Every playoff berth is accounted for as we head into the final week of the 2025 CFL season, but the positioning has yet to be determined. One spot can be confirmed Friday, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Ottawa Redblacks at 7 p.m. ET at Hamilton Stadium.
The Tiger-Cats (10-7) can secure the East Division title for the first time since 2019, as well as a first-round bye, with a victory over the Redblacks. Hamilton, which lost two of its three contests prior to last week’s bye, is tied with the Montreal Alouettes atop the division but owns the tiebreaker as it swept the two-game season series between the teams.
Ottawa (4-13) has missed the postseason for the fifth time in the last six campaigns but will be looking to end 2025 on a high note as it is coming off its fifth consecutive loss, a 39-28 setback against Montreal. The Redblacks dropped both of their previous meetings with the Tiger-Cats this year, including a 23-20 defeat at Hamilton in Week 6.
Also on Friday, the Calgary Stampeders attempt to give themselves a chance for another home game when they visit Commonwealth Stadium to take on the Edmonton Elks at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Calgary (10-7) is looking to end the regular season with a three-game winning streak after having trounced the Toronto Argonauts 44-13 in Week 20. The Stampeders can host a West Division semifinal contest with a win against the Elks and a loss on Saturday by the BC Lions, who face the division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium in Regina at 7 p.m. ET.
Edmonton (7-10) was eliminated from postseason contention with last week’s 37-24 setback at BC. The Elks split their two previous meetings with the Stampeders this year, winning 28-7 at Calgary in Week 13 and losing 31-19 at home the following week.
The Alouettes hope the East Division title still is within their grasp when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at Princess Auto Stadium. Montreal (10-7), which swept a home-and-home series with Ottawa following a Week 18 bye and enters its regular-season finale with a five-game winning streak, can win the East and receive a first-round bye with a victory if the Redblacks upset Hamilton on Friday.
Winnipeg (9-8) can avoid the crossover spot with a win against the Alouettes and a loss by the Lions on Saturday. The Blue Bombers, who edged Saskatchewan 17-16 last week for their third victory in four games, also are looking to sweep the season series after having posted a 26-13 triumph at Montreal in Week 12.
Saskatchewan (12-5) has nothing to play for when its hosts BC on Saturday evening, as it clinched its second West Division title in 15 seasons and an automatic trip to the conference final several weeks ago. The Roughriders won their first two meetings with the Lions this year, rolling to a 37-18 home triumph in Week 4 before posting a 33-27 victory at BC three weeks later.
The Lions (10-7) can secure second place in the West and a home playoff game with a win at Saskatchewan. BC enters with a five-game winning streak during which it has scored a total of 192 points and recorded at least 37 four times.
Hamilton is a 14.5-point favorite against Ottawa at FanDuel Sportsbook, while Edmonton is a 4.5-point underdog versus Calgary. Meanwhile, Winnipeg is favored by 5.5 points in its matchup with Montreal and BC is -7.5 against Saskatchewan.
SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt is 42-35 on his CFL picks this year and has revealed his selections for Week 21 of the 2025 CFL season, including against-the-spread predictions and leans on the total of every game.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and knows the game from a player’s perspective. Hunt’s dedication to analysis of all levels of professional football helped him crush the CFL, XFL and USFL in 2023, posting a combined ATS record of 98-73 in his SportsLine articles.
Ottawa Redblacks at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Friday, 7 p.m. ET)
Pick: Hamilton -14.5
Lean: Under 52.5
Hamilton still has playoff seeding left to play for, hoping to host the East Division Final and not have to play in the semifinals. When you combine that level of urgency and high stakes with the fact the Redblacks’ offense has been nonexistent over the last month of the season, I don’t see how Ottawa has enough motivation to cover this spread.
Calgary Stampeders at Edmonton Elks (Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET)
Pick: Edmonton +4.5
Lean: Over 53.5
There’s still a lot of fight left in the Elks, despite the fact their postseason hopes were dashed last weekend. How they’ve played over the last half of the season is impressive, and it’s a sign of things to come. The Stampeders need this game for seeding, so expect their best. But in that same vein, you also can expect the best from the Elks and I feel they’ll keep it closer than the spread indicates.
Montreal Alouettes at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET)
Pick: Montreal +5.5
Lean: Over 49.5
This could be a playoff preview. Both teams still are battling for seeding, so expect a high-level contest minus a few starters on each side as both teams get ready for the postseason. I like the overall depth of the Alouettes so even if we’re seeing a good amount of reserves in the game, they’ll be more than capable of holding their own.
BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
Pick: BC -7.5
Lean: Over 51.5
Saskatchewan will be resting a lot of its starters in the finale. Meanwhile, the Lions are trying to get a home playoff game, which they’ll do with a win. Expect BC’s starters to be in action longer than usual, considering they’ll have to play again next week. You also can expect the Roughriders to think long term and pull some of their players as the game wears on.
