Toronto @ Hamilton preview
Tim Hortons Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 2, 2019 ) Toronto 27, Hamilton 38
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats look to cap off a historic regular season with another victory when they host the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday in the Battle of Ontario. The Tiger-Cats have set a franchise record for most wins in a season en route to clinching their first East Division title since 2014, and hope to put an exclamation point on an impressive campaign by sweeping the season series after a pair of victories over the Argonauts by a combined 102-41.
"We're going to keep building," Hamilton coach Orlondo Steinauer told reporters. "Our focus is on Toronto next week and then the East final." Toronto is showing no quit despite missing out on the playoffs for the second time in as many years after trouncing the Ottawa Redblacks 39-9 in Week 20. The Argonauts have won two of their last three games but were doomed by a 2-9 start and hope to earn some provincial bragging rights by taking down the Tiger-Cats for the first time in more than two years. "The numbers just haven't added up to wins this year which has been very frustrating for us," Toronto wide receiver Armanti Edwards told reporters. "Not everybody is guaranteed a job next year and you never know what's going to happen so you have to go out there and give it your best."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (4-13): McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 15-of-22 passes for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns in two quarters before making way for youngsters Dakota Prukop (6-of-8, 98 yards, two TDs) and Michael O'Conner (5-of-9, 61, one) against Ottawa. Wide receiver Derel Walker will miss his second straight game while running back James Wilder Jr, who led the team with 1,230 yards from scrimmage last season, will sit out with an unspecified ailment and is set to depart the franchise after voicing his desire to leave Canada after the season. Edwards needs 48 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in his four-year career.
ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (14-3): Dane Evans went 29-of-36 for 379 yards and four touchdowns in the 38-26 victory against Montreal as Steinauer opted not to rest his starters with the division title already wrapped up. Banks strengthened his case for the East Division's Most Outstanding Player award after hauling in 11 passes for a career-high 201 yards and three touchdowns to register his eighth 100-yard receiving game of the season. Banks also set a franchise record for most receptions in a season with 112, eclipsing Luke Tasker's tally of 104 in 2017
EXTRA POINTS
1. Hamilton has won five straight meetings with Toronto.
2. Banks leads the CFL in receptions (112), receiving yards (1,550) and touchdown catches (13).
3. Bethel-Thompson has thrown a league-high 26 touchdown passes this season
PREDICTION: Tiger-Cats 34, Argonauts 24