Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Ottawa Redblacks Picks and Predictions for Friday October 2 2026
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats visit the Ottawa Redblacks at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday, October 2, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET with coverage on TSN and CFL+. Hamilton enters Week 18 at 4-11, while Ottawa remains winless at 0-14. The Tiger-Cats were officially eliminated from postseason contention following their 37-35 overtime loss to Edmonton, while Ottawa fell to Calgary 45-31 last week. At the time of this writing a widely available conventional point spread had not been released, while the total is sitting around 60.5. Be sure to check out our free CFL picks for more CFL predictions throughout the season.
Tiger-Cats Playing for Pride
Hamilton’s season will not extend into the playoffs, but the Tiger-Cats showed plenty of fight in their most recent outing. They entered Edmonton as a substantial underdog and pushed the Elks into overtime before falling 37-35. That result dropped Hamilton to 4-11 and officially ended its postseason hopes.
The Tiger-Cats have struggled to string together complete performances throughout the year, but this represents a considerable drop in opponent quality. Hamilton has already demonstrated an ability to remain competitive with much stronger teams, and scoring 35 points against Edmonton provides some encouragement for an offense that has dealt with instability during the season.
Motivation becomes the difficult variable once a club has been eliminated, but Hamilton still has a favorable opportunity to finish the year with some momentum. Ottawa has yet to win a game, and the Redblacks have repeatedly struggled to prevent opponents from putting points on the board.
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Redblacks Still Searching for Win No. 1
Ottawa enters Week 18 at 0-14 after another disappointing defensive showing. The Redblacks lost 45-31 to Calgary last week, continuing a season in which competitive stretches have rarely translated into victories.
There have been signs of life offensively. Ottawa scored 38 points in a 40-38 loss to Calgary on September 19 before putting up another 31 in last week’s rematch. That’s 69 points over two games, suggesting the offense is capable of contributing enough to create another high-scoring contest.
The obvious issue remains finishing games. Ottawa has now had 14 opportunities without producing a victory, and backing the Redblacks simply because they are increasingly desperate for that first win isn’t enough. Hamilton has the better recent performance against a quality opponent and should have opportunities against an Ottawa defense that surrendered 85 points over its last two games.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Ottawa Redblacks Picks and Prediction
Pick: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Until a reliable conventional spread becomes available, the safer recommendation is Hamilton on the side rather than attaching an artificial number. Ottawa has been more competitive offensively, but the Redblacks are still 0-14 and just allowed Calgary to score 45 points. Hamilton nearly upset Edmonton as a sizable road underdog last week and scored 35 points in the process. The Tiger-Cats are eliminated, but this remains a favorable matchup against the only winless club in the CFL.
Pick: Over 60.5
This is a high total, but recent results support it. Ottawa’s last two games produced 78 and 76 combined points, while Hamilton’s 37-35 overtime loss to Edmonton finished with 72. Neither defense inspires enough confidence to make the Under particularly appealing. Ottawa has scored 69 points over its past two contests while still allowing 85, creating exactly the type of profile that can produce another shootout. Look for both offenses to reach the upper 20s with a good chance one gets into the 30s.
Final Picks: Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Over 60.5
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