Toronto @ Hamilton preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2018 ) Toronto 36, Hamilton 18

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats look to build on their dramatic Week 11 win when they host the Toronto Argonauts in the Labour Day Classic on Monday. Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a field goal on the final play of the game as the Tiger-Cats rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to beat the Edmonton Eskimos 25-24 and they hope the comeback victory serves as a catalyst for their fifth straight win on Labour Day.

"The game we just played really started a pendulum swing back in the right direction," Hamilton wide receiver Luke Tasker told reporters. "If we can handle these two Toronto games properly then I think we will have really found ourselves." Toronto had seemingly turned the corner after back-to-back wins, including a thrilling 42-41 victory against the East Division-leading Ottawa Redblacks on Aug. 2, but dropped a 25-22 decision to the last-place Montreal Alouettes in Week 11. The defending Grey Cup champions are two points behind the Tiger-Cats in the standings and hope to stay in playoff contention by earning their first win on Labour Day since 2012. "They don't like us and we don't like them," Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson told reporters. "We know how big it is and it's the second half of the season so we have to crank it up."

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN Plus

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (3-6): Bethel-Thompson threw for 296 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Montreal while linebacker Bear Woods made a team-high nine tackles after sitting out the previous eight games with a fractured hand. Toronto made a big splash by signing Duron Carter earlier in the week after the mercurial wide receiver was released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 11, but he's not slated to make his Argonauts debut for at least two weeks. Toronto was dealt a severe blow with the news that linebacker/defensive back Cassius Vaughn has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an Achilles injury against the Alouettes.

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (4-5): Jeremiah Masoli threw for 419 yards and a touchdown while Alex Green racked up 104 yards on the ground as Hamilton swept the season series with Edmonton for the first time since 2006. Wide receiver Chris Williams, who was part of the trade that sent quarterback Johnny Manziel to Montreal, was placed on the six-game injured list after tearing his Achilles against the Eskimos, and will likely be replaced by Rashad Lawrence. Hamilton re-signed offensive lineman Landon Rice, who was also shipped to Montreal as part of the package for Manziel, after he was released by the Alouettes last week.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Hamilton leads the CFL in yards per game (420).

2. The Argonauts have given up an average of 38.3 points over their last three Labour Day matchups with the Tiger-Cats.

3. Hamilton WR Brandon Banks has registered six 100-yard receiving games in 2018.

PREDICTION: Tiger-Cats 30, Argonauts 21