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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers' quest to reach their sixth consecutive Grey Cup begins Saturday, when they visit Molson Stadium to take on the Montreal Alouettes at 2 p.m. ET in the 2025 East Division semifinal. Revenge will be on the Blue Bombers' mind as they were edged by the Alouettes 28-24 for the championship two years ago.

Winnipeg (10-8) finished fourth in the West Division this season and settled for the crossover playoff berth after winning the division title each of the previous four campaigns. The Blue Bombers, who have lost three straight Grey Cup championship games after having won the trophy in both 2019 and 2021, extended their winning streak against the Alouettes to three games with a 19-10 home victory in last week's regular-season finale.

Montreal (10-8), which finished second in the East after capturing the division crown last year, had its five-game winning streak snapped with that setback. The Alouettes, who last defeated the Blue Bombers in their 2024 season opener, dropped a 26-13 home decision in Week 12 as Winnipeg's Brady Oliveira ran for 137 yards and a touchdown.

The West Division semifinal also takes place Saturday, as the BC Lions welcome the Calgary Stampeders to BC Place at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Lions (11-7) defeated the Stampeders (11-7) in this round in both 2022 and 2023.

BC got past the West champion Saskatchewan Roughriders 27-21 last week to end the regular season with a six-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Calgary enters the postseason with a three-game run following its 20-10 triumph over the Edmonton Elks last Friday.

The Lions have won three straight overall meetings with the Stampeders and four in a row at home, including a 41-30 victory in the 2023 West Division semifinal. A finalist for the 2025 CFL Most Outstanding Player Award, Nathan Rourke threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns while running for three more scores in BC's 52-23 win at Calgary in Week 16 before passing for 414 yards and four scores in a 38-24 home triumph over the Stampeders two weeks later.

The Winnipeg-Montreal winner earns the right to visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (11-7) in the East Division final next weekend, while Saskatchewan (12-6) will host the Calgary-BC victor.

Montreal is a 6.5-point favorite against Winnipeg at FanDuel Sportsbook, while Calgary is a 4.5-point underdog versus BC. 

SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt went 43-38 on his CFL picks during the regular season and has revealed his selections for the 2025 division semifinals, including against-the-spread predictions and leans on the total of every game.

Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and knows the game from a player's perspective. Hunt's dedication to analysis of all levels of professional football helped him crush the CFL, XFL and USFL in 2023, posting a combined ATS record of 98-73 in his SportsLine articles.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Montreal Alouettes (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET)

Pick: Winnipeg +6.5
Lean: Over 48.5

It's for real now, and it's a winner-take-all matchup between a very good Alouettes team and a surging Blue Bombers squad that has had Montreal's number this season. A near-touchdown spread seems a bit much for these teams in a playoff game, especially with both defenses playing really well. 

Calgary Stampeders at BC Lions (Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET)

Pick: BC -4.5
Lean: Over 54.5

Over the course of the season, the Stampeders haven't been able to find answers for this Lions offense, whether it's due to turnovers, the inability to prevent the explosive play or just not being able to slow down BC's ground attack. The Lions will possess a high level of confidence when they enter this playoff matchup, and I expect that to give them exactly what they need to cover this spread at home.