Five weeks of CFL action are now in the books as bettors now turn their focus to Week 6.
Heading into Week 6, we still have two undefeated teams — the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders — and two winless squads — the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Elks.
Saskatchewan Roughriders to win Grey Cup
CFL favourites are an impressive 13-7 straight-up this season but just 9-11 against the spread. Away dogs have been fade material so far, going just 2-8 straight-up but 5-5 against the spread.
Here’s a look at the latest CFL Grey Cup outright odds, followed by our Week 6 betting preview:
| Team | bet365 | Sports Interaction | NorthStar Bets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Alouettes | +175 | +225 | +175 |
| BC Lions | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | +450 | +500 | +600 |
| Toronto Argonauts | +650 | +600 | +650 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | +650 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Ottawa Redblacks | +1600 | +1600 | +1800 |
| Calgary Stampeders | +1600 | +1200 | +1800 |
| Edmonton Elks | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | +8000 | +5000 | +6600 |
Toronto Argonauts @ Montreal Alouettes – July 11
Best moneyline odds: Alouettes -295 @ FanDuel, Argonauts +266 @ Pinnacle
Best spread odds: Alouettes -6.5 (-110 @ Caesars), Argonauts +7.5 (-110 @ PROLINE +)
Best over/under odds: Over 51 points (+100 @ Pinnacle), Under 51.5 points (-110 @ Bet99)
After starting the season 2-0, the Argonauts have dropped back-to-back games to fall to the .500 mark without QB1 Chad Kelly. The goal for Toronto will be to hold the fort with backup quarterback Cameron Dukes until Kelly returns from his nine-game suspension. Dukes threw an ugly four interceptions last week against Saskatchewan, but his ability to scramble has helped Toronto put points up on the board. The Argos lead the league with an average of 123.8 rushing yards per game, and continuing to run the ball effectively over the next several weeks will be the key to remaining around the .500 mark until Kelly returns.
This Alouettes team is simply on fire, posting wins in 13 straight games dating back to last season, including the postseason. They’re averaging 31.4 points per game (second in the CFL) while holding opponents to a league-low 19.8 points per game. Quarterback Cody Fajardo is cruising along, throwing for 1,574 yards (third in CFL) and 10 touchdowns through five games while developing some awesome chemistry with Tyson Philpot, who has 564 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. Unfortunately, star defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy is doubtful this week after suffering a shoulder injury in last week’s win over Calgary.
Pick: How can you bet against the red-hot Alouettes at home this week? Take the Als with the points, but make sure you get the key number of -6.5 before it moves to -7.
Calgary Stampeders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers – July 12
Best moneyline odds: Blue Bombers -200 @ Betway, Stampeders +190 @ Caesars
Best spread odds: Blue Bombers -4.5 (-110 @ BetRivers), Stampeders +5.5 (-115 @ Bet99)
Best over/under odds: Over 46.5 points (-118 @ PROLINE +), Under 48.5 points (-115 @ Bet99)
The Stampeders had the undefeated Alouettes on the ropes last week, but they allowed Montreal to score 15 unanswered points late in the game to let the victory slip away. Despite the loss, they improved to 3-1 ATS this season, and they’re off to a respectable 2-2 start. Defensively, though, this team is very much a work in progress. The Stamps have allowed the opposition to accrue a league-high average of 400 yards per game, and the defence has sacked opposing quarterbacks just twice through four games.
After a shocking 0-4 start, Winnipeg notched its first win of the season last week against Ottawa. This team is slowly starting to get healthy, with quarterback Zach Collaros (thorax), linebacker Adam Bighill (shoulder), and running back Brady Oliveira (shoulder) all getting full practice sessions in on Tuesday. When healthy, this team is simply too good to remain in the basement of the standings and don’t be surprised if they go on a nice run over the next few weeks to get back around the .500 mark.
Pick: I’m not looking at a particular game line here. Instead, this is the perfect time to buy low on the Blue Bombers at long +1000 odds to win the Grey Cup. They’ve played in the big game in four straight seasons and much of the nucleus of the squad is still intact. With Edmonton and Hamilton still winless, the Bombers are virtually a lock to make the playoffs despite their poor start. And nobody would be surprised if this veteran squad turns things around this fall and surges to another Grey Cup appearance.
Bet on Stampeders vs. Blue Bombers
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ BC Lions – July 13
Best moneyline odds: Lions -300 @ Betway, Roughriders +300 @ PROLINE +
Best spread odds: Lions -7 (-110 @ bet365), Roughriders +8.5 (-120 @ PROLINE +)
Best over/under odds: Over 52.5 points (+100 @ Sports Interaction), Under 53.5 points (-115 @ PROLINE +)
The Roughriders are a perfect 4-0 straight-up, 4-0 against the spread, and 4-0 over/under. Who would’ve predicted that? Shea Patterson picked up his first career win in his first career CFL start last week against the Argos, completing 15 of his 23 pass attempts for 192 yards and a touchdown. That stat line isn’t spectacular by any means, but he got the job done while filling in for injured QB1 Trevor Harris, who is on the injured list after suffering an MCL sprain in Week 3. This week will be a huge challenge for Patterson and the Green Riders, though, against the aerial show of the Lions.
The Lions put up 34 points in just the first half last week on the road in Hamilton, proving their offence is by far the best in the league. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is well on his way to earning CFL Most Outstanding Player honours, leading the CFL in passing yards (1,752) and touchdown passes (11). Adams Jr. has a stable of competent, big receivers to throw to, including Alexander Hollins, who has hauled in a league-leading 573 receiving yards. If that’s not enough firepower, veteran running back William Stanback is also leading the league in rushing yards (311). BC’s defence ranks in the middle of the pack in most statistical categories, but that’s all it needs to accomplish with the high-powered offence leading the way.
Pick: Take the over 29.5 points (-110 @ Bet99) on the Lions team total. Saskatchewan is allowing the most passing yards per game (313) in the league, so BC’s elite aerial attack should have another huge day against the Riders.
Ottawa Redblacks @ Edmonton Elks – July 14
Best moneyline odds: Elks -185 @ Sports Interaction, Redblacks +175 @ bet365
Best spread odds: Elks -3.5 (-110 @ NorthStar Bets), Redblacks +4.5 (-115 @ Bet99)
Best over/under odds: Over 49 points (-108 @ Pinnacle), Under 49.5 points (-110 @ NorthStar Bets)
The storyline to monitor in Ottawa this week is the health of starting quarterback Dru Brown, who is in concussion protocol after leaving last week’s game against Winnipeg. He was back at practice on Wednesday, but bettors will want to monitor his status as the week progresses. Brown, in his first season as a starter, has thrown for 819 yards alongside three touchdowns, one interception, and a 59.3 completion percentage over four games. Expect Ottawa to run the ball much more if he can’t suit up with backup Dustin Crum under centre. Crum scrambled for 741 yards and nine touchdowns in 18 games last year for the Redblacks.
Edmonton is 0-4 straight-up to start the season, but it has covered the spread in three of those contests. CFL schedulers also gave the Elks a very tough opening stretch with games against BC, Toronto, Montreal, and Saskatchewan. They aren’t as bad as they may appear, and some wins are certainly on the horizon, and it should start this week at home against Ottawa. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is doing a nice job guiding the offence, but improvements still need to be made on the defensive side of the ball. Edmonton’s leaky defence is allowing 108.5 rushing yards per game (second worst in the league) while yielding an average of 28.8 points per game to the opposition.
Pick: Take the Elks and the points with confidence.
