Ottawa @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2017 ) Ottawa 9, Winnipeg 29

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to extend their winning streak to a season-high four games when they host the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday. The Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 29-23 in Week 9 to move into a second-place tie with the Edmonton Eskimos in the West Division and hope to stay hot by knocking off the Redblacks for the fourth straight time after sweeping the season series in 2017.

Winnipeg is 4-1 against East Division opponents this season with their victories coming by an average margin of 24 points. Ottawa bounced back from its stunning collapse against the Toronto Argonauts by pulling out a 24-17 victory against the Montreal Alouettes to open up a four-point cushion at the top of the East Division. The Redblacks needed a touchdown by running back William Powell in the final 10 seconds to beat the last-place Alouettes and hope to play mistake-free football after turning the ball over five times as they aim for their first win over the Blue Bombers since Oct. 29, 2016. "Taking care of the football is a key and we'll work on it," Ottawa coach Rick Campbell told reporters. "I view us as a 5-3 team that has some work to do."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN Plus

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (5-3): Trevor Harris fell one completion short of the CFL single-game record held by former Ottawa quarterback Henry Burris as he finished 44-of-54 for 487 yards and a touchdown against Montreal. Lewis Ward kicked three field goals to extend his streak of consecutive makes to 22 in a row, which broke the CFL rookie record previously held by Luca Congi, who made 21 straight in 2006. Defensive back Antoine Pruneau is expected to play after a thigh injury cut his night short against the Alouettes while linebacker Anthony Cioffi, who missed last week's contest with an undisclosed knock, returned to practice and will likely suit up for Friday's clash.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (5-3): Andrew Harris rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown against Hamilton to move within 12 yards of becoming the 14th player in CFL history to reach 7,000. Weston Dressler caught one pass for 10 yards (touchdown) to extend his receptions streak to 120 games - the seventh longest in league history - before suffering a lower-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup Friday with Ryan Lankford his likely replacement. "It's just nice to be back out there with the starting group again," Lankford told reporters. "You've got to prepare every week like your number gets called so when it does get called it's no switch."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Winnipeg has won three straight home games.

2. Harris leads the league in rushing (720).

3. Ward has made 25-of-26 field goal attempts in 2018.

PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 33, Redblacks 27