Calgary @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 18, 2018 ) Winnipeg 14, Calgary 22

The Calgary Stampeders look to continue their winning ways when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday. The Stampeders have won three consecutive games, including a 24-18 victory against the Edmonton Eskimos in Week 8, to catch Winnipeg at the top of the West Division and can take sole possession of first place by knocking off a division rival for the fifth straight time dating back to last season.

"We're on the road against one of the best teams in the CFL as Winnipeg's going to be a really tough match," Calgary quarterback Nick Arbuckle told reporters. "They have a great fan base and it's in hostile territory but it's going to be fun." The Blue Bombers have come back crashing down to earth after two losses in seven days. Winnipeg raced out to its first 5-0 start since 1960 but dropped a pair of games during their southwestern Ontario road swing, including a humbling 28-27 setback to the previously winless Toronto Argonauts in Week 8, and hope to bounce back by taking down the Stampeders in the first of a five-game stretch against West Division rivals. "We understand that we need to play better than we did in the last two weeks and that's all it really comes down to," Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols told reporters. "Calgary is winning a bunch of games and it's going to be a tough challenge but I always look forward to the challenge."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (5-2): Nick Arbuckle completed 19-of-28 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown while Terry Williams returned a kickoff 103 yards for a score to help Calgary win for the fifth time in six games. Defensive end Cordarro Law, who has six sacks in his last five games, suffered an undisclosed injury late in the win against Edmonton and his status is unknown for Thursday. Running back Romar Morris gained 14 yards on nine carries in his first appearance of the season after tearing his ACL in the Western Final last year while quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell resumed throwing and is targeting a return in mid-August after missing the last four games with a shoulder problem.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (5-2): Andrew Harris continued his scorching start to the season as he racked up 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Toronto to overtake Montreal's William Stanback (592) in the race for the rushing title with 646. Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, who has registered three sacks this season, did not practice after suffering a lower-body injury against the Argonauts and is expected to miss Thursday's clash. Winnipeg signed former Edmonton Eskimos defensive back Mercy Maston, who had 30 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 2018, after Brandon Alexander was placed on the six-game injured list last week.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Nichols has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 10 straight regular-season games.

2. Calgary WR Eric Rogers leads the league with five touchdown catches.

3. The Stampeders have won five of the last six meetings in Winnipeg.

PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 28, Stampeders 25