BC @ Ottawa preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2016 ) Ottawa 33, BC Lions 40

The BC Lions look to avoid falling out of the race for first place in the West Division when they travel to the nation's capital to battle the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday. The Lions have dropped three of their last four contests, including back-to-back games to the Saskatchewan Roughriders (41-8) and Calgary Stampeders (21-17), to fall four points off the pace in the ultra-competitive West Division and hope to avoid their first three-game skid in nearly two years.

"We just have to keep going," BC linebacker Solomon Elimimian told reporters. "It's the CFL and anything can happen and it's a long season so we just have to keep getting better." Ottawa is still in the thick of things in the East Division after downing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37-18 in Week 9. The Redblacks are one point out of a playoff spot despite winning only two games in 2017 and hope to take another step in the right direction by downing a West Division foe for the first time this season (0-4-1). "Our record is not what we ever thought it would be so we have to put some wins in the bank," Ottawa coach Rick Campbell told reporters. "This is a big month coming up for us as the next four games could go a long way in telling us where we go."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN3

ABOUT THE LIONS (5-4): Jonathon Jennings struggled once again with his consistency as he threw for 240 yards but finished with two interceptions against Calgary to take his total to six in the last two games. Bryan Burnham has missed the last two contests with a foot injury but he is expected to return Saturday as is fellow wide receiver Nick Moore, who sat out against the Stampeders with a sore hip. Speedster Chris Williams, who caught 165 passes for 2,460 yards and 15 touchdowns in two seasons with Ottawa, will face his old team for the first time Saturday.

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (2-6-1): Trevor Harris had another huge night as he completed 36-of-48 passes for 394 yards and a pair of touchdowns passes against winless Hamilton. Greg Ellingson was the main beneficiary of Harris' big game as he hauled in 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown to take his league-leading totals to 904 receiving yards and six TDs. Brett Maher kicked six field goals against the Tiger-Cats, which was two shy of the single-game CFL record shared by Dave Ridgway (1988) and Mark McLoughlin (1996).

EXTRA POINTS

1. BC has won nine straight games against East Division opponents dating back to last season.

2. Harris leads the CFL in passing yards (2,862) and touchdown passes (18).

3. The Lions have committed 11 turnovers in their last two games.

PREDICTION: Redblacks 37, Lions 31