The value of the card you play must be equal to or greater than the value of the card in the discard pile. Note: You may play any card on an open/cleared discard pile.

Honourable mention: Jeshrun Antwi, Montreal Alouettes Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved. Distribute six additional cards, face down, to each player. You may look at these cards. Select three of these cards and place them face up on your 3DOWN cards to create your 3UP 3DOWN pile, as shown below. BALLANTINE: There is no reason for me to believe the Argos won’t be able to get to the big game. Montreal hasn’t beaten any of the remaining playoff teams but their elite defense will keep it closer than this spread. MCGUIRE: I still expect the Boatmen to hit an iceberg somewhere along this playoff journey, but I can’t see it happening against the Alouettes.

Specialists: Rene Paredes, Calgary Stampeders; Marc Liegghio, Winnipeg Blue Bombers; Tyson Philpot, Montreal Alouettes KLEIN: Home-field is such an advantage here for Winnipeg. They’ve come up big in so many spots over this run, I expect this to be another in a really fun West Final.

GASSON: I bet against the Als’ year-long trend last week. I kind of want to do it again but this Argos team is just too good. Montreal can keep it close, though.

Numbered Cards

You may only play from your 3UP 3DOWN pile once the draw pile is gone and you have discarded the cards in your playing hand. At that point, you may play your 3UP cards, one at a time - or as multiples - on your turn. GRANT: I don’t think the Lions will look anything like the machine they were last week. You can’t give the Bombers extra time to prepare and expect to win. Honourable mentions: Henoc Muamba, Toronto Argonauts; Ben Hladik, B.C. Lions; Adam Konar, Edmonton Elks; Boseko Lokombo, B.C. Lions Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

SMITH: The Als beat up on teams that aren’t all that good, as they did last week against Hamilton, and lose to very good teams, like the one they’ll play this weekend in Toronto. That spread is just a touch too high for me, though.KLEIN: The Argos are simply too good. Full credit to the Als for getting here but Toronto is just better. BALLANTINE: The forecast puts this game right around the freezing mark which takes away the potential deep-freeze home-field advantage. The Lions will take the crowd out of it early. Gittens reached superstardom this year, making 81 catches for 1,101 yards and five touchdowns to record the second-best single-season receiving total by a Canadian in a decade. Schaffer-Baker was Saskatchewan’s best offensive player this year, while Demski made 10 touchdown catches over a nine-game stretch. Behar quietly set new career highs across the board in Ottawa, while Philpot made plays each time he got on the field.