Ottawa @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 7, 2018 ) Ottawa 32, Toronto 17

The visiting Ottawa Redblacks look to pad their lead at the top of the East Division when they face the struggling Toronto Argonauts on Thursday. The Redblacks have won back-to-back games, including a 21-15 victory against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 7, to tighten their grip on first place and hope to move six points clear of the chasing pack by taking down their third straight East Division rival.

"We have to be sharp," Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris told reporters. "We're going into Toronto against a team with its back to the wall and they will come out scratching, clawing and fighting." The Argonauts are left to pick up the pieces following a 40-14 setback to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Toronto coach Marc Trestman is hoping that a quarterback change will provide a spark as McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the former UCLA Bruin who spent six seasons in the NFL, takes over from James Franklin to make his CFL debut. "We said it would be a competition and we want to give McLeod a chance," Trestman told reporters. "He is a dedicated member of our football team and he deserves an opportunity to start."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (4-2): Lewis Ward matched a franchise record for most field goals in a game after going 7-for-7 against Hamilton and extended his streak of consecutive field goals to 17 in a row. "That's my job, that's what I'm here for," Ward told reporters. "We know CFL games can be very close and we've had a few of them so I can't really afford a miss and in the end it helps us win games." Harris went 23-of-35 through the air for 228 yards while Brad Sinopoli continued his stellar start to the season as he hauled in nine passes for 82 yards against the Tiger-Cats.

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (1-5): Franklin threw for 236 yards and rushed for a touchdown, but finished with three interceptions against Winnipeg to give him six picks in four games since taking over from the injured Ricky Ray. Toronto acquired offensive lineman Ryan Bomben and a fifth-round pick in 2020 from the Montreal Alouettes in exchange for defensive back T.J. Heath and a third-round pick. Former Pro Bowler Dexter McCluster will have to wait a few weeks to make his CFL debut as the former Kansas City Chiefs running back/kick returner suffered a leg injury in practice while kicker Ronnie Pfeffer is questionable after suffering a lower-body injury against the Blue Bombers.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The last two meetings between Ottawa and Toronto have been decided by a combined four points.

2. The Argonauts have failed to score more than 20 points in each of their six games in 2018.

3. Sinopoli leads the CFL in receptions (45).

PREDICTION: Redblacks 27, Argonauts 18