Edmonton @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2018 ) Edmonton 13, Winnipeg 33

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Edmonton Eskimos to kick off the 2018 CFL season Thursday. The Blue Bombers notched 12 victories in 2017 - their highest win total in 15 years - before suffering a 39-32 setback to the Eskimos in the West Division semifinal and hope to exact a measure of revenge by downing Edmonton for the third consecutive time in the regular season.

Winnipeg returns most of its offensive core including quarterback Matt Nichols, who signed a contract extension in the offseason, but will start the new campaign without the veteran signal caller after he was placed on the six-game injured list with a knee injury. The Eskimos hope to live up to their billing as one of the league favourites after they were picked to win the Grey Cup in the inaugural CFL media poll. Edmonton won six consecutive games before falling to the Calgary Stampeders 32-28 in the West Division final last season and hope the dynamic duo of Mike Reilly and Derel Walker can lead the club to its second Grey Cup appearance in four years. "I think right now there's a lot of optimism about the team we've created and the players that are here," Edmonton coach Jason Maas told reporters. "Our focus now is beating Winnipeg and forming the identity of the 2018 Eskimos."

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

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2017: 12-6): Reilly threw for 5,830 yards and 30 touchdowns while adding 12 rushing scores en route to earning the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award last season. The Eskimos will feature some fresh faces at wide receiver after Brandon Zylstra, who hauled in 100 passes for 1,687 yards and five touchdowns in 2017 went to the NFL and veteran Adarius Bowman signed with the Blue Bombers in the offseason. Big things are expected from Walker, who caught 48 passes for 634 yards in eight games last year, after a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while veteran defensive back Brandyn Thompson was among 20 players released last week.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (2017: 12-6): Winnipeg coach Mike O'Shea announced that rookie quarterback Chris Streveler will be the Week 1 starter after beating out Alex Ross with Nichols shelved for the next 4-to-6 weeks. "All the quarterbacks have shown strong points but in the end Chris Streveler won the job," O'Shea told reporters. "I think he gives us a good chance to go out there and lead the team to victory." The Blue Bombers turned some heads when they parted ways with defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie, who was the first overall pick of the 2017 CFL Draft, while defensive back Brian Walker was also released in the final round of cuts.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Winnipeg RB Andrew Harris led the league with 1,035 rushing yards in 2017.

2. Edmonton has won 10 or more games in four straight seasons.

3. Streveler is set to become the first rookie quarterback to start a Week 1 game since Anthony Calvillo in 1994.

PREDICTION: Eskimos 28, Blue Bombers 21