The Hamilton Tiger-Cats go head-to-head with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup on Sunday aiming to gain revenge for their defeat in the 2019 final.
The Tiger-Cats were beaten 33-12 by the Blue Bombers on that occasion but will fancy their chances of winning on home soil this weekend.
They went into that game as favourites having beaten the Blue Bombers twice that season on their way to an impressive 15-3 record.
Things have not gone as smoothly this time around, with an 8-6 record only good enough to secure second place in the East Division behind the Toronto Argonauts.
However, a run of six victories in their last seven matches will send them into the clash with the Blue Bombers in a confident mood.
Their defence has stepped up to the mark during the play-offs, conceding just 31 points in their games against the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto.
As highlighted by recent research carried out by Betway Insider, keeping things tight at the back could be crucial to the Tiger-Cats’ hopes this weekend.
The last 25 editions of the CFL championship game have generated 1,312 points – an average of 52.48 per game.
On that basis, if the Tiger-Cats’ can get close to the 15.5 points average conceded during the post-season, they have every chance of toppling the Blue Bombers.
The reigning champions recorded a CFL-best 11-3 record during the regular season, before defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-17 in their solitary playoff game.
Running back Andrew Harris was the star of the show against the Roughriders, running for 136 yards and a touchdown on his return from a knee injury.
The 2019 Grey Cup MVP could be tough to stop this weekend in a game that will once again attract a sizeable television audience.
An average of 4.48 million people in Canada have tuned in to watch the CFL championship game since 2010, highlighting its popularity.
That figure compares well to the 6.58m average who tuned in to watch the NFL’s Super Bowl over the same period.
With the Grey Cup returning for the first time since 2019, it would be no surprise to see this year’s viewership increase significantly.
Fans will no doubt be hoping for a more expansive affair than the most recent meeting between the two sides produced earlier this season.
The Blue Bombers began their title defence with a 19-6 home win over the Tiger-Cats in a game where their defensive unit dominated.
However, given that the previous 10 meetings between the two teams generated 469 points, there is every chance of an open game on Sunday.
The Blue Bombers have held the upper hand over the Tiger-Cats in recent years, winning six of their 10 most recent meetings.
Despite this, the Tiger-Cats will take plenty of heart from the four-game winning run they have put together on home soil in recent weeks.
By contrast, the Blue Bombers have lost their last two outings on the road, although those results came after they had secured top spot in the West Division.