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Ottawa Redblacks vs BC Lions Preview
The Ottawa Redblacks welcome the BC Lions to TD Place on August 24 at 7:00 pm. The Redblacks have been in excellent form this season and look to pull further away from their rivals in the East Division in second place.
The BC Lions are on their worst run of the season and have not won in four games. Can BC get back to winning ways against Ottawa or will the Redblacks pile on the misery at TD Place?
Ottawa Redblacks vs BC Lions Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The Ottawa Redblacks and BC Lions last met in September 2023 in week 15 of the regular season. BC came out victorious in a shootout that finished 41-37. That win boosted BC’s playoff hopes while Ottawa slipped further down the East Division with a 3-10 record.
Vernon Adams Jr. had a mixed game. The American notched an excellent 325 passing yards for three touchdowns for the Leos but threw three interceptions. Wide receiver Justin McInnis secured 118 receiving yards through eight receptions and caught two touchdowns in a spectacular performance.
Dustin Crum’s presence as a dual-threat quarterback kept the Lions defence guessing on the day and they rarely found an answer for him. The Ottawa man secured 233 passing yards along with 46 rushing yards for three touchdowns. Wide receiver Justin Hardy pulled down 114 yards from eight catches.
The Lions last played against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on August 18 at BC Place. Rick Campbell’s men fell to a fourth straight defeat after going scoreless for three straight quarters. That was the second time the Lions lost at home in the CFL this season.
A punt on their first drive forced the Leos into giving up possession to the Bombers in under two and a half minutes. Despite registering a sack for a loss of six yards, BC could not stop Winnipeg’s offence from scoring on their opening possession. Zach Collaros found Nic Demski with a 22-yard pass for the touchdown to put the visitors ahead.
A field goal in the second quarter extended Winnipeg’s lead to 10-0 heading into the break. William Stanback’s efforts in the run were not enough to get the BC offence stirring. He finished with 112 all-purpose yards and was the only Leo who could leave the field with his chin up.
BC failed to take advantage of a turnover on downs in the third quarter and the Bombers scored a touchdown in the following possession to make it 17-0. The Leos scored a touchdown and a field goal to get on the board in the last quarter, but the damage was done. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers wrapped up a 20-11 victory with a field goal, leaving the Leos embarrassed by their performance.
The Ottawa Redblacks last rolled out against the Calgary Stampeders on August 15. Bob Dyce’s team continued their excellent form to extend their undefeated run to five games. They edged out the Stamps on the road to claim a 31-29 victory in a back-and-forth game.
An entertaining opening five minutes saw Calgary lose the ball on their first play following a fumble. This allowed Ottawa to score a field goal on their first drive. The Stampeders recovered well to score a touchdown on their next drive and take the lead. Ryquell Armstead replied with a TD of his own four minutes later with a spectacular 25-yard rush. The running back finished the game with 164 all-purpose yards. Another Calgary touchdown on their next possession gave them the lead again and Ottawa scored a field goal at the end of the quarter to narrow the deficit at 14-13.
The Ottawa defence found their footing in the second quarter. They kept Calgary to two singles while the offence secured a touchdown and a single of their own to enter the break ahead at 21-16. The Redblacks did not hang around in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown on their first drive to make it a two-score game.
A thrilling conclusion saw Calgary race ahead with a touchdown and two field goals. A nerve-wracking finish at TD Place ended with Lewis Ward burying a walk-off field goal from 51 yards to tie up a memorable 31-29 victory for Ottawa.
Ottawa Redblacks vs BC Lions Predictions
Correct score prediction: Ottawa Redblacks 24-17 BC Lions
The turnaround in Ottawa from their terrible 4-14 season in 2023 has been incredible. Coach Bob Dyce has the Redblacks playing the best football they have in years, currently sitting second in the East Division with a 6-2-1 record. The BC Lions started excellently this season. They went 5-1 through their first six games and looked comfortably one of the best teams in the league. Their form has nosedived recently and our football prediction is for an Ottawa Redblacks victory.
The Leos have lost their last four games, including a shutout against Winnipeg and a defeat to the worst team in the league. Ottawa is too good for BC and should find it easy to score against a disorganized defence. The Redblacks left the door open in their last match, is there a chance they could do it again this week?
Ryquell Armstead has been in excellent form for Ottawa this season. The running back has 547 rushing yards, placing him fourth overall in the league. BC’s defence has been terrible against the run in recent weeks. Over their last four games, they are averaging 131 yards allowed per game on the ground. The Edmonton Elks managed 200 rushing yards against the Lions two weeks ago. Ottawa was excellent on the ground against Calgary and they can exploit the Leos’ weak rushing defence on their way to a victory.
POUND THE ROCK 🪨
First #CFL TD for Ryquell Armstead 💪
🪓 | 10
✈️ | 16#ALLIN | @GabrielPizza pic.twitter.com/xHHcCowK4w— Ottawa REDBLACKS (@REDBLACKS) July 6, 2024
The Lions have one of the weakest offences in the league. They have struggled to put up points this season and sit sixth in the league for points per game. Winnipeg is the only team that has scored fewer touchdowns and managed victories in both of their game against BC this season.
The Ottawa defence is susceptible to big plays, and that is somewhere the Lions could find success. Wide receiver Justin McInnis has been one of the best in the CFL this season. He has 875 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. That puts him first in the league in both metrics. The Redblacks allowed a big 50-yard reception for Reggie Begelton last week and McInnis and his fellow WR Alexander Hollins will have taken note. The Leos’ secondary must be at their best to stop them.
Ottawa Redblacks vs BC Lions Betting Tips
The BC Lions are the favourites for this game with our online sportsbook. There is some doubt over Ottawa’s form, in that they have only played teams with a post .500 record twice this season. They are 0-1-1 in those games. One of those games was away to the Montreal Alouettes who have been the best team in the CFL this season.
The Lions’ performances against the Elks and Winnipeg showed that the issues in BC were more than just a dip in form. We like a bet on Ottawa to win at home, worth -105. You can extend these odds if you look at spread betting this weekend.
Ryquell Armstead has been one of the standout performers for an excellent Ottawa team this season. His 164 all-purpose yards last week proved how adept he is in all areas of offence. It is his rushing efforts we are most interested in. The CFL markets will favour the running back to have another big game against the Lions. Bet on Armstead to secure over 65.5 rushing yards.
Over/under betting for this game is set at 50.5 at Novibet. Ottawa narrowly hit the over in their game last week but settled for the under in their previous three. They have only hit over 50.5 once in their last four games. BC has not hit the over in any of their last four games. Wager on the under, worth -116.
Hand in hand with our previous pick and prediction, we see a low-scoring game, particularly for the BC Lions. The Ottawa Redblacks’ defence has not allowed more than 22 points in any of their home games this season. The Lions have not scored more than 24 in any of their previous three road games. Bet on the BC Lions to score under 24.5 points, worth -114.
Ottawa Redblacks Team News
Linebacker Lucas Cormier is carrying a foot injury and has not trained this week. He will miss the game on Saturday. The medical team has limited defensive linemen Nigel Romick and Bryce Carter in training with respective hamstring and shoulder injuries. They should return in time to play BC. Quarterback Dru Brown was back in full training this week following his foot injury.
BC Lions Team News
Vernon Adams Jr. has not trained this week because of his recurring knee injury. He is unlikely to line up for BC on Saturday. Cristophe Beaulieu is carrying an ankle injury and will probably miss out again this weekend. Pete Robertson is also on the list of absentees. This could be a game too soon for David Mackie as he returns from a hamstring injury.
