Saskatchewan @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2018 ) Montreal 23, Saskatchewan 17

The Saskatchewan Roughriders look to tighten their grip on second place in the West Division when they visit the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday. The Roughriders have won five of their last six games, including a thrilling 30-29 victory against the Toronto Argonauts in Week 15, and hope to increase their lead over the Edmonton Eskimos to four points by avenging a 23-17 loss to the Alouettes on June 30.

"We've got to go out there with a workmanlike attitude as they have beaten us four out of five times so we need to be ready to play," Saskatchewan coach Chris Jones told reporters. "They're a much-improved team from what they were even though they have dropped some games." Montreal is all but assured to miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season following a 31-14 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Quarterback Johnny Manziel returned to the lineup after a four-game absence, but it made no difference as the Alouettes were held to 14 points or fewer for the sixth time this season and hope to salvage some pride by completing the season sweep of the Roughriders. "These guys want to win and there's no denying the will and the want in this locker room," Manziel told reporters. "It's the little things that we're not doing to keep us together."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS, ESPN2

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (8-5): Zach Collaros threw for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Brett Lauther kicked the go-ahead 56-yard field goal with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter to lift Saskatchewan over Toronto. Naaman Roosevelt, who led the team with five receptions for 105 yards against the Argonauts, will miss Sunday's clash after suffering a lower-body injury and will likely be replaced by Kenny Shaw. Saskatchewan signed linebacker James Graham, offensive lineman Chris Schleuger and running back Sherman Badie, who played in four preseason games with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, to the practice roster.

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (3-10): Manziel completed 18-of-25 passes for 212 yards and added another 36 on the ground, but is still searching for his first CFL touchdown pass. Montreal traded Tyrell Sutton, who racked up 3,573 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in six seasons with the Alouettes, to the BC Lions in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2019 CFL Draft. Wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, who leads the team in catches (51), receiving yards (623) and touchdowns (three), has missed multiple practices this week and will be a game-time decision.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Saskatchewan has won four of its last five road games.

2. Montreal has given up 11 sacks in its last two games.

3. Lauther has made 39-of-42 field goal attempts this season.

PREDICTION: Roughriders 25, Alouettes 16