The Guelph Nighthawks have a chance to clinch a playoff berth when they host the Saskatchewan Rattlers on July 27 at 7:00 pm ET. The Nighthawks (8-10) are currently seventh place and would need either a win against Saskatchewan or a Newfoundland Growlers loss against the Montréal Alliance to secure a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Rattlers (10-8) are currently sixth. They have the same record as the two teams above them in the standings (Scarborough Shooting Stars and Edmonton Stingers) and are one game behind the third-place Fraser Valley Bandits. Saskatchewan still has an opportunity to climb the standings and secure a home playoff game.

These two teams seem to be headed in opposite directions. The Rattlers have won three games in a row, including a 91-85 comeback victory over Scarborough. They overcame a 17-point deficit thanks to guards Tony Carr (19 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) and Devonte Bandoo (25 points, six of nine from deep).

Saskatchewan outscored the Shooting Stars 28-16 in the fourth quarter and Elam time. A key for this game will be whether they can have a better start.

It will be interesting to see if Guelph can contain the Rattlers’ hot three-point shooting. Saskatchewan leads the league in three-point percentage (38.6) but is ninth in average points (83.4) and field goal percentage (43.2). Against Scarborough, they shot 50 per cent from the field and 46 per cent from three.

Guard Bruce Massey has filled in well after Scottie Lindsey’s departure. Massey is averaging 9.5 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds in two games.

In contrast, the Nighthawks have lost their last two games and seven of their last nine games. They made a late comeback push against Edmonton but fell just short, losing 101-100.

Playing without centre Lucas Nogueira, the Nighthawks relied on forwards AJ Hess, TJ Lall, Maurice Calloo and recent addition Giorgi Bezhanishvili up front. They lost the rebounding battle 40-35.

Guelph’s strength is their efficient shooting. They are second in average points (86.8) and field goal percentage (46.0). They will likely have to be efficient offensively against Saskatchewan in order to win.

Guards Ahmed Hill and Stefan Smith ignite their offence. Hill is a scoring threat who can score at the rim and from deep (40 per cent three-point shooter). Smith had 17 points, five assists and three rebounds against Edmonton. The Nighthawks have played without their leading scorer and playmaker Cat Barber for the past few games.

The two teams met in Saskatoon recently as the Rattlers edged out the win, 84-81. Like their game against Scarborough, they had a strong second half (outscoring Guelph 46-37) after falling behind early. One thing to watch for is how the Nighthawks will fare against Saskatchewan in the second half this time around.

Both teams have one game each on the schedule after this one. The Rattlers visit the Alliance while the Nighthawks visit the Growlers.

Fans will be able to live stream all games including the playoffs on the CEBL’s OTT streaming service CEBL+, the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile for iOS and Android devices, cbcsports.ca , the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices and on NXT Level Sports in the U.S. As part of its playoff coverage, CBC Sports will broadcast the quarterfinal games Sunday, August 7, semifinal games Friday, August 12, and the Championship game on Sunday, August 14. For the complete broadcast and streaming schedule, click here . All times are subject to change.

The CEBL’s fourth regular season began May 25 and ends August 1. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL is the largest pro sports league in the country with 10 teams located in six provinces. It has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .