The 2023 CFL playoffs are finally upon us and the records have been wiped clean. The Grey Cup is ripe for the taking for any team that can get hot at the right time, which is music to the ears of a couple of sub-.500 teams taking on the role of underdog on Semi-Final Saturday.
The race for the 3DownNation picks crown is just as open, with a massive log jam at the top. Just Brendan McGuire has been mathematically eliminated from taking home the straight-up title, while he, Justin Dunk, Josh Smith, Ben Grant, John Hodge and Andrew Hoskins have been ruled out against-the-spread.
If you think you have the chops to match our experts, try 3DownNation’s new Pick’em game. It’s free to play with a $50 Amazon gift card up for grabs each game. All residents of Canada and the U.S. are eligible to participate, excluding Quebec.
Photo courtesy: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Saturday, November 4: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Montreal Alouettes — 3:00 p.m. EDT
Pinch me, this feels like deja vu. Not only is this a rematch of last year’s Eastern Semi-Final, these two teams also faced off last week in the regular-season finale — a 22-20 win by Montreal. The Alouettes easily swept the three-game season series between the two teams and remain undefeated against sub-.500 opponents, but this should be a distinctly different Ticats team than what they are used to. Orlondo Steinauer is intent on rolling with a two-quarterback system through the playoffs and it won’t be franchise pivot Bo Levi Mitchell serving as the lead-off hitter. Instead, veteran backup Matthew Shiltz has been tapped to start and figure out the stingy Als’ defence. Offensively, Montreal offers more of the same with the conservative Cody Fajardo under centre and could see their ground game suffer without top offensive lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage.
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DUNK: Grey Cup or bust means there’s all kinds of pressure on Hamilton to perform. Two QB systems aren’t sustainable long-term but the Tabbies have made it work under Orlondo Steinauer in the past.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
HODGE: Montreal plays a low-risk, opportunistic style of football perfect for taking advantage of a lesser opponent in the playoffs. They’ll lose next week, but the Alouettes will get it done against Hamilton.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
ABBOTT: Hamilton is a boom-or-bust team with a pair of quarterbacks that are equally likely to create a big play as they are to make a big mistake. That’s not a sustainable model for success, but it could create some fireworks with the prospect of a home Grey Cup on the line.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
BALLANTINE: As a rule, Montreal has beaten everyone below them in the standings all season. This weekend proves to be the exception to the rule.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
FILOSO: Jason Maas’ squad wins the games they should — that’s why they’ve beaten Hamilton every time they’ve played them this season. Saturday will be no different.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
GASSON: It feels odd to bet against a team that hasn’t lost to a team below them in the standings all year but Hamilton did the smart thing instead of the safe thing. If Bo was starting, I’d bet on Montreal.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
GRANT: The same solid Montreal team shows up each week, while Hamilton is all over the road. They have a gear Montreal doesn’t have, but they also burn out the clutch a lot. Fasten your seatbelts.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
HOSKINS: Montreal’s defence continues to dominate teams under .500. The home crowd helps them even more.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
KLEIN: The Als’ success against sub-.500 teams continues in a close win.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: ALS.
MCGUIRE: The Alouettes were busy bragging about their 11-win season last weekend, while the Ticats were laser-focused on this playoff game. Tabbies in a romp.
Straight-up: TICATS. Against the spread: TICATS.
SMITH: The Als have spent all year beating up on teams with losing records. I don’t see why that would end with the last one they will face.
Straight-up: ALS. Against the spread: TICATS.
TOTALS STRAIGHT-UP: Hamilton 6, Montreal 5
TOTALS AGAINST THE SPREAD: Hamilton 7, Montreal 4
Photo courtesy: Paul Yates/B.C. Lions
Saturday, November 4: Calgary Stampeders at B.C. Lions — 6:30 p.m. EDT
Same two teams as last year, near identical storylines. After the Stampeders stunned the Lions with a 41-16 blowout in Week 20, all the focus will be on Calgary’s vaunted running game led by Ka’Deem Carey. The same was true in 2022, only for Dave Dickenson to abandon his game plan early in the face of a dangerous B.C. aerial assault and place the burden on an overwhelmed Jake Maier, who had to be pulled in the fourth quarter. The Stamps are certain to be much more bullish on the ground in this game, but Vernon Adams Jr. and his star-studded receiving corps could still take it out of their hands — just as they did in the first two meetings between the teams this season. The Lions will also have their own boost to the ground game thanks to the return of Taquan Mizzell.
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DUNK: Vernon Adams Jr. still needs to prove he can win in the playoffs. Dave Dickenson will have Calgary ready for an upset.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
HODGE: B.C. got punched in the mouth two weeks ago but won’t let that happen again as they look for a West Final rematch against Winnipeg. If Vernon Adams Jr. is on his game, this one doesn’t have to be close.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
ABBOTT: The Stampeders have a perfect game plan for how to beat the Lions, but they tipped their hand too early. With two weeks to dissect the Calgary defence on tape, Jordan Maksymic and Vernon Adams Jr. will ensure the point differential is too wide for the running game to matter.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
BALLANTINE: The Stampeders lineup that is headed to B.C. is the same one that beat the Lions by 25 two weeks ago when both teams needed a win. Look for Carey and Logan to run Calgary all the way to Winnipeg.
Straight-up: STAMPS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
FILOSO: The Stamps’ 2023 season won’t be classified as a failure simply because they snuck into the playoffs, but there’s no magical run about to happen. This is a bad team versus a good one.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
GASSON: Calgary knows what they have to do to win. So does B.C. now. This will come down to who executes better. I think B.C. will find a way to stop the run.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
GRANT: I’ve been trying to talk myself into thinking this will be a game, but regardless of what happened a few weeks ago, this isn’t your slightly older brother’s Stamps anymore. B.C. is a very good team and Calgary just isn’t.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
HOSKINS: The Stamps won a couple of weeks ago but B.C. is still the better team.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
KLEIN: The Lions will learn from that upset a couple of weeks ago. The Stamps will do enough to keep it close but not enough to seal the deal.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: STAMPS.
MCGUIRE: This will depend on which VA shows up: Good Vernon Adams or bad Vernon Adams. Good VA is due for an appearance.
Straight-up: LIONS. Against the spread: LIONS.
SMITH: The Stamps got their big win in B.C. a couple of weeks ago. I see no reason to think a repeat of both of those performances will be in the cards for this one.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
