Despite entering Sunday's Western Final with home-field advantage, Calgary Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson isn't expecting his team to be favourites against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we were the underdogs, that’s fine,” Dickenson said Monday. “If not, then it’s going to be a ‘toss ’em’, pick whoever you want. They’re coming in with momentum. We’ve done this in the past, so a team that comes into our place is always on momentum because they just had the big wins. We understand that.”

The Blue Bombers won five straight games before closing their season with a loss in a meaningless game against the Edmonton Eskimos. Winnipeg then defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western semifinal 23-18 on Sunday, largely thanks to a 153-yard rushing performance from Andrew Harris.

“I think they’re an excellent team. (They’re) very well balanced,” Dickenson said of the Blue Bombers. “All three phases are playing well. They’re physical, well-coached, have a lot of skill, a lot of talent — so we’ll have to rise up to the challenge.”

The Stampeders limped to the finish line in the regular season, posting three straight losses before defeating the B.C. Lions in Week 21 to secure their bye week in the semifinals. 

The Blue Bombers and Stampeders last met three weeks ago, in Week 20, when the Bombers posted 20 points in the third quarter to secure a 29-21 victory. 

“It was a tight game,” Dickenson said. “It was a well-played game last time we were over there. I’d say about eight minutes of the third quarter where we did not play like a quality team and they took advantage of it.”

One advantage for the Stampeders will be experience. Calgary has reached the Grey Cup in four of the past five seasons, while the Blue Bombers have not played in the championship game since 2011.

Dickenson, however, said the Blue Bombers desire to get to Edmonton this season is obvious.

“You can tell just by looking at the tape, all their guys were 100 per cent in, which we will be as well,” Dickenson stated.