Posted at 12:30 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle -4 +103   BET365 -4 -110 Sportsinteraction -3½ +100 888Sport -4 -110

Calgary -4 +103 over Edmonton

7:00 PM EST. Forget the Stampeders for a minute, as we are here to talk about the big monkey the Elks got off their back last week when they finally ended their long and miserable home losing streak at 22. Believe it or not, it was their first win since changing their names to the Elks. Who says it’s not all in a name? Right? Anyway, as for those Elks, you would have thought they won their first Grey Cup in quite a while as the energy at the stadium, both on the field and in the stands, was palpable. If you watched it on TV, you know what we mean. There were tears of joy, relief, and maybe a few caused by the wildfire smoke, but regardless, the Elks dropped some serious baggage versus the Redblacks in that 30-20 win, and it might be a lot to ask for them to have their cups refilled just 8 days later against their biggest rival, in their barn, in their biggest game of the year.

Labour Day in the CFL is a tradition like no other, and there are three rivalries that define it: Winnipeg/Saskatchewan, Hamilton/Toronto, and of course, Calgary and Edmonton. For the Stampeders, who host this game every year, it’s by far the most important home game on the calendar. Despite their success over the years, the Stamps have always had a hard time drawing for a number of reasons that aren’t their own (namely, McMahon Stadium is the most outdated facility in the league by far, and it’s tucked way up in Northwest Calgary, which if you know, you know, and if you don’t, is a pain in the ass to get to either by your own vehicle or public transportation). Our point is, this is the one game that everyone tries to make an effort to get out to.

As far as recent results go, they’ve been positive on both sides. Despite losing, Calgary has covered two in a row against the two best teams in the CFL, Winnipeg and Toronto. The Stamps easily covered both games and have now covered three of their past four. They lost by just one point to Winnipeg two weeks ago, and last week, they were tied 31-31 in the 4th quarter against the Argos before a punt return touchdown by Toronto propelled the Argonauts to a 39-31 victory.

As for Edmonton, it has also covered lately with four covers in its last five games, but its last two covers were against Ottawa and Hamilton. Furthermore, the Elks have been about the most inept team in all of professional sports for two years, so it’s going to take a lot more than a couple of decent performances against the CFL’s worst teams to get their stock to rise, which is why it’s important to see the forest past the trees. As we mentioned to start this story, the Elks just closed out the chapter of another story, while the Stampeders are still writing theirs. That mix is not conducive to one, in this case, the Elks, staying within range of a very modest number, all things considered, against a team that, while it might not look like it on paper in the Stamps, is superior in every way.

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