3rd & 1: Three plays for Week 12 in the CFL

The Canadian Football League is always full of surprises.

The BC Lions were expected to cruise by the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week but came up short, while the Edmonton Elks finally won their first game of the season and made the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hear the boo birds on their home field.

We can definitely expect to see some more surprises this week, but we’re also going to be treated to a great matchup on Thursday night with both Cody Fajardo and Zach Collaros returning under centre for their respective teams.

This week could start and end with close games, with some high-scoring affairs sandwiched in between. Here are my three favourite plays of the week.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS -5.5

The two hottest teams in the CFL get Week 12 started as both the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers enter Thursday Night Football riding four-game winning streaks. One streak has to end, and I think it’s going to be Montreal’s that gets snapped. Rookie receiver Austin Mack has been on a tear all season long, and fellow rookie Tyler Snead is starting to make a name for himself. But Winnipeg’s defence held Montreal to just three points back in Week 4, and with Collaros back under centre for Winnipeg and every Bombers receiver good to go, Winnipeg should be able to extend its winning streak to five games.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS -6.5

The Calgary Stampeders have had the Toronto Argonauts’ number over the past two seasons, heading into this weekend’s matchup riding a three-game winning streak against Toronto. The Stamps stunned the Argos with a 20-7 victory in Week 9, which sets up a perfect revenge spot for the Argonauts. The receiver rotation continues in Calgary, but they also decided to scratch Tre Odoms-Dukes for the contest, and they’ll be going back to Dedrick Mills at running back with Ka’Deem Carey already ruled out. Argos pivot Chad Kelly also got hurt last time these two teams played, so a full game with Kelly under centre should do wonders for Toronto in this rematch.

BC LIONS -9.5

Do you know what happened the last time the Lions’ defence got exposed? They bounced back with a dominant performance the following week and that’s going to be the case again this week. The Lions should dominate this game on both sides of the ball, and it could get ugly fast for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats – especially if Duke Williams isn’t able to go this weekend. The Ticats just struggled to put up points at home against the Edmonton Elks and it’s not going to get any easier. The Lions are favoured by 10.5 points, and rightfully so, but we’ll throw them on the parlay to win by at least 10.

A three-leg parlay with these three picks is +335 on FanDuel.