Western Conference battles
Week 7 of the CFL season is set to feature several compelling matchups, with teams looking to improve their standings. The action begins on Friday with the BC Lions travelling to face the Edmonton Elks. This will be the second encounter between these two teams this season. Two weeks prior, the Lions secured their only win of the season against the Elks in Kelowna, which also marked Edmonton’s sole loss of the year so far. During that game, BC’s run defence limited Elks running back Justin Rankin to 19 yards on seven carries, while James Butler of the Lions recorded 135 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions also forced three turnovers in that contest, their first of the season. The Elks, known for their physical defence, have generated 16 turnovers this season, including two interceptions against Nathan Rourke in their previous game against BC. The run game and turnover battle are expected to be crucial factors in this upcoming rematch.
On Saturday, the Calgary Stampeders will host the Montreal Alouettes in the second part of a home-and-home series at McMahon Stadium. Last week, the Alouettes defeated the Stampeders in a closely contested game. This matchup will also see twins Tyson Philpot of Montreal and Jalen Philpot of Calgary compete for the fourth time. Tyson Philpot had a strong performance last week with nine catches for 132 yards and one touchdown, improving his record against his brother to 3-0. He currently leads the league in receptions with 45 and receiving yards with 719. The Stampeders have faced challenges with injuries in their secondary, contributing to a struggling pass defence. Despite Calgary’s effective run game with Dedrick Mills and Vernon Adams Jr.’s impressive 14-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio, their defence will need to contain Philpot and Tyler Snead.
Eastern Conference matchups
Saturday’s doubleheader also includes the first QEW rivalry game of 2026 between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Both teams enter the game with a 2-3 record and are on two-game losing streaks. Hamilton is currently dealing with a quarterback injury, as Bo Levi Mitchell is expected to miss significant time. Backup quarterbacks Jake Dolegala and Tre Ford have combined for 181 passing yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and seven points over approximately six quarters since Mitchell’s injury. The Tiger-Cats will face an Argonauts defence that allows the most passing yards per game (375.0) and the second-most net offence (434.4). Toronto’s Chad Kelly has thrown 14 touchdowns this season, tied for the league lead, but also has a league-leading eight interceptions. The Argonauts lead the league in passing yards per game and are second in offensive points scored. Hamilton’s defence recorded two interceptions last week against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, with picks from Wynton McManis and Stavros Katsantonis.
The week concludes on Sunday as the Ottawa Redblacks, still seeking their first win of the season, host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Redblacks fell to 0-5 last week after a loss to Edmonton. There is a potential storyline involving Dru Brown, who started for Winnipeg last week in place of an injured Zach Collaros and led his team to a victory over Toronto. Brown completed 25 of 31 passes for 339 yards and one touchdown in that game. He previously lost the starting job in Ottawa during training camp before being traded to Winnipeg. It remains to be seen who will start at quarterback for the Blue Bombers this Sunday. The Redblacks have struggled offensively and defensively, ranking last in points for, net offence, and rushing yards per game on offence, and last in net offence allowed and rushing yards allowed, while being second last in points allowed.
Writer predictions for Week 7
The CFL.ca writers have made their picks for Week 7. For the Lions versus Elks game, 60% of writers picked Edmonton to win. In the Alouettes versus Stampeders matchup, 80% of writers selected Calgary. The majority of writers, 80%, believe Toronto will win the QEW rivalry game against Hamilton. Finally, all writers, 100%, picked Winnipeg to defeat Ottawa.
Currently, Kristina Costabile holds the top spot in the writers’ standings, with Jamie Nye close behind by a single game. Matt Cauz has improved his season record to .500, and Pat Steinberg and Vicki Hall are just two games behind him. The outcomes of these Week 7 games will determine if there are changes in the standings.
The Lions and Elks game is scheduled for Friday, July 17, at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Alouettes and Stampeders will play on Saturday, July 18, at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Argonauts and Tiger-Cats will also play on Saturday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Blue Bombers and Redblacks game will wrap up the week on Sunday, July 19, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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Source: cfl.ca
