The BC Lions travel to Alberta to take on the Edmonton Elks in the Western Finals on Saturday, and the winner will earn a spot in the Grey Cup.
Matchup | Edmonton Elks vs. BC Lions |
Competition (Round) | CFL Playoffs (West Division Finals) |
Date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
Start Time | 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. Local) |
Location | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
Stadium | Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium |
TV Channel (Canada) | TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and RDS |
TV Channel (USA) | CFL+ |
The Edmonton Elks (13-5) finished the regular season with the best record in the West and will match up against the BC Lions (10-8), who booked their ticket to the West Final with a 33-26 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The two teams match up incredibly well, setting up what should be an extremely close contest in the West Final. The Elks were the league's best rushing team, averaging 127.6 yards per game on the ground, but they'll face the league's top run defense. The Lions allowed only 71.3 rushing yards per game during the regular season, largely thanks to this season's Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Darnell Sankey.
In their two meetings this season, Edmonton's star running back Justin Rankin tallied just 28 rushing yards on 14 carries (2.0 yards per carry). Rankin was far from quiet overall, however, accumulating 146 yards combined across both games. Rankin finished with the second-most rushing yards in the league (1,170) and led the CFL with 11 carries of 20+ yards.
BC has proven they can slow Edmonton down on the ground, but they'll need quarterback Nathan Rourke to put up points against a terrifying Elks defense.
The Elks finished the season with the best defense in the CFL, leading the league in interceptions (27), forced fumbles (18), fumble recoveries (15) and tackles for loss (37). Their +23 turnover ratio was a huge reason for the team's success, but it was the offense's ability to score off those turnovers that made them truly special.
Cody Fajardo and the Elks scored 178 points off those turnovers, which led the CFL, and BC gave up the second-most points after turning the ball over (134), second to only the Ottawa REDBLACKS (154).
If the Elks are able to force Rourke into making mistakes, it could be the key to victory, though they'll also be hoping that Rankin is not shut down by the Lions defence yet again.
BC have not reached the Grey Cup in 14 years. Is this finally the year they get back to the CFL's biggest game, or will the home team come out on top yet again?
Elks vs. Lions Betting Odds
Spread | Total | Money | |
BC Lions | +1.5 -120 | O 57.5 -110 | -110 |
EDM Elks | -1.5 +100 | U 57.5 -110 | -110 |
All odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
Elks vs. Lions 2026 Head-to-Head Record
The CB Lions and Edmonton Elks met twice during the regular season, and each team came away with a victory at home.
Home | Score | Away | |
Week 5 | BC Lions | 36-24 | EDM Elks |
Week 7 | EDM Elks | 19-17 | BC Lions |
Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo passed for 677 yards and four touchdowns in the two games. Running back Justin Rankin had 30 touches across both contests, racking up 174 total scrimmage yards.
Elks vs. Lions: Playoff Matchup Stats
The Lions are 11-28 (.282) as the visiting team in the Grey Cup Playoffs, while Edmonton is 39-16 (.709) at home.
Since 1972, the Western Final host is 32-20 (.615). Edmonton last hosted the Western Final in 2015.
The Elks have appeared in 46 times, and the Lions have appeared 26 times in the Division Finals.
The two teams have met in the Western Finals seven times (EDM 5 – BC 2).
BC defeated the Elks in the most recent meeting a this stage in 2011 | EDM 23 – BC 40
Edmonton has not had home field advantage in the Western Finals in 11 years. The franchise has not lost at home in the Western Finals since 2001.
This will be Elk's head coach Mark Kilman's first CFL playoff game. Lions head coach Buck Pierce has a 2-1 record in the playoffs.
When is the 2026 Grey Cup?
The winner of the Elks vs. Lions will face the the winner of the Alouettes vs. Blue Bombers in the 113th Grey Cup.
The Grey Cup will take place at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, November 15, at 6:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. Local)
The championship will feature the Grey Cup Halftime Show headlined by Riley Green, Sarah McLachlan performing the national anthem, a pregame performance from Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor.
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