Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2018 ) Saskatchewan 32, Winnipeg 27

The Saskatchewan Roughriders look to clinch a home playoff date when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a pivotal West Division clash Saturday. The Roughriders have won seven of their last eight contests, including a hard-fought 19-12 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos, to go four points clear of the chasing pack in second place and can move on the cusp of hosting their first postseason game since 2013 by sweeping the season series with Winnipeg.

Saskatchewan beat the Blue Bombers 31-23 in the Labour Day Classic before rallying for a 32-27 victory in the Banjo Bowl, and search for their sixth consecutive win against West Division rivals. The Blue Bombers are flying high after a 40-32 overtime win against the Ottawa Redblacks extended their winning streak to three games. Winnipeg looked down and out after losing four straight games from Aug. 17 to Sept. 8, but the offence has come alive during its winning run, averaging 33.6 points to move a game ahead of the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos in the battle for the last two playoff spots. "We're in a good place right now," Winnipeg defensive back Chris Randle told reporters. "For us to step up and respond when our season was on the line was important."

TV: 2 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (10-5): Defensive end Willie Jefferson was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after he returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter to lift Saskatchewan past Edmonton, which helped the team set a single-season record with seven pick sixes, eclipsing the old mark set by the Roughriders' 1976 squad. "Our mindset as a defence is takeaways," Jefferson told reporters. "We know we've got one of the most athletic defences in the league and when we get our hands on the ball we want to finish the play." Wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt, who has caught 48 passes for 570 yards and four TDs, is likely to miss his third straight game with a knee injury.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (8-7): Weston Dressler caught five passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns against the Redblacks to move past Rocky DiPietro (706) for 12th place on the CFL's all-time receptions list with 709. The Blue Bombers added some depth to their defensive line as they signed Marcell Frazier, who was cut by the Cleveland Browns during training camp, and former Nevada Wolfpack alum Patrick Choudja to the practice squad. Jackson Jeffcoat, who has produced five sacks in 2018, could be ready to return to the lineup from an upper-body injury that has sidelined him for the last five games.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Saskatchewan has scored nine defensive touchdowns this season.

2. Winnipeg RB Andrew Harris is second in the CFL with 1,233 rushing yards, three behind Ottawa's William Powell.

3. Roughriders DE Charleston Hughes leads the league in sacks with 15.

PREDICTION: Roughriders 24, Blue Bombers 23