Week 7 in the CFL season kicks off on Thursday night at IG Field, where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Edmonton Elks. The Bombers are fresh off a shocking fourth-quarter collapse to the Redblacks and face an Elks squad still looking for its first win of the year.
Oddsmakers don't expect them to get that elusive victory this week, with CFL betting lines opening the Bombers as massive 16.5-point faves before shortening to -14.5. Here are my best free Elks vs. Blue Bombers CFL picks and predictions for July 20.
Elks vs Blue Bombers best odds
Elks vs Blue Bombers picks and predictions
Despite many people expecting the Edmonton Elks to show improvement this season, they continue to look like the worst team in the CFL. They had a pair of close defeats against the Roughriders but have generally been getting blown out.
They are coming off a 37-29 home loss against the Ticats where the final score looked more respectable than the game actually was since they managed to outscore Hamilton 16-3 in the final frame. That was similar to their Week 3 home loss to the Argos, where they scored 14 garbage-time points in the final three minutes to lose by a final score of 43-31.
In both of those losses, backup QB Jarrett Doege replaced Taylor Cornelius in the second half to give the team a spark. Despite poor play all season, Cornelius continues to get first-team reps at practice and is expected to start on Thursday.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are also coming off a defeat after falling in overtime to the Redblacks on Saturday. The Bombers are one of the most talented and experienced teams in the league on both sides of the ball, but they have a nasty habit of taking their foot off the pedal after building early leads.
When they played Hamilton earlier this season, they jumped out to a 30-4 lead before allowing the Ticats to score four touchdowns in the second half. That issue was even more problematic last week when they entered the fourth quarter with a 25-6 lead but allowed the Redblacks to tie the game by scoring 16 points in the final three minutes.
With the Bombers coming into this contest on just four days of rest, I'm a bit wary of backing them on the full-game spread with such a big number. Given how much more talented they are, however, and their tendency to get off to fast starts, I'll back them on the first-half spread. Especially with Zach Collaros & Co. likely coming out highly motivated at home after letting that lead evaporate on the weekend.
My best bet: Blue Bombers first half -7.5 (-113 at FanDuel)
Elks vs Blue Bombers same-game parlay
Blue Bombers first half -7.5
Brady Oliveira Over 78.5 rushing yards
Maurice Ffrench Over 54.5 receiving yards
Brady Oliveira had just 16 rushing yards on nine carries last week, although he did show his big-play ability in the passing game. He's still one of the better running backs in the league and should be in line for a bounce-back game against an Edmonton defense that allows 147.5 rushing yards per game on 5.9 yards per carry.
That Elks front could be even worse on Thursday since middle linebacker Nyles Morgan and defensive tackle J-Min Pelley have been ruled out due to injuries. With the Bombers expected to win by plenty of points in this one, they should be reliant on Oliveira to chew up the clock.
With that same train of thought, the Elks will likely look to air it out as they play catch up. That will mean plenty of targets for slotback Maurice Ffrench. The rookie had a strong preseason, and although he began this season on the bench, he's started the last three games with injuries decimating Edmonton's WR corps.
Ffrench had six catches for 70 yards against the Redblacks in Week 4, and after being contained by the Riders in Week 5, he bounced back by hauling in six of nine targets for 74 yards last week.
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Elks vs Blue Bombers spread and Over/Under analysis
The spread has slimmed from the opening number of -16.5 to -14.5 but the total has stayed steady at 45.5.
The Bombers are 4-2 ATS but have just one victory by more than 14 points with Thursday's spread sitting just above that key number. Meanwhile, the Elks are 1-5 ATS and have lost by more than 14 points on two occasions.
With a punch-less Edmonton offense and opponents often leaning on their ground games to control the clock, the Elks have seen some low-scoring contests with the Under 4-2 this season. The Bombers began the season with a couple of high-scoring shootouts against the Ticats and Riders, but the Under has cashed in three of their last four games.
Elks vs Blue Bombers trend to know
The Blue Bombers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a straight-up loss. Find more CFL betting trends for Elks vs. Blue Bombers.
Elks vs Blue Bombers game info
| Location: | IG Field, Winnipeg, MN |
| Date: | Thursday, July 20, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Elks vs Blue Bombers key injuries
Elks: Nyles Morgan MLB (Out), Aaron Grymes DB (Out), Andrew Garnett OT (Out), Tomas Jack-Kurdyla RG (Questionable), Geno Lewis WR (Out), Enock Makonzo (Out), J-Min Pelley DT (Out), Josiah St. John OT (Out), Ed Gainey DB (Out), Emmanuel Arceneaux WR (Out).
Blue Bombers: Celestin Haba DE (Questionable), Malik Clements WLB (Questionable), Kyrie Wilson LB (Questionable), Jamal Parker DB (Questionable), Winston Rose DB (Out), Janarion Grant WR/KR (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
