LIVESTREAM CFL Eastern Final: Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Nov. 8, 21:00 CET (9 pm, 3 pm ET)

By Kristina Costabile

Just one weekend remains before we know who will be playing in the championship game on November 16 in Winnipeg.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton Stadium in the Eastern Final this Saturday, as both teams are hoping they will be the ones to punch their ticket to the 112th Grey Cup.

Hamilton swept the season series between these two clubs, winning their meetings in Week 4 (35-17) and in Week 14 (26-9). But, just like in the clash against Winnipeg in the Eastern Semi-Final, Davis Alexander did not suit up in either of the regular season meetings.

From another intriguing quarterback matchup, to teams that thrive on taking the ball away and boast balanced offences, the Eastern Final is must-see football.

With no shortage of storylines in the Eastern Final, here are three to watch this Saturday in Hamilton.

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THE KID VS. THE VET PART 2

If you thought Davis Alexander vs. Zach Collaros in the Eastern Semi-Final was juicy, just wait for this weekend’s matchup.

This time around, Alexander is facing another multi-MOP, Grey Cup-winning quarterback in Bo Levi Mitchell.

Following Alexander and the Alouettes’ Eastern Semi-Final win against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, head coach Jason Maas compared the young pivot, who hasn’t lost a game in the CFL, to the future Hall of Famer.

“I’ve watched Bo over the years,” said Maas. “Bo’s a winner. If anybody can relate to probably what Davis has gone through being a winner at the beginning of his career, well Bo is that. I’ve seen it firsthand in the playoffs. That’s a great challenge.”

In his 11-0 regular season and 1-0 post-season starts, Alexander has shown that he’s, in his words, “built for this league.” He’s tough, passionate, and explosive, and in last week’s win at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, he went toe-to-toe with a veteran Bombers squad that tried to take the momentum in the third quarter. And we know how that ended up.

As mentioned, just like last week where Alexander hadn’t faced the Bombers in the regular season, he also hasn’t faced the Tiger-Cats in 2025.

Mitchell, on the other hand, did play in both games between these two clubs, passing for 438 yards, two touchdowns and a 74.6 per cent completion rate in the team’s two wins.

Can Alexander win the battle this week against another veteran passer who has been to the Grey Cup multiple times? Or will Bo build on his East Division Most Outstanding Player season by leading the Tabbies to the Grey Cup for the first time since 2021?

Get your popcorn ready, this matchup is must-see.

WHO WILL WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE?

It’s been said so many times, but usually the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game. Sure, we know that isn’t always the case. Winnipeg won the turnover battle 3-2 in last weekend’s Eastern Semi-Final and we all remember the Week 15 meeting between Edmonton and Toronto where the Elks had six turnovers and lost.

But with a trip to the 112th Grey Cup on the line, the Eastern Final might hinge on who can flip the field more often.

Hamilton finished the regular season as the team that disrupted offences the most, finishing +10 on the season, forcing a league-high 44 turnovers. The defence was opportunistic and disruptive, picking off quarterbacks a league-leading 27 times and breaking up 72 passes, one behind leader Winnipeg’s 73.

Sure, those turnovers are great, but converting them into points is the main goal, and the Tiger-Cats were the best at cashing in on them this season. Hamilton scored 134 points off turnovers, 34 more than the next best team in Saskatchewan.

The Black and Gold aren’t the only ones who have been forcing turnovers. The Als have rallied to the football and created havoc all year, forcing 17 fumbles in the regular season and added another three in last week’s win over Winnipeg.

Will Hamilton’s ballhawking defence, that won the turnover battle 7-4 in the regular season series, come through as the difference against a young pivot? Or will Montreal’s see-ball-get-ball mentality earn them a trip to their second Grey Cup in three years?

BALANCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

It took until midway through the regular season for it to be established, but the Ticats balanced out their aerial attack with a strong run game in Week 14.

From Week 1 to 13, Greg Bell was averaging 45.4 yards per game, his highest total of the season up to that point was 65 yards against BC.

Things changed in Week 14, when Bell went off for 156 yards on 20 carries, the first of back-to-back 100+ yard rushing performances, against the team he’s facing this week in the Eastern Final. In his final seven games, the Ticats running back averaged 96.4 yards per game, almost double the first half of the season’s output, and scored three of his five touchdowns on the season over that span.

With injuries in the Als backfield this season, Stevie Scott III came out of what seemed like nowhere. If he wasn’t a household name before, his performance against Winnipeg should make him one. He carried the rock 18 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns, including an incredible run into the end zone with defenders draping all over him, and his offensive linemen helping push the pile. The 25-year-old also hauled in all three passes thrown his way for 29 yards, 24 of those after the catch.

With Hamilton struggling to stop the run in the regular season, allowing league-highs in yards per game (111.0) and yards per carry (5.7) and Montreal giving up over 100 yards per game on the ground as well (103.1), look for both teams to lean on the run game at Hamilton Stadium.

Watch live. Eastern Final: Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Nov. 8, 21:00 CET (9 pm, 3 pm ET)