The Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-5) look to keep their playoff position intact when they travel to face the British Columbia Lions (8-1), who will be without Nathan Rourke.
Roughriders vs Lions Betting Odds
Spread: Lions -4
Total: 46.5
When: Aug. 26, 2022, at 10:30 p.m. EDT
Venue: BC Place – Vancouver, British Columbia
Roughriders vs Lions Betting Preview
Obviously, the big news here is the absence of quarterback Nathan Rourke for British Columbia after he was the best player in the league for the first half of the season. Rourke threw for 3,281 yards and 25 touchdowns and added 304 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Now, it will be a case of what Michael O’Connor can do. British Columbia obviously has some faith in O’Connor, as they could have signed a backup with more experience but were content to ride with the third-year Canadian. He was a redshirt freshman at Penn State but transferred back to Canada.
The Roughriders will go with Cody Fajardo, who was benched last week in the 28-10 loss to the Lions after he threw a pair of first-half interceptions and led the team to just 3 points. Fajardo hasn’t been able to duplicate his first-season magic with the Roughriders but is probably a little better than she’s shown this season.
The Lions may be leading the league in offense, but the British Columbia defense is pretty solid itself, ranking No. 2 in points allowed. That should take some of the pressure of O’Connor, who shouldn’t feel like he has to do too much.
The Roughriders are pretty close to the league average in both offense and defense in terms of points allowed but are at their best when they’re running the ball. The ‘Riders abandoned the run a bit early last week.
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Roughriders vs Lions Betting Trends
Roughriders
Saskatchewan is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Saskatchewan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Lions
British Columbia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
British Columbia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Roughriders vs Lions Pick & Prediction
Tough one to pick here, as it’s really anybody’s guess how the Lions will approach the game. O’ Connor looked decent last week but there’s a lot of difference between coming into a 28-10 game in the fourth quarter, as opposed to starting the game. Believe the Lions will put this one into the hands of the defense.
Pick: Under 46.5