Gear up for the CFL’s 3rd week of action as we break down all the matchups on tap.
Week 2 saw tightly contested games all around the league. Montreal and Saskatchewan eked out victories decided by a field goal, and the Redblacks opened their 2024 season with a four-point victory over the Blue Bombers. The Lions produced Week 3’s only lopsided decision, beating up the Stampeders 26-17 and shutting them out in the fourth quarter.
Speaking of the Lions, they (along with the Redblacks) enjoyed the biggest Grey Cup odds jump of the last week. BC saw their longest odds go from +500 to +400, and Ottawa, who made their season debut in Week 2, saw their long odds go from +2000 to +1300.
Argonauts to win the 2024 Grey Cup
Here’s a look at the latest CFL Grey Cup outright odds, followed by our Week 3 betting preview:
| Team | bet365 | Sports Interaction | NorthStar Bets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | +400 | +375 | +350 |
| Toronto Argonauts | +350 | +550 | +450 |
| Montreal Alouettes | +320 | +350 | +350 |
| BC Lions | +375 | +375 | +400 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | +625 | +800 | +900 |
| Ottawa Redblacks | +900 | +1200 | +1300 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Edmonton Elks | +2500 | +2100 | +2500 |
| Calgary Stampeders | +1600 | +1800 | +1800 |
Ottawa Redblacks @ Montreal Alouettes – June 20
Best moneyline odds: Alouettes -263 (Betway), Redblacks +254 (Pinnacle)
Best spread odds: Alouettes -6.5 (-110 @ Caesars), Redblacks +7 (-110 @ BetRivers)
Best over/under odds: Over 47.5 points (-110 @ BetRivers), Under 47.5 points (-106 @ Caesars)
The Als have a lot to celebrate as they head home to Percival Molson Stadium after spending the first two weeks of the season on the road. Back in Montreal with a 2-0 record in tow, the Alouettes will be celebrating their 2023 Championship banner raising with their fans in the midst of a 10-game winning streak (going back to last season). Montreal’s league-best defence is the toast of the CFL and is as stingy as it was last year. They lead the league in yards allowed (641), TDs allowed (3), and points allowed (32). In their Week 2 win over the Elks, that defence forced 2 turnovers and allowed QB Cody Fajardo (269 passing yards, 2 TDs) and RB Walter Fletcher (82 rushing yards, 1 TD) the offensive possessions to hand Edmonton their second loss in a row.
The Redblacks arrive in Montreal as a bit of a league-wide mystery. At 1-0, the new look Ottawa squad is hard to pin down quite yet. QB Dru Brown’s debut was efficient, completing 20 of 33 attempts for 238 yards and a TD. Perhaps more importantly, free agent signing and 2023 all-star DB Adarius Pickett was an immediate factor, contributing an interception (one of two INTs for Ottawa on the day). Pickett compliments an already energetic and aggressive defence and makes the Redblacks a dangerous team on both sides of the ball. The Als pose a pretty tall order for new-look Ottawa, but there’s reason to believe they’ll be able to keep things interesting.
Pick: Redblacks +7. We correctly backed the Redblacks to cover last week, and we’re going back to the same well in Week 3. Montreal is expected to remain undefeated, but Ottawa has the pieces to keep it close enough.
BC Lions @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers – June 21
Best moneyline odds: Blue Bombers -135 (Sports Interaction), Lions +121 (Pinnacle)
Best spread odds: Blue Bombers -1.5 (-115 @ Sports Interaction), Lions +2 (-103 @ Pinnacle)
Best over/under odds: Over 51 points (-110 @ Pinnacle), Under 51.5 points (-105 @ Caesars)
Projected to be the powers of the West, neither of these teams has had the start to the season they hoped for. The Lions tripped out of the starting gate with a Week 1 loss to the Argos and followed that with a win over Calgary that only saw them truly pull away in the 4th quarter. BC will try to build on the momentum of that final week 2 quarter as they head to Winnipeg to take on the Bombers. The best news thus far for the Lions has been the play of QB Vernon Adams Jr. Across their first two games, Adams Jr. has thrown for the 3rd most yards in the league (640) and second most TDs (4).
