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Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs BC Lions Preview
The BC Lions travel to the Princess Auto Stadium on June 21 to face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Kick-off is at 6:30 pm and Winnipeg are still searching for their first win of the season following losses in their first two games.
The Leos enter this game after picking up their first victory of 2024 last week. Both teams are among the favourites for the Grey Cup this year and a win in this fixture will serve as a perfect launch pad for those hopes.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs BC Lions Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Winnipeg had a disappointing start to the 2024 season. The Blue Bombers are still searching for a win after losing in the Grey Cup game in 2023. They had a chance for revenge in their season opener when they welcomed the Montreal Alouettes.
The game began with both defences impressing. They exchanged turnovers for the first five minutes before Brian Cole intercepted Cody Fajardo’s pass. However, Winnipeg could not take advantage of their good field position. Zach Collaros failed to get the passing game going and the Blue Bombers settled for a field goal to open the scoring. Winnipeg’s defence continued to impress on Montreal’s next drive. However, a disastrous fumble following a Montreal punt put the visitors on their 14-yard line. Fajardo found Tyson Philpot with his first pass upon his return to the field to end the quarter 7-3 to Montreal.
Montreal established a run-heavy game plan for the second quarter after Winnipeg’s strong showing in the air. They punished the Blue Bombers to score their second touchdown and finish the half up 14-5. Winnipeg’s offensive woes continued, and they managed just nine points for the remainder of the game. The Alouettes scored a further 13 to finish with a 27-12 win.
The Blue Bombers faced the Ottawa Redblacks a week later and fell short once again. It was much of the same for Winnipeg. Collaros struggled to string passes together until it was too late, completing less than 50% of his passes. Winnipeg’s pass defence was strong for much of the first half, but they suffered on the ground. They entered the second half down 16-10.
Collaros finally found a breakthrough in the third quarter when he made a 76-yard completion to Keric Wheatfall. Chris Streveler lined up as the back and carried it into the end zone to put Winnipeg up by one. They did not find the end zone again for the rest of the game. An early touchdown in the fourth quarter from Ottawa was enough to secure the win, with Winnipeg only managing two more points. That defeat marked the first time the Blue Bombers have lost their opening two games since 2016.
The Lions were stunned in their season opener when they lost 35-27 to the Toronto Argonauts. BC was left scratching their heads, having outperformed Toronto’s offence. Vernon Adams Jr. (VA) finished with 363 yards through the air with Justin McInnis and Alexander Hollins securing 103 and 90 yards, respectively. Ultimately, the Lions’ offensive line let them down, allowing six sacks.
They followed up with a 26-17 victory in front of a bumper crowd at BC Place. McInnis and Hollins impressed once again, with 91 and 98 yards and a touchdown each. Rick Campbell’s team established a run game too, with William Stanback rushing for 69 yards.
These sides last met in a thrilling regular-season contest in week 18 of 2023. Collaros and VA had incredible games, passing for 389 and 352 yards. Adams’ number becomes even more incredible when you consider he had just 19 completions. The game went to overtime with the scores tied at 26-26 before Brady Oliviera’s touchdown secured the win for Winnipeg on their first drive in OT.
The other two contests in their regular-season series ended in embarrassment on either side. The Lions first beat Winnipeg in week three 30-6 before the Blue Bombers gained revenge in week 9 with a 50-14 mauling.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs BC Lions Prediction
Prediction: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 20-25 BC Lions
Winnipeg fans are eying up the panic button after an 0-2 start and we are predicting a red alert at the Princess Auto Stadium on Friday. Despite having the home advantage, Winnipeg’s offence has not shown enough to prove they can defeat the Lions. CFL betting odds have these two sides among the favourites for the Grey Cup. It will be a tight game, but our football prediction is a victory for the BC Lions.
The Blue Bombers’ biggest worry in this game will be their defence. Although their offence is struggling, injuries have severely affected the defensive line since the beginning of the season. Defensive end Celestin Haba and defensive tackle Miles Fox are the latest to be added to the six-game injured list. They join two other defensive line players on that list with end Tyjuan Garbutt and tackle Cam Lawson.
Winnipeg is already deep into the reserves and will probably look at the practice roster before Friday. Willie Jefferson, Devin Adams, Jake Thomas, and Tanner Schmekel are the only rushers who remain from the initial 45-man roster. The Lions will take advantage of a limping defensive line and VA will run riot.
The Lions learned from their week one mistake when they returned against the Calgary Stampeders. While their passing game was immaculate, establishing the run was difficult. They executed that to perfection in week two and Stanback doubled his yards with just four extra carries. Winnipeg struggled against the run in their most recent game, allowing 129 yards on the ground. BC has the tools to punish the Bombers with their run game and in the air.
Wide receivers Hollins and McInnis have been on fire in the first two games of the season. They have over 380 receiving yards between them for three touchdowns. The two will be ever present in this game as VA looks to make an example of a depleted secondary. Making a prop bet on either player to continue their fiery start to the season seems like a good move.
OH MY 🔥🔥
Vernon Adams ➡️ Alex Hollins #BCLions #RoarLikeNeverBefore pic.twitter.com/188YMZLXHO
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) June 16, 2024
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs BC Lions Betting Tips
The Bombers have opened as the odds-on favourites in our sportsbook. However, we expect those odds to drift as Winnipeg’s injury woes worsen. A bet on the BC Lions is worth 11/10 and with Winnipeg in poor form, the visitors can take advantage.
The Lions have been strong scorers and have a multitude of tools at their disposal. Even in their opening-day loss, they still managed 27 points. We like a bet on the away team to score over 24.5 points, worth 10/11. BC has reached beyond this line in eight of their last nine regular season games, dating back to last season.
While we are not backing a moneyline bet on Winnipeg, this game will be tight. Collaros has been poor and completed less than half of his passes against Ottawa. The Lions have struggled against the run. All three of Winnipeg’s touchdowns so far have come running plays. Everything points towards the Bombers, focusing on their rushing prowess in this game. That is why we like a wager on running back Johnny Augustine to score a touchdown in the game.
Over/under betting remains an option for this game. The total for this game is set at 50.5. The Lions have hit over in one of their opening two games, while the Bombers are yet to touch it. However, two of the three games between these teams went over that number last season. We edge towards the under, but it is tight. It would be beneficial to wait until the game has started and look at the live betting odds before wagering on this market.
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers Team News
Six players are on Winnipeg’s six-game injured list. They added Haba and Fox following the Ottawa game and the pair will not be available on Friday. They join Kenny Lawler, Cam Lawson, Jamal Parker, and Tyjuan Garbutt. Dalton Schoen, Kyrie Wilson, and Brady Oliveira did not practice on Monday and are questionable for this game.
BC Lions Team News
Offensive lineman Michael Couture missed the game against Calgary with a back injury and is in limited practice. David Knevel took a knock in training last week and also missed that game. They were both only on the one-game injured list and are in line for a return against Winnipeg. Ciante Evans missed last week due to a personal matter and is available for Friday.
