Edmonton @ BC preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 28, 2017 ) BC 26, Edmonton 37

The BC Lions look to keep their faint playoff hopes alive when they host the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday. The Lions have dropped four consecutive games down the stretch, including a 26-20 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 17, to remain on the outside looking in for the playoffs, and need to win their last three games and hope the Saskatchewan Roughriders lose out to avoid missing the postseason for the first time in 21 years.

BC has lost its last three contests by a combined 12 points and aims to stay in the hunt for another week by ending a four-game slide against West Division rivals. The Eskimos punched their ticket to the postseason with a thrilling 30-27 victory against the Toronto Argonauts. Edmonton, which has won back-to-back games after losing their previous six, scored the go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds left to move within four points of the second-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers and still has an outside chance of hosting a playoff game, but will require the Blue Bombers to lose out while they win their final three games. "We're going to do everything that we can to try and improve our playoff position," Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly told reporters. "We control our own destiny to take third (place) and second is still not out of reach."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (9-6): Mike Reilly threw for 309 yards and a touchdown while C.J. Gable rushed for 104 yards and a score on 15 carries against Toronto to register his third straight 100-yard game. Wide receiver Brandon Zylstra hauled in nine passes for 147 yards to take his league-leading total to 1,482 yards on 91 receptions. Defensive back Chris Edwards suffered a lower-body injury in the fourth quarter against the Argonauts and is questionable for Saturday while wide receiver Vidal Hazelton could return to the fold after missing the last seven games with a pulled hamstring.

ABOUT THE LIONS (6-9): Jonathon Jennings threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns, but most of his yardage came late in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach. Star linebacker Solomon Elimimian led the way with 11 tackles against Winnipeg to take his CFL-leading total to 119 on the season while BC released defensive back Anthony Gaitor, who had 38 tackles and one interception in 2017, and linebacker Joe Burnett. "The vibe in the locker room is somber," Elimimian told reporters. "It's a tough pill to swallow because this is a proud organization and losing is unacceptable."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Gable has five touchdowns in his last three games.

2. Jennings has thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdown passes (five) in his last four games.

3. Reilly has thrown for more than 300 yards in 11 games this season.

PREDICTION: Eskimos 34, Lions 27