CFL Playoff Picks, Finals Round

Another round of the CFL playoffs is upon us this Sunday. Here are my picks for the upcoming games:

Montréal Alouettes/Hamilton Tiger-Cats: why did these two teams have to play in the Eastern Final? They're practically identical. Both played strongly at home, struggled on the road, both finished with 9 and 9 records after starting the season dismally, Hamilton's defence allowed 395 points to be scored, Montréal's, 394, but the Tiger-Cats's offence did score 57 more points, and that's including all their problems in the red zone. And I really think that's what it comes down to. The Alouettes are hot, having crushed B.C. last weekend 50 to 17. They scored at will and looked unbeatable but the Lions didn't put up much of a fight. Hamilton's defence stymied Montréal the last time they played and are coming off a full weeks rest determined to assert themselves at Tim Hortons Field. They split their 2 regular season games, both teams winning at home convincingly, the Tiger-Cats closing out the season with a huge win over the Alouettes in a must-win situation. They're so evenly matched it's difficult to say, but I think that if Hamilton doesn't turn the ball over in the red zone the game is theirs. A close, tenacious, hard fought battle for the ages, smash mouth embittered football, Tiger-Cats by 4.

Edmonton Eskimos/Calgary Stampeders: the top two teams in the CFL meet for the fourth time this season, the eighth time they've met in the second round of the playoffs since 1990, Calgary having won five of those games, the last having taken place in 2001. Calgary owned the Eskimos this season, winning 3 of 3, on their way to finishing with a 15 and 3 record. Edmonton was a decent 12 and 6 and held on last week to knock off the Roughriders, but their three losses at the hands of the Stampeders wave extremely bright red flags that Calgary is destined to win this one. It's still the battle of Alberta. It's still only one game. Edmonton could very well show up and corral an overconfident Stampeders team, stealing one on the road, to return to the Grey Cup on Nov. 30th. I'm doubting this will happen. I don't mean to sound boring, but the odds are too highly stacked in Calgary's favour. Picking the Stampeders. For their fourth win versus the Eskimos this season.