CFL 2024 Season Week 5 Game Preview: BC Lions at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Week 5 of the CFL season closes Sunday night football with a matchup between the BC Lions (3-1) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-4) at Tim Hortons Field.
The Lions have been on a roll, winning three straight games, but have won the last two games by a combined five points. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. entered the weekend as the league’s leading passer with 1,369 yards and right in the middle of the conversation for MOP. The offense leads the CFL in yards per game with 415.2.
While Hamilton's record isn’t favorable, the Tiger-Cats have the third-ranked offense (390.5) and the fourth-ranked defense (352.8) in the CFL. Losing close games and turnovers have hurt Hamilton’s season. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is tied for the league lead in interceptions with five, and three of the team’s four losses were by one possession.
Preview
Game Information
Line: Lions -5.5, O/U 53.5
Date/Location: Sunday, July 7, 2024, at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
Kickoff Time: 7:00 pm EST
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 27 Degrees Celsius
TV/Streaming: TSN, RDS, CFL+
Injury Reports/Inactives
The BC Lions have two players out on their injury report: wide receiver Ezeichel Tieide (knee) and linebacker Josh Woods (knee), who recently announced he is done for the season. Four players are questionable, including defensive linemen Francis Bemiy Jr. (hamstring) and Nathan Cherry (knee), defensive back T.J. Lee (Achilles) and wide receiver Keon Hatcher (Achilles). All four were not listed on the team’s depth chart.
To say that the Tiger-Cats are banged up is an understatement, with 15 players showing up on the injury report. Fortunately, they will get back running back James Butler, who missed time with a head injury. Eight players are out for Hamilton, including four on the offensive line.
Keys to Victory
The offensive game plan for BC is simple: protect Adams in the pocket and let him rip it. Wide receiver Alexander Hollins has been one of the top deep threats in the CFL and needs to be sent down the field on long bomb passes.
Mitchell must avoid turnovers and get the ball into receiver Tim White’s hands. White bounced back nicely last week with 110 yards in the loss to the Ottawa Redblacks and seemed back in midseason form, so Hamilton needs to get him involved. The secondary will be tested by this top passing offense in BC, so the front seven need to assist in containing Adams in the pocket and forcing him to make mistakes.
Prediction
Moving the ball has not been the issue for Hamilton, and the defense has held its own. Despite having leads, this team has found multiple ways to lose games often this season. BC has had slow starts to first halves but gets the ball rolling in the second half. The Lions have the advantage and should impose their will on the Tiger-Cats to pick up a favorable win.
BC Lions 34, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24
You can follow Anthony Miller on X @ByAnthonyMiller.
Catch up with CFL on SI.com on Facebook and X.
