Take a good look, ladies and gentlemen, because we're setting up for a classic clash in the land known for its frosty hockey rinks and robust maple syrup: Canada. How lovely. We've got the Calgary Stampeders hoofing it over to square off against the BC Lions.
So where do these mighty behemoths of Canadian sports stand? Let's see. When reviewing their past affairs, our Lions have outranked the Stampeders in three of their last five face-offs, with victories impressive enough to make even the most stoic Mountie crack a smile.
That's not all. Calgary Stampeders can't exactly wave their regular-season record around like a flag of pride. Soberingly sitting at 4-9-1... It's almost enough to make one sentimental...almost. Whereas our BC Lions are baring their teeth at, admittedly, a not massively fashionable 7-8... but hey, it's still much prettier than the Stampeders' record, much like their uniforms.
And what of their recent matches? The Stampeders seemed to have left home but forgotten to pack their 'A-game', with their score sheet looking a bit like a disheartened shrug. On the other hand, the 'Lions of BC' have been roaring and scoring, even while licking their wounds from those pesky Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts.
Now, if we take a quick look at the league table, the Lions are perched at the #3 spot in the West Division, a place definitely not known for its beach weather. Meanwhile, the Stampeders are trailing behind at #5 in the same division. At this rate, it's fair to question if the Stampeders are lobbying for an automatic escalator instead of climbing the competition ladder.
So, after wading through stats and sifting through numbers that even rainman would get weary of, who takes home the maple-glazed bacon in this distinctly Canadian standoff?
Albert’s Prediction: BC Lions by 8