For the second time in six days, the rushing yardage machine known as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers faces the reigning Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts, in what will be the 43rd home-and-home two game series for Winnipeg since 1996, according to The Winnipeg Sun . The game will live stream from the Bombers’ home of Investors Group Field.
But for Winnipeg, defeating the Argos 38-20 on July 21 may be as much a curse as a blessing. In their previous 42 back-to-backs in the last 22 years, Winnipeg has swept their opponents only four times, splitting the series 21 times and suffering 17 sweeps. Toronto has played 34 of the home-and-home series since 1996 and scored 10 sweeps, per TSN .
Winnipeg, however, presents a challenge for Toronto with the CFL’s leading ground attack, a running game that has rolled up 171 yards per game so far in 2018, according to the official CFL site. That’s 30 yards per game better than the Calgary Stampeders, the team now second in the rushing category.
Led by running back Andrew Harris, who tops the CFL with 610 yards off 95 carries, according to The Toronto Star , Winnipeg as a team averages 6.7 yards per carry.
“They go as far as he goes. He’s obviously the leader of their group,” Toronto linebacker Marcus Ball said of Harris. “He poses, probably, the biggest challenge yet so far.”
To find out how to watch a live stream of the Toronto Argonauts vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers Friday night CFL showdown, see the streaming information at the bottom of this article. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 5:30 p.m. Pacific at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Friday, July 26. Fans in the United Kingdom can log in to the live stream at 2 a.m. on Friday, July 20.
The Bombers will also unveil a new threat in their aerial attack as 29-year-old former New England Patriots wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins makes his Canadian Football League debut. In 14 games over two seasons with New England, Thompkins caught 38 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference .
Toronto quarterback Matt Nichols is excited to see Thompkins get a start after spending five games on the practice squad as he adapted to the Canadian style of play.
“He’s a smart football player. He attacks the ball in the air. He’s big, physical, fast. He definitely has a chance to be one of the next big time receivers in this league,” Nichols told Canada’s Global News . “He’s one of the lucky guys that’s gonna get to catch a pass from Tom Brady and myself.”
Watch a wrap-up of last Saturday’s Argos-Bombers clash in the video below, courtesy of the Toronto Argonauts.
To watch a free live stream of the Week 6 CFL clash pitting the Toronto Argonauts vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers, use the stream provided by ESPN+ , the new, online subscription sports network of the sports media giant ESPN. The ESPN+ streaming network is available with a subscription fee of $4.99 per month, but comes with a seven-day free trial. If the trial is canceled before the weeklong period, football fans can watch the Argonauts vs. Blue Bombers showdown at no charge.
Fans in Canada will need to register for a TSN subscription to watch a live stream of the Winnipeg vs. Toronto matchup. In the United Kingdom, the CFL game will live stream via BT Sport . Viewers in other countries outside of Canada, the United States, and U.K. may purchase a live stream of Toronto Argonauts vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers from the CFL streaming service, which also offers international subscription packages for the 2018 Canadian Football League season.