Toronto Argonauts vs. BC Lions CFL Week 8 Prediction & Picks: Struggling Squads Vie for Victory in Vancouver

Thus far in CFL Week 8, scoring has been the name of the game. Will that continue to be the case today as Chad Kelly and the Toronto Argonauts visit the BC Lions, who will suit up sans superstar signal-caller Nathan Rourke (7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)?

Neither team enters this matchup on a high note. Toronto (2-4) has lost three in a row and suffered a tough road loss in a rivalry matchup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last Saturday.

The Argos trailed 24-10 entering the fourth quarter but found the end zone twice in the final stanza. But Lirim Hajrullahu missed a game-tying extra point and what would have been a walk-off winner from just 31 yards out to doom Toronto to a 24-23 defeat.

It was a major missed opportunity for the Argonauts, given that the Tiger-Cats are without Bo Levi Mitchell.

This week, they will hope for a better road result against another team without its star quarterback. In last week's visit to Edmonton, Rourke suffered a shoulder injury on the second play from scrimmage. Not only did he not return to the Lions' eventual 19-17 loss, but he is slated to miss several weeks.

Rourke should return in time for the business end of the season, but for his return to be meaningful, Chase Brice and the rest of the offense to perform well enough to help BC bag at least a few wins in the coming weeks.

That did not happen against this season's surprise squad, but a week and a return to BC Place may make a major difference. The Lions, however, will go in as a home dog, as the Argonauts hold the edge at Lucky Rebel and other top online sportsbooks.

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Argonauts vs. Lions Odds

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Argonauts vs. Lions Prediction and Picks

Kelly's return to action after missing all of last season has gone decently, as he is averaging 354.3 passing yards per game and has thrown 15 touchdown passes in six games.

But after scoring 30+ points in each of their first four games, the Argos have taken a step back offensively in the last two weeks, managing just 21 points in a loss at Winnipeg in Week 6 and taking three quarters to find their footing at Hamilton.

I think we will see better against a BC team that ranks last in the CFL in takeaways and opponent pass efficiency, but will it be sufficient to score a third consecutive win for a road team in Week 8?

I think Brice will fare better against the Argonauts than he did against the Elks (20 of 34, 226 yards, TD), but if the ground game fails to fire again like it did at Edmonton (just 15 yards on 11 carries), more frustration is ahead for the Lions.

Ultimately, while I don't have an overly optimistic view for either team in this matchup, I do think the Argonauts will come away with the win. Things weren't going very well for the Lions even before Rourke's injury, and his absence only hurts them further.

Argonauts vs. Lions Picks

• 1) Chad Kelly (Toronto) Over 334.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Lucky Rebel)
• 2) Keon Hatcher (BC) Over 68.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Lucky Rebel)
• 3) Tyler Kahmann (Toronto) Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+135 at Lucky Rebel)

Kelly hasn't hit this number in any of his last four games after throwing for 445 and 424 yards in his first two games back. But BC has the CFL's best run defense, allowing just 3.3 yards per carry, and if the Argos are to win this game, Kelly will need to have a prolific performance.

Speaking of prolific performances, Hatcher should see several balls thrown his way today, as he typically does. He had only five targets last week but still came away with 81 yards and a touchdown on four catches. With some time to prep, look for Brice to look for Hatcher even more this week.

Kahmann isn't the main aerial option for the Argonauts like Hatcher is for the Lions, but I like his chances to find the end zone again. He has done so in four of six games, and though he didn't score last week, he did have six catches (on six targets) for 104 yards. Kelly has a lot of options to choose from, but Kahmann, who is in his first season in the CFL, has quickly become one of his favorites when it comes to finding paydirt.