CFL Picks, division semi-finals: Blue Bombers try to blaze a trail as East crossover team

Brady Oliveira and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are taking the path less travelled to the Grey Cup.

Winnipeg visits the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon in the East semi-final. Winnipeg opens the playoffs as a crossover team, having finished fourth in the West Division standings but with a better record (9-9) than the third-place Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-12).

Winnipeg becomes the 14th crossover team – all from the West – since the CFL adopted the format in 1996. Those teams have a 5-8 all-time record in the East playoffs and none have reached the Grey Cup.

This marks the second straight year Winnipeg has been the crossover club. The Bombers lost 42-33 to the Montreal Alouettes in the 2025 East semi-final.

Winnipeg and Toronto split their season series 1-1, but both games were played in Manitoba due to FIFA World Cup contests being held in Toronto.

Argos make Chad Kelly a million-dollar quarterback

Also on Saturday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders begin their title defence against the host B.C. Lions in the West semi-final.

Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly will play Saturday after missing last week’s regular-season finale against Montreal with a knee injury. Kelly signed a five-year contract extension this week with the Argos worth over $5.5-million and up to $5,805,250 with bonuses.

Kelly posted career bests this season in passing yards (5,067), touchdowns (33) and completion percentage (70.9), but also in interceptions (24). He led the CFL’s most productive aerial attack (342.5 yards per game) as Toronto boasted four 1,000-yard receivers (Damonte Coxie, David Ungerer III, Tyler Kahmann and Kevin Mital) for the first time.

But Toronto had trouble running the ball, finishing eighth in rushing (72.2 yards per game). Winnipeg’s defence was tops against the pass (272.1 yards per game) but eighth in rushing yards allowed (117.4).

The ground game is very important to Winnipeg. Oliveira led the CFL in carries (237), yards (1,493) and runs of 10-plus yards (44).

During the regular season, Oliveira had 35 touches and 203 yards from scrimmage against Toronto.

The big question in Winnipeg is who will play quarterback Saturday. Starter Zach Collaros (ribs) was injured in the Bombers’ 34-10 playoff-clinching win over B.C. last week.

Dru Brown came in and finished 11-of-11 passing for 185 yards and two TDs as Winnipeg outscored B.C. 24-0 in the fourth quarter to cement the victory.

This will mark the fifth time in six seasons Toronto will host a playoff game. The Argos own a 33-17-1 postseason mark at home.

Winnipeg is in the CFL playoffs for a 10th straight season but has a 24-34 record as the visiting team in the playoffs.

Kelly has thrown for 610 yards with four TDs and two interceptions against Winnipeg this season. Coxie has 13 catches for 227 receiving yards (17.5-yard average).

Pick: Toronto

Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. B.C. Lions (Saturday afternoon)

At Vancouver, B.C. and Saskatchewan meet for the fourth time this season with the Lions chasing a third straight victory. The hosts also own a 13-9 playoff record at home.

Not only are the Riders the defending Grey Cup champions, they’re also 7-5 in the playoffs against B.C. since 1963, including a 24-21 victory in last year’s West final. However, Saskatchewan is 21-36-1 overall as the visiting team in the playoffs.

This season, the home team has been victorious each time.

Both quarterbacks were solid in the head-to-head series.

Saskatchewan’s Trevor Harris threw for 1,070 yards with five TDs and two interceptions while completing 75.7 per cent of his passes. B.C.’s Nathan Rourke had 1,060 yards passing with six TDs and one interception as well as a solid 73.1 per cent completion rate.

Rourke has also rushed nine times for 115 yards and a TD. But Zander Horvath leads the Lions’ ground game, having run for 894 yards (4.9-yard average) and 18 TDs, one short of the CFL single-season record.

B.C.’s offence will present a big challenge as the Lions were second overall in net yards (416.7 per game) and rushing (116.7) and third in passing (314.9). Saskatchewan’s defence allowed the third-fewest points (25.5) and rushing yards (83.7) per game but was seventh against the pass (304.8 yards).

Both teams were 5-5 within the West Division. B.C. was 6-3 at home while the Riders were 3-5 on the road.

Pick: B.C.

Last week: 1-3

Overall: 53-28