Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 19 2026

The Ottawa Redblacks visit the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. Ottawa enters Week 16 at 0-12 and remains the CFL's only winless team, while Calgary is 5-8 and trying to remain alive in the West Division playoff race. The Redblacks nearly broke through last week before falling 26-23 at Toronto, while Calgary is trying to recover from a disastrous 53-16 loss at Edmonton. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be ready for all the CFL action with our free CFL picks.

Ottawa Is Getting Closer but Still Can't Finish

Ottawa's record tells the harshest possible story. The Redblacks are 0-12 this season and have now lost 18 consecutive games dating back to September 2025. However, last week's performance against Toronto was one of Ottawa's better opportunities to finally end the streak. The Redblacks stayed within striking distance throughout the game before losing 26-23, despite Toronto producing 563 total yards.

The offensive performance remained a concern. Ottawa generated only 285 total yards against the Argonauts, including 234 passing yards and 51 on the ground. The Redblacks did protect the football and committed no turnovers, which played a major role in keeping them within three points despite being outgained by 278 yards. That is the type of formula Ottawa probably needs again: avoid giveaways, prevent explosive scores and force the opponent to make mistakes.

There is at least a reason for optimism entering Calgary. The Stampeders aren't playing well defensively, and Ottawa just demonstrated that it can hang around against a much more productive offense. The problem is that close games have repeatedly ended the same way for the Redblacks. Until Ottawa proves it can finish one, backing the Redblacks to win outright remains difficult.

Calgary Gets Its Best Opportunity to Stop the Slide

Calgary's 5-8 record isn't where the Stampeders expected to be at this point in the season, and their performance against Edmonton was particularly ugly. Calgary was outscored 53-16 and allowed 441 total yards. The Stampeders surrendered 299 yards through the air and another 142 on the ground while committing two turnovers. After leading 7-3 through the opening quarter, Calgary was outscored 50-9 over the remainder of the game.

The offensive collapse was equally troubling. Calgary finished with only 271 total yards, including 160 passing and 111 rushing. The Stampeders completed just 13 of 26 passes and turned the football over twice. That's a dramatic decline for an offense that had been one of the CFL's more productive units for much of the season. Calgary now has consecutive losses to Edmonton by a combined 47 points.

This is about as favorable a bounce-back situation as Calgary could ask for. Ottawa has yet to win this season, and the Redblacks haven't won a game in more than a calendar year. Calgary also returns home with considerably more at stake in the standings. The Stampeders shouldn't need to produce 35 or 40 points to win this matchup. If they clean up the turnovers and get back to moving the football consistently, they should control the game.

Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders Picks and Prediction

Pick: Calgary Stampeders -7.5 or Better

Take the Calgary Stampeders if the spread is -7.5 or better. I'm not interested in laying a massive number with a 5-8 team coming off a 37-point defeat, but this is an ideal opponent for Calgary to rebound against. Ottawa is 0-12, has lost 18 straight games overall and generated only 285 yards last week. Calgary's recent performances are concerning, but the Stampeders possess considerably more offensive upside. If this opens around Calgary -6.5 or -7, I would consider that particularly strong value. Once it reaches double digits, the value decreases considerably.

Pick: Under 56.5

Take the Under if the total is set at 56.5 or higher. Ottawa's offense is the primary reason. The Redblacks scored 23 last week despite producing only 285 yards, while Calgary managed just 16 points and 271 yards against Edmonton. Calgary should have a significantly easier offensive matchup this week, but there is little reason for the Stampeders to force an aggressive shootout if they establish an early lead. A game in the neighborhood of Calgary 30, Ottawa 19 would give Calgary the cover at our target spread while keeping the game comfortably Under 56.5.

Final Picks: Calgary Stampeders -7.5 or Better and Under 56.5