Tiger-Cats host surprise-favorite Alouettes for spot in Grey Cup

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats find themselves as the underdogs in their East Division final against the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday afternoon despite boasting a better regular-season record and home-field advantage.

Heck, the Tiger-Cats even swept the season series against the Alouettes and enjoyed a bye while the latter needed to defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East semifinal.

So, why does BetMGM have the Tiger-Cats as a three-point underdog? Well, apparently, it's hard to bet against Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander, who is a perfect 12-0 as a starter in his CFL career.

Should Alexander's record remain perfect after Saturday's game, the Alouettes will advance to the 112th Grey Cup on Nov. 16 to face the winner of the West final between the visiting B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Alexander, who did not play in the previous two contests versus Hamilton, threw for 384 yards and a touchdown in Montreal's 42-33 victory over Winnipeg last Saturday. He is bidding to guide the Alouettes to the Grey Cup for the second time in three years, with the club winning it all under head coach Jason Maas in 2023.

"I'm going to bet on myself every single time. I'm never going to be scared of the moment," Alexander said, per the Montreal Gazette. "In the most humble way possible, I'm built for this. I'm built for this league. I'm built to be the quarterback of the Montreal Alouettes."

While Alexander is getting the majority of the headlines, Hamilton boasts a pretty effective quarterback as well.

Bo Levi Mitchell, 35, passed for over 5,000 yards for a second straight season and is the division nominee for the Most Outstanding Player award. The two-time Grey Cup MVP also threw for a career-high and CFL-best 36 touchdowns this season, including two in the Tiger-Cats' 35-17 win over the Alouettes on June 27.

Greg Bell rushed for a career-high 156 yards on 20 carries during Hamilton's 26-9 victory over Montreal on Sept. 6.

"Obviously we've done a great job the last couple of times in terms of being able to run the football, being able to be smart with the football. That's the formula of any playoff football, and weather," Mitchell said. "Do what you have to do to keep the ball out of their hands."

Hamilton is continuing its quest to win a Grey Cup for the first time since 1999.

--Field Level Media