Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Ottawa Redblacks 7/8/22 CFL Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Ottawa Redblacks and Saskatchewan Roughriders meet Friday in week 5 CFL action at Mosaic Stadium. The Ottawa Redblacks look to rebound from a rough 0-3 start. The Saskatchewan Roughriders look to build on their solid 3-1 record.

The Ottawa Redblacks have lost 9 of their last 10 regular season games. Jeremiah Masoli is completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 873 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Jaelon Acklin and Darvin Adams have combined for 471 receiving yards on 30 catches, while Nathaniel Behar has 11 receptions. The Ottawa Redblacks ground game is averaging 82 yards per contest, and Devonte Williams leads the way with 118 yards on 21 carries. Defensively, Ottawa is allowing 24 points and 380.3 yards per game. Avery Williams leads the Ottawa Redblacks with 16 tackles, Lorenzo Mauldin has 1 sack and Monshadrik Hunter has 3 interceptions.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have won 7 of their last 9 regular season games. Coby Fajardo is completing 67 percent of his passes for 973 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Kian Schaffer-Baker and Shaq Evans have combined for 411 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while D’haquille Williams has 9 receptions. The Saskatchewan Roughriders ground game is averaging 119 yards per contest, and Jamal Morrow leads the way with 257 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Saskatchewan is allowing 21.5 points and 326 yards per game. Darnell Sankey leads the Saskatchewan Roughriders with 22 tackles, Pete Robertson has 7 sacks and Derrick Moncrief has 3 interceptions.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are flexing their muscle out of the gate as possibly the best team in the league, and they’re obviously going to get the benefit of the doubt at home from oddsmakers. The Roughriders have shown terrific balance, and their defense is currently second in total yards and first in rushing yards. The Ottawa Redblacks haven’t done anything special through 3 games and their defense is concerning, which is an even bigger issue on the road. With all that said, I don’t think the Redblacks are as bad as they’ve looked, and they’ve been in all 3 of their games. A bounce here or a bounce there, Ottawa has a different outlook. I’ll take a shot with the road dog.