BC @ Edmonton preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 24, 2017 ) Edmonton 30, BC 27

The Edmonton Eskimos put their perfect record on the line when they host the BC Lions in a West Division showdown Friday. The Eskimos scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown with 23 seconds left, en route to a 31-28 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2014, and hope to take sole possession of first place in the West by downing the Lions for the second time following a 30-27 win in the season opener.

"For a Week 6 matchup it doesn't get much bigger than this," Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly told reporters. "I think both teams are playing great and are on four-game win streaks so what more could you ask for?" BC is one of the hottest teams in the CFL following a thrilling 45-42 victory against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 5. The Lions rallied from a 15-point deficit with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to extend their winning streak to four games and hope to unseat the Eskimos by notching their first victory at Commonwealth Stadium since a 17-3 triumph July 13, 2013. Travis Lulay has been nothing short of spectacular in relief of Jonathon Jennings, who is out 3-to-6 weeks with a shoulder injury, as the veteran quarterback has thrown for more than 400 yards in two appearances, and hopes to continue his magic against a staunch Edmonton defence that has allowed a league-low 23.8 points per game.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

ABOUT THE LIONS (4-1): Lulay threw for 404 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns while Jeremiah Johnson ran for 48 yards and a score against Winnipeg to take his league-leading total to five rushing TDs through five games. Manny Arceneaux caught five passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns to move past Mervyn Fernandez (6,690) in third spot on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list. Marquee free-agent acquisition Chris Williams, who caught 77 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016, practiced for the first time with his new team after rehabbing a torn ACL, but is not expected to make his BC debut for at least another week.

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (4-0): Mike Reilly threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns against Hamilton to move past Matt Dunigan (87) for fifth place on Edmonton's all-time passing list. Defensive back Garry Peters will miss Friday's clash after he was handed a one-game suspension for shoving an official during the Tiger-Cats game. Wide receiver Bryant Mitchell caught five passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in his season debut as he filled in for an injured Adarius Bowman, who was put on the six-game injured list with a sore hamstring while offensive lineman Jacob Ruby and linebacker Kevin Jackson were added to the practice roster.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Edmonton's four wins have come by a combined 12 points in 2017.

2. Johnson is the only player in the CFL to rush for a touchdown in every game this season.

3. Reilly hasn't thrown an interception in his last 215 regular-season pass attempts.

PREDICTION: Lions 27, Eskimos 24