The Blue Bombers on the other hand have far less to build on in Week 3. QB Zach Collaros currently owns a 0-3 TD/INT ratio and Winnipeg is average a league worst 15.5 points per game through the first two weeks. Did I mention Collaros happens to be the highest paid player in the league? This is the first time since 2018 that the Bombers haven’t started the season 2-0 and the first time since 2016 they’ve gone winless through the first two weeks. Collaros can’t bare the blame entirely here, as Winnipeg’s pass protection has suffered since the loss of O-Lineman Jermarcus Hardrick to free agency. The Bombers have allowed the third most sacks in the league and it’s been difficult for the offense to find time and space to produce.
Pick: Lions +2 (-103 @ Pinnacle)
Bet on Lions vs. Blue Bombers
Edmonton Elks @ Toronto Argonauts – June 22
Best moneyline odds: Argos -246 (Pinnacle), Elks +220 (Caesars)
Best spread odds: Argos -5.5 (-115 @ Sports Interaction), Elks +6 (-110 @ Caesars)
Best over/under odds: Over 49.5 points (-110 @ Caesars), Under 50 points (-110 @ Pinnacle)
Elks QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson returns to Toronto for the first time since leading the Argos to a Grey Cup win in 2022. He’s hoping the memories of that success help him find a return to form, as Edmonton has dropped a couple of tough losses in the first two weeks. Unlike other winless teams, however, the Elks record may not be the full truth. They’ve lost both games by a combined 11 points and have looked fairly good in the process. Bethel-Thompson is a talented QB who’s transformed the Edmonton offence since joining last year and the Elks could pose more of a threat to Toronto as it appears on the surface.
The Argos, meanwhile, are coming off a Week 2 bye after winning their 2024 debut over the Lions. In that win, Toronto’s defence created 5 turnovers and was the chief reason for the victory. The Argos sit second in the league with 6 sacks despite only playing one game. Toronto’s offence doesn’t seem to miss suspended QB Chad Kelly as his replacement Cameron Dukes looked great in Week 1, going 21-for-27 for 254 yards and an impressive 3 TDs. The caveat for Dukes is that it’s a small sample size for a young QB unexpectedly thrust into the lead job. The sure thing for the Argos is their defence, which tips the scales toward a low-scoring affair.
Pick: Under 50 points (-110 @ Pinnacle)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Saskatchewan Roughriders – June 23
Best moneyline odds: Roughriders -145 (Caesars), Tiger-Cats +137 (Pinnacle)
Best spread odds: Roughriders -2.5 (-105 @ Caesars), Tiger-Cats +2.5 (-101 @ Pinnacle)
Best over/under odds: Over 50.5 points (-106 @ Pinnacle), Under 50.5 points (-110 @ Sports Interaction)
The Roughriders won a thriller against these same Ti-Cats just last week, the 33-30 victory was punctuated by a 26 point second half from Saskatchewan. The Riders get to play at home for the first time this season after back-to-back 4th quarter comeback road wins to start the year. Slow starts and stellar finishes have been the name of the game so far for Saskatchewan. They’ve outscored opponents 37-6 in the final frame, which is 12 more points than the other three quarters combined. A slow start might eventually spell doom for them, and the Ti-Cats came as close to exploiting that in Week 2. One area that needs improvement is the Riders’ penalty troubles. Saskatchewan leads the league in both penalties and penalty yardage through two weeks, and their lack of discipline is a key contributor to their over-dependence on comebacks this year.
The Ti-Cats, meanwhile, likely represent the best 0-2 team you’ll find. The offence is producing at an elite rate despite the winless start, and 34-year-old QB Bo Levi Mitchell has looked stellar. He’s topped 300 yards in both games, which is an encouraging sign for Mitchell, whose 2023 campaign was marred with injury. His game last week was particularly great, going 27-for-38, earning 380 yards and 3 TDs. Casual observers will wonder why exactly Hamilton sits winless, and a large part of the why has been costly mistakes. With the game firmly in their grasp, an interception late in the game opened the door for Saskatchewan. In Week 1’s loss to Calgary, it was the inverse, as turnovers put Hamilton in a hole early that they could not crawl out of, despite a 17-point 4th quarter.
Pick: Over 50.5 points (-106 @ Pinnacle)
