Edmonton @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2016 ) Edmonton 40, Winnipeg 26

The Edmonton Eskimos look to remain unbeaten when they battle the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a West Division showdown Thursday. The Eskimos held off the Ottawa Redblacks 27-20 in Week 8 to improve to 7-0 for the first time in 56 years, and hope to keep their unblemished record intact by notching their fifth straight road win in the series.

"It's something special and I know it," Edmonton coach Jason Maas told reporters. "I just love it because they're a great, hardworking group and they do it the right way on a week-to-week basis so I'm happy we're able to continue the streak." Winnipeg rolled past the struggling Hamilton Tiger-Cats 39-12 to notch its third consecutive win. The Blue Bombers are currently firing on all cylinders, averaging 38.7 points over their last four contests and hope for more offensive fireworks to turn the tide in a one-sided rivalry, which has seen Edmonton win seven of the last eight meetings. "We know we have a tough team coming into our house and it's going to be a tough four-quarter game," Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols told reporters. "It's going to be a tough battle but I have all the faith in the world in our guys."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN3

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (7-0): Mike Reilly completed 27-of-38 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns against Ottawa to extend his touchdown passing streak to a franchise-record 17 games. Edmonton continues to be bitten by the injury bug as all-star defensive tackle Almondo Sewell (upper body) and defensive end Marcus Howard (leg) were hurt in the second half and their status is up in the air for Thursday's clash. Wide receiver Bryant Mitchell has done an admirable job filling in for an injured Brandon Zylstra as he's caught 15 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown in his last two contests.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (5-2): Andrew Harris ran for 107 yards on 14 carries against Hamilton to move past George Dixon (5,615) for 32nd place on the CFL's all-time rushing list. Nichols finished 25-of-35 for 267 yards and two touchdowns against the Tiger-Cats to improve to 15-5 since replacing Drew Willy as the starting quarterback in July 2016. Defensive end Faith Ekakitie, who was selected first overall in the 2017 CFL Draft, was a healthy scratch in Week 8 as the former Iowa Hawkeye continues to struggle with his footwork and the nuances of the Canadian game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Eskimos have won 12 of their last 13 regular-season games dating back to last year.

2. Winnipeg hasn't beaten Edmonton at home since July 26, 2012.

3. The Blue Bombers lead the CFL with 10 interceptions.

PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 31, Eskimos 30