77yMpnr— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) September 8, 2024
Saskatchewan’s defence has been strong despite their form, allowing just 330 points this season. Only two teams in the league have allowed fewer. Their run defence is the best in the league and while their pass defence is less impressive, they showed improvement against Winnipeg two weeks ago. The Riders entered the game knowing they led the league for pass plays allowed over 30+ yards. Saskatchewan stopped the run, kept Zach Collaros inside the pocket and forced him to throw short passes. They can take advantage of Calgary’s poor offence.
The Riders will enter this game with a new weapon in their arsenal in the form of Ryquell Armstead. Saskatchewan announced the signing of the running back on Monday after the Ottawa Redblacks released him two weeks ago. Armstead has 623 rushing yards this season, placing him fourth overall in the league and 157 yards ahead of the Riders’ best running back AJ Oulette. Saskatchewan has struggled on the ground this season and averages fewer rushing yards than any team in the league. Armstead’s arrival is a tremendous boost to their offence.
Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders Betting Tips
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are favourites for this game. A bet on the Roughriders is worth -156 but backing a road favourite on a run as poor as Saskatchewan’s is just too risky. We think there are better bets to make in this game.
We expect a lower-scoring game here. Calgary and Saskatchewan are the second and third worst offensive teams in the league, respectively. Both teams have struggled to put points on the board, and Calgary’s troubles at quarterback are well-documented. Our online sportsbook has set the over/under at 51.5, and we recommend placing a bet on the under, worth -118.
Ryquell Armstead will probably make his first appearance for Saskatchewan in this game. He adds some much-needed firepower on the ground, an area where the Riders have been underwhelming. Armstead was impressive in his games for the Ottawa Redblacks this season and CFL betting will look favourably on him having a strong debut. Take the over on his rushing yards prop up to 64.5.
New Saskatchewan Roughrider running back Ryquell Armstead:
'They look talented to me. They held me to 65 yards when I played them. I'm excited to compete with them.'
Today's Saskatchewan Sports with @_sportsdave:
– Regina Pats Forward Braxton Whitehead ready to make his dreams… pic.twitter.com/TMx9HYkyhr— The SportsCage (@sportscage) September 17, 2024
Going along with our score prediction, we are expecting a tight and lower-scoring game. We like a bet on Saskatchewan to score under 26.5 points. They have not scored 27 or more points in five of their last seven games on the road. The Riders only managed that total in their opening two fixtures this season. Calgary has allowed fewer than 27 points in five of their seven home games this season.
Live betting is an option for this game. We are fading a pre-match bet on the moneyline, as there is too much risk in backing Saskatchewan as the road favourites. Calgary earned a tie against league leaders Montreal last week. That is encouraging and they could go one better with an underdog win at home. Wait for the game to kick off and look at our in-play moneyline odds.
Saskatchewan Roughriders Team News
Malik Carney missed training on Monday with an ankle injury and he is questionable for the game against Calgary. Offensive lineman Jacob Brammer was in limited training with a knee injury, as was linebacker Justin Herdman-Reed with an elbow injury. Both are questionable to play on Friday.
Calgary Stampeders Team News
Defensive back Malcom Thompson missed the game against Montreal with a hamstring injury and is questionable to return against Saskatchewan. Josiah Coatney also sat out of that game, nursing a knee injury. The defensive lineman is doubtful to return against Saskatchewan. Ishmael Hyman is back in limited training following his hamstring injury and he could return against the Stamps.
