During each Tiger-Cats game, fans who sign up for Ticats All Access will have the opportunity to participate in our game day predictor. Fans will have the chance to prove that they are the most knowledgeable (or luckiest) fan, by answering a number of props questions prior to kickoff. The more questions you get right, the more yards you collect for your All Access account, which increase your chances for game day and weekly prizes.
This week we have a number of bonus opportunities available:
- Earn 100 bonus yards for making your Predictor Game picks before midnight tonight (Wed, Sept. 30)
- Earn 50 bonus yards for making your Predictor Game picks before midnight tomorrow night (Thurs, Oct. 1)
- Earn 50 bonus yards for logging in to your All Access account on the Tim Hortons Field WIFI during Friday’s game
- Earn 50 bonus yards for correctly predicting both combined points and final score outcome (Questions 1 and 20)
- Earn 40 bonus yards for correctly predicting completions for Jeff Mathews and receiving yards for Luke Tasker (Questions 9 and 10)
- Earn 30 bonus yards for correctly predicting total yards for Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stampeders receptions leader (Questions 16 and 17)
Here are five of the questions for this week’s home game against Edmonton, and which answers I’ll be choosing. For a full list of questions and to participate in the game, sign up for Ticats All Access and get your answers in-> http://allaccess.ticats.ca/
1. How many completions will Jeff Mathews throw? Over under 18.5 completions? (Question #9)
Jeff Mathews will make his first career CFL start on Friday, and while some may be down on Mathews after his rough second half against the Eskimos last week, there’s no reason to worry in Hamilton. Mathews has had a full bye week and long practice week ahead of his first career start, and those reps should go a long way in slowing the game down for him against the Stamps. The Ticats enter the game averaging 33.3 pass attempts per game, and if that remains steady, the rookie quarterback will need to complete just 58% of his passes to reach 19 completions. Mathews is a strong pocket passer who has the ability to make a number of throws, and despite the tough defensive competition, I’m banking on him to complete 19 or more on Friday.
Prediction: Over
2. Who will lead the Ticats in receiving yards? A) Luke Tasker B) Terrence Toliver C) Bakari Grant D) Terrell Sinkfield Jr. E) Other (Question #18)
Since joining the Ticats lineup in Week 6 against the Argos, Luke Tasker has jumped to within six yards of the team lead in receiving yards. With 47 receptions on 67 targets, Tasker trails Terrence Toliver for the team lead in targets by just seven and shares the lead in receptions, despite playing in just eight games. With Jeff Mathews– Tasker’s former college teammate and friend at Cornell– at the helm of the offence on Friday, there’s a good chance that Tasker continues his ascent up the Ticats and CFL leaderboards.
Prediction: Luke Tasker
3. What will the longest field goal be? Over or under 43.5 yards?
Friday’s game features two of the best kickers in the CFL in Justin Medlock and Rene Paredes. Both kickers are remarkably consistent and have the ability to leg out the long field goals as well. In combination with the stingy defences that both sides will field in this week’s game, these two kickers should combine for at least one field goal from long range.
Prediction: Over
4. Who will lead the Stampeders in receptions? A) Eric Rogers B) Jeff Fuller C) Marquay McDaniel D) Anthony Parker E) Other (Question #16)
Jeff Fuller stole the show in the last meeting between these two teams, bringing in nine receptions in the Week One matchup. Since that game Fuller has caught more than four passes just twice, as the bulk of the passing game has fallen on Eric Rogers, the CFL’s receptions and yards leader. Rogers has made five or more receptions seven times this season and he’s one of just two receivers in the league to see 100 targets in 2015. Marquay McDaniel shouldn’t be counted out in the weekly discussion, especially after his team-leading nine receptions in Week 14. Any of these three receivers could lead the team on Friday, but I’m going to go with the consistency of Rogers.
Prediction: Eric Rogers
5. What will be the final score outcome?
A) Ticats +8, B) Ticats +4, C) Even (3 or less by either team) D) Stampeders +4, E) Stampeders +8 (Question #20)
This season’s Week One Ticats and Stampeders matchup was decided by a last-second field goal, while five of the last seven Ticats and Stampeders games (including the Grey Cup) have featured a lead change in the last three minutes of the game, and five of those seven games have been decided by a single score. In total, the last seven meetings between Hamilton and Calgary have averaged a final score differential of 5.4 points; in other words, it’s always close when these two teams get together. Following that trend, I’m going to take option C for this question, predicting a game decided by fewer than four points either way.
Prediction: C) Even (3 or less by either team)