Saturday Night Showdown in Toronto: Stamps Take On Argos
The Calgary Stampeders are coming off a heartbreaking fourth quarter loss against the BC Lions. However, we like them to get back onto the winning horse on Saturday against the mediocre and injury-riddled Toronto Argonauts. Here's our analysis of this key showdown for both teams.
Calgary (5-3) will make its first visit to Toronto (4-4) in nearly three years when the Stampeders face the Argonauts at BMO Field on Saturday night. The Stamps and Argos’ last meeting came in Week 1 last season, with Toronto claiming a 23-20 win at McMahon Stadium.
Nonetheless, these will be very different starting lineups this time around. These two teams also know each other well. The Argonauts coaching staff includes seven members who either played or coached previously in Calgary. In addition, Toronto’s roster features ten former Calgary players.
The 2022 versions of Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts mirror each other in many ways heading into Week 11. The similarities go way beyond all the former Stamps now coaching and playing for the Argos.
Both teams hope to rebound from tough divisional losses in their last game. The Stampeders, losers of three of their last four games, lost 41-40 in a thrilling but ultimately demoralizing fashion to the BC Lions last weekend. The Argonauts are coming off a heartbreaking 34-27 defeat of their own to the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton.
Injuries have also hit both teams hard this season. For this critical matchup, Calgary and Toronto will aim to regroup, reshuffle their game plans, and regain control of their own destinies as they approach the midway point of their seasons.
The kickoff is set on Saturday at 7:00 pm EDT. Spreads.ca lists the Stampeders as 3-point favourites. According to Spreads.ca, the Over/Under is 50 points.
Prediction (powered by Pointspreads):
Toronto has hit a slump in the middle of their season. Moreover, injuries have caught up to them, especially at key positions. Playing at home this week could help to spark the Argos and put them back on the winning course. However, they face what's arguably a better football team on Saturday night that's involved in a real dogfight in the packed West Division.
In short, Calgary simply needs this win more than Toronto, which doesn't feel nearly as much pressure in this spot and is likely to coast into the postseason simply because they lack competition in the East.
Recent history also favours the Stamps. This is Calgary’s third trip into Ontario this season, and they have already defeated Hamilton and Ottawa on the road. We think they win a third game here and cover a small spread.
We'll take Calgary -3 points.
