After a barnburner on Thursday night to kick-off Week 8 of the CFL season, we’ve got another West Division battle this evening, as the Stampeders travel to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers.
Let’s kick back, relax and watch some Friday Night Football tonight (you know you sang that in your head). Let’s also make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stampeders vs. Blue Bombers prediction, preview
I think we can all agree that Calgary isn’t your normal 2-4 football team. Not only did the Stampeders’ campaign start with back-to-back losses by three points or fewer, but the squad has also dropped it’s past two contests in one-score decisions to Montreal — easily the cream of the crop in the East Division. It’s been a tough road.
That said, it’s still sort of unfathomable that Calgary could be below .500 with the way that Vernon Adams Jr. has been playing in 2026. It’s not like Adams is a stranger to success north of the border. He was an All-Star in 2019 with the Alouettes. He led the CFL in passing yards in 2023 with the Lions (4,769). However, the 33-year-old has been never been this locked in. Through six starts, Adams leads the league in passing touchdowns (17) and he’s yet to throw a single interception. It’s a truly mind-bending level of quarterback play.
Let’s also not sleep on Dedrick Mills, who began Week 8 leading the CFL in rushing yards (524), a title that Justin Rankin of the Elks stole back on Thursday night in Saskatchewan. With Adams and Mills producing at elite levels, it should come as little shock that the Stampeders are averaging 37.7 points per game in 2026 — the highest-mark in Canadian football. The only issue? Calgary is surrendering a league-worst 35.7 points and 448.2 opponent yards per game. Hence the underwhelming record. These are Drew Brees’ Saints. These are Dan Marino’s Dolphins in the 1980s. The Stampeders exclusively play in high-scoring affairs.
Conversely, the Blue Bombers have relied on their defense, allowing just 26.0 points per game, which is the best mark in the West Division. Tony Jones, Jake Ceresna and Willie Jefferson have been leading a unit that has been the driving force behind a 4-2 record through seven weeks of action. That isn’t lip service, either. Remember, this is a Winnipeg team that has been without starting QB Zach Collaros (neck) since Week 5.
This is where Dru Brown deserves a shoutout, though. A midseason trade brought Brown back to the Bombers after a couple of seasons as the primary quarterback in Ottawa. In his two starts since being acquired, all Brown has done is complete 70.3% of his passes in wins over the Argonauts and the Redblacks. Brown averaged 328.0 yards per start, too. This isn’t a “game manager” role. He’s been a key figure in the offensive attack.
Stampeders vs. Blue Bombers pick, best bet
Best Bet: Over 60.5 (-115)
This is an interesting one. Calgary’s smashed this over in its past five games. In fact, the only game in 2026 where the Stampeders haven’t exceeded 60 points was all the way back in Week 1, when they lost 30-28 to these same Bombers. I’ll still side with the more recent trend.
Strong Lean: Dedrick Mills Over 81.5 Rushing Yards (-125)
Mills ran for a season-high 130 yards against Montreal last week. This is a sneaky-good matchup, too. For as great as Winnipeg’s defense is overall, the team is surrendering the second-most opponent rushing yards per contest (110.7).
