Hot News: The picks: Week 11 in the CFL

Henry Burris' next TD pass at TD Place in Ottawa for Redblacks will also be his first. 'I'm embarrassed,' he says (Files) FRIDAY B.C. at Ottawa, 4:30 p.m.

If you're just joining us, or haven't been following the exploits of the team that doesn't want to be known as an expansion but plays like one, you haven't missed a thing with the Redblacks, especially at home. Henry Burris hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in Ottawa's new digs. None.

'I'm embarrassed because nobody fears us as an offence,' says Burris. It's so bad in Ottawa that to commemorate the last touchdown thrown by a home quarterback the Redblacks are Friday unveiling a statue of Frank Clair.

The only thing Ottawa is doing well is take penalties. But they'll have a sellout crowd and the Lions haven't played in almost two weeks, which might make the game close. For awhile. B.C. simply can't afford to do anything other than come away with a positive result from Travis Lulay's starting debut. Province pick: Lions SATURDAY Calgary at Edmonton, 4 p.m.

Leave it to John Hufnagel to throw cold water on the Stamps' win over Edmonton on Monday, when he was asked about the significance of a victory over what was the league's best defence.

'It means if we don't win next week we're not in first place anymore,' Hufnagel snorted. He's right of course, as the West Division is anything but decided. But Rich Stubler's defence definitely won bragging rights and in the grand scheme of things figures to be better with an extra day of rest compared to the usual Labour Day scheduling formula.

Edmonton might get Mike Reilly back but the Stampeders are again rounding into what appears to be the class operation in the nine-team league. Jon Cornish is almost the league's leading rusher already and he's only played three games. Cornish has averaged 133 yards along the ground in his last seven starts against Edmonton and as long as that continues, the Eskimos aren't going to look as attractive even if it's their turn to trot out ugly new uniforms Saturday. Province pick: Stamps SUNDAY Hamilton at Montreal, 10 a.m.

Yeah, well, you're really going to want to set the alarm clock to watch these teams. Hamilton acted like it won the Super Bowl by beating Toronto by a point in its much-delayed Tim Hortons Field opener, bringing in Chris Berman for the occasion of all things. The biggest news with the Als is that they contacted neg list player Michael Sam to determine his CFL interest. Amazingly, Sam went to the Dallas Cowboys.

Montreal doesn't look as if it is any closer to figuring out how to generate offence on a regular basis and lost DB Geoff Tisdale during the practice week to injury, but they have better receivers and should prevail. Province pick: Als. Saskatchewan at Winnipeg, 1 p.m.

Historically this has been a trap game for the Riders, who usually dominate the first half of their home-and-home series only to stumble on the road against Winnipeg. It could happen again, too, even though Weston Dressler makes the Saskatchewan offence a lot more formidable, and it was already good enough to beat the Lions two games ago.

But the Bombers are having issues of their own, and appear at times as if their season is hanging on the health of QB Drew Willy, who was nearly crushed by the Riders pass rush last week. At 6-4, Winnipeg is only a game up on B.C. starting the weekend with a roadie against the Lions next Saturday, and appear to have lost Nick Moore (ankle) for a stretch too. Saskatchewan doesn't appear to be a team capable of ripping off a seven-game winning streak but that's what they will have after this one. Province pick: Riders

Bye: Toronto

Last week: 2-2 Season record: 27-14

Next Lions live chat: Friday, 1 p.m. PT, theprovince.com/sports

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