Not only will the Saskatchewan Roughriders have to take on the Ottawa RedBlacks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but they’ll also be battling history as well as they seek their fifth Grey Cup title against the CFL Playoffs odds.
Saskatchewan, which is back in the Canadian Football League playoffs for the first time since 2014, visits the defending-champion and 2-point favorite Ottawa Redblacks (8-9-1) in the East Division semifinal Sunday. The Riders secured a postseason berth as the crossover squad by finishing fourth in the West Division but accumulating more points than the Hamilton Tiger-Cats did as the third-place team in the east with just six wins this season.
Now, Saskatchewan will have to beat both Ottawa and the Toronto Argonauts (9-9) on the road if they want to make it to the Grey Cup championship game later this month at TD Place.
Glenn will make his 11th career playoff start for Saskatchewan but Ottawa must be wary of Brandon Bridge, a Mississauga, Ontario, native, who has played well this season both coming off the bench and as a starter.
The six-foot-five 230-pound Bridge is a super versatile player who can run the ball effectively or buy his receivers time downfield. And with Carter (73 catches, 1,043 yards, eight TDs), Roosevelt Naaman (75 catches, 1,035 yards, eight TDs) and Bakari Grant (84 catches, 1,033 yards, five TDs), Saskatchewan has a solid receiving corps that also includes Chad Owens, Rob Bagg, and Caleb Holley.
Carter has also been phenomenal this season on defense as a cornerback, one of the reasons why they can defy the CFL Playoffs odds.
Saskatchewan kicker Tyler Crapigna made 36-of-42 field goal tries this year (85.7 percent) and all 43 converts he attempted. He hit all seven field goals he tried in the two games against Ottawa.
Roughriders (10-8) vs. RedBlacks (8-9) CFL Playoffs Odds & Pick
Whether the #CFL or #NFL: He’s never experienced the post-season.
Naaman Roosevelt is to appear in a playoff game Sunday for the first time in his professional career—and he’s ready. 📖 | https://t.co/KsOv760xtc#BEL13VE #RiderPride pic.twitter.com/Lohg1LsMGM — Sask. Roughriders (@sskroughriders) 10 de noviembre de 2017
- When: Sunday, November 12, 2017, 1:00 PM ET
- Where: TD Place Stadium
- CFL Playoffs Odds: Ottawa -2
- Total: 51
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Tied 5-5
- Average Points Score: Saskatchewan Roughriders 25.80 / Ottawa Redblacks 26.30
- Rush Yards: Saskatchewan Roughriders 88.60 / Ottawa Redblacks 111.50
- Pass Attempts: Saskatchewan Roughriders 35.60 / Ottawa Redblacks 34.30
- Completion Percentage: Saskatchewan Roughriders 60.96 / Ottawa Redblacks 60.35
- Passing Yards: Saskatchewan Roughriders 268.50 / Ottawa Redblacks 255.20
- Total Yards: Saskatchewan Roughriders 373.10 / Ottawa Redblacks 373.40
- Turnovers: Saskatchewan Roughriders 1.90 / Ottawa Redblacks 1.90
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Close Call
Ottawa and Saskatchewan last met in the CFL playoffs in 1976 when Tony Gabriel’s late 24-yard touchdown reception earned the then-Rough Riders a thrilling 23-20 victory at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium. The two teams split the regular season series 1-1 with each game decided by a single point. Punter Josh Bartel’s 55-yard single with under three minutes remaining earned Saskatchewan an 18-17 road win Sept. 29. Riders’ starter Kevin Glenn registered his 100th career regular-season victory after completing 20-of-32 passes for 252 yards and an interception. However, Christion Jones came up with a huge play for Saskatchewan with a 97-yard punt return TD. The loss tarnished a stellar performance by Ottawa’s William Powell, who ran for a club-record 187 yards as backup Ryan Lindley finished 17-of-31 passing for 164 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Two weeks later, Lindley’s one-yard scoring run on the game’s final play gave Ottawa a 33-32 victory in Regina. Glenn threw for 387 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while Duron Carter registered 11 catches for 231 yards. Trevor Harris, who threw for 262 yards and two TDs in the win, will make his first CFL playoff start for the Redblacks, who finished their regular season with three straight victories.Real Possibilities
Pulling off both feats is clearly not impossible seeing as how Saskatchewan beat both teams during the regular season and went 5-4 on the road and an even more impressive 6-2 against their East division rivals. However, it should be known that no crossover team in league history has ever made it to the Grey Cup since the rule was adopted in 1996. Saskatchewan becomes the 10th crossover team to reach the postseason but the visiting squad has just three wins in 12 playoff games. Saskatchewan last won the Grey Cup in 2013. Edmonton beat Hamilton 27-24 in last year’s East semifinal before losing 35-23 to Ottawa in the conference final at snowy TD Place.
Glenn will make his 11th career playoff start for Saskatchewan but Ottawa must be wary of Brandon Bridge, a Mississauga, Ontario, native, who has played well this season both coming off the bench and as a starter.
The six-foot-five 230-pound Bridge is a super versatile player who can run the ball effectively or buy his receivers time downfield. And with Carter (73 catches, 1,043 yards, eight TDs), Roosevelt Naaman (75 catches, 1,035 yards, eight TDs) and Bakari Grant (84 catches, 1,033 yards, five TDs), Saskatchewan has a solid receiving corps that also includes Chad Owens, Rob Bagg, and Caleb Holley.
Carter has also been phenomenal this season on defense as a cornerback, one of the reasons why they can defy the CFL Playoffs odds.
Saskatchewan kicker Tyler Crapigna made 36-of-42 field goal tries this year (85.7 percent) and all 43 converts he attempted. He hit all seven field goals he tried in the two games against Ottawa.
Current Statistics
- Offense: Saskatchewan Roughriders 29.24 / Ottawa Redblacks 27.50
- Passing Yards: Saskatchewan Roughriders 282.47 / Ottawa Redblacks 289.28
- Rushing Yards: Saskatchewan Roughriders 81.47 / Ottawa Redblacks 94.56
- Defense: Saskatchewan Roughriders 23.65 / Ottawa Redblacks 25.11
- Passing Yards Allowed: Saskatchewan Roughriders 259.76 / Ottawa Redblacks 305.50
- Rushing Yards Allowed: Saskatchewan Roughriders 96.18 / Ottawa Redblacks 84.17
- Turnovers Differential: Saskatchewan Roughriders -0.35 / Ottawa Redblacks 0.62
Latest CFL Playoffs Betting Trends
- Saskatchewan is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
- Saskatchewan is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Saskatchewan’s last 8 games
- Ottawa is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
- Ottawa is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa’s last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
