Ottawa @ Calgary preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 29, 2017 ) Ottawa 39, Calgary 43

The Calgary Stampeders look to continue their winning ways when they host the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday. The Stampeders opened the season with back-to-back victories, including 41-7 against the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday in a rematch of the 2017 Grey Cup, and hope to set the early pace in the West Division by improving to 3-0 for the first time since 2014.

Calgary has won seven straight regular-season meetings with East Division teams and aims for its fifth consecutive home victory against the Redblacks after outscoring Ottawa 177-82 over its previous four matchups at McMahon Stadium. The Redblacks opened up the new campaign in impressive fashion by routing the Saskatchewan Roughriders 40-17 after not playing in Week 1. Trevor Harris showed no ill effects from the leg injury he sustained in the preseason as he threw for 345 yards against Saskatchewan and hopes to lead Ottawa to its first regular-season win against Calgary since July 24, 2015. "It's a great win but we've long forgot about that and it's on to Week 2 against the class of the league over the past half-decade," Harris told reporters. "We're just excited about the challenge to go to Calgary and see how we stack up against one of the top teams in the league."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (1-0): Harris completed 26-of-36 passes with a pair of touchdown tosses and William Powell helped to keep Saskatchewan's pass rush honest by gaining 118 yards from scrimmage to go along with two TDs. "It feels great to get off to a good start," Powell told reporters. "We feel like we have a good team and we're confident of each guy we have in this room." Greg Ellingson, who led Ottawa in receptions (96) and receiving yards (1,459) last season, continued where he left off as he caught eight passes for 104 yards while Diontae Spencer added a touchdown catch against the Roughriders.

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (2-0): Bo Levi Mitchell had a night to remember as he set a career-best completion percentage by going 20-of-22 through the air for 324 yards and three touchdowns against the Argonauts. Eric Rogers had his most productive game since returning to the CFL following a two-year stint in the NFL as he hauled in five passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns while rookie running back Don Jackson racked up 123 rushing yards on nine carries. Wide receiver Marken Michel sat out the win over Toronto after suffering an ankle injury in the season opener against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and is questionable for Thursday's clash.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Calgary and Ottawa have played out two ties in their last four regular-season meetings.

2. Powell has recorded four touchdowns in his last two regular-season contests.

3. Mitchell is 27-3-2 in his career against East Division foes.

PREDICTION: Stampeders 35, Redblacks 30