If you’re Canadian and love good old-fashioned pigskin football, there’s a 99.9% chance you’ve heard of the Canadian Football League. In this write-up, Canada Sports Betting is here to give you the lowdown on how to figure out those pesky CFL odds. Just like any hustle, betting is a grind. While CFL teams are breaking down footage and trying to fix the holes in their game, gamblers are trying to figure out the flaws in their logic and create new strategies.
The CFL season is a 21-week-long affair. Teams play 18 games, all in pursuit of the coveted Grey Cup. As many hardcore CFL fans know, throughout the season, it’s damn near impossible to predict what type of effort teams are going to give week in, week out. Professional bettors who are trying to iron out their football betting strategies in time for the start of the College Football and NFL seasons will attack CFL spreads and totals. Although, with some sportsbook ramping up their selections of player prop bets, wise guys are also starting to wager on running back rushing yards and quarterback passing yards props.
So, if you’re looking to bet on the CFL tonight, you’ve come to the right place. Canada Sports Betting will help you to better understand how to bet on the CFL today so you can potentially profit tomorrow. As always, all content is for entertainment purposes only. Please bet responsibly.
Latest CFL Odds Today
As the CFL season draws to a close, the excitement for this weekend’s Grey Cup game in Vancouver is growing. The table below shows the latest odds for the Bombers and Argonauts to take the biggest prize in the league.
You can get more information and check out the latest Grey Cup Betting Odds here. The CFL odds were last updated on Dec 21, 2024:
CFL Betting Strategies and Trends
Alright, you made it this far. Who knows, this could be your first time looking into the CFL. Maybe you saw the CFL Vegas odds on the latest Vegas Insider’s podcast. The question you may ask is, What makes the CFL different from the NFL? And how does that factor into betting on the CFL?
Three-Down vs. Four-Down Football League
For starters, the CFL has only three downs instead of four. When a team isn’t in desperation mode, it’ll try to get the first down during the first two downs. If it doesn’t convert and the idea of going for it on the third down is too risky, teams will usually punt the ball away.
Since the CFL is a three-down league, most offences are pass-heavy. That’s not to say the running backs don’t get their time to shine, but you won’t see teams running the ball 25-30 times a game as you’ll usually see in the NFL (depending on the team). An important thing to note is that just because there are not as many rushing attempts in the CFL, it doesn’t mean teams can’t push 80-120 rushing yards per game. The defensive matchups play a big key in determining how well the running game will deploy against certain teams. Honestly, though, this information is universal in the sense that it applies to all sorts of football leagues.
Field Size
Depending on who you ask, size matters (or it doesn’t). Nevertheless, when it comes to betting on football, the size of the playing field makes all the difference.
If you’re used to watching the NFL, the field measures roughly 100 x 53 1/3 yards, with the midfield at the 50-yard line. Now, the people who created the CFL’s field said that bigger means better. That’s why the CFL field is 110 x 65 yards with the midfield line at 55 yards.
If you’re looking into certain CFL props, you might notice they’re slightly inflated compared to other ‘Murican football leagues. The CFL’s field has more yards, which boosts props projections. Meaning that the books have to offer “stiffer lines.” Something to keep in mind is the lines aren’t stiffer. They’re just accounting for the bigger field that the CFL boasts.
The 12th Man is a Literal Thing
In the CFL, there’s a 12th player on the field. How the 12th players are rolled out changes based on the situation in the game. Unlike the NFL, where the offences and defenses line up literally inches from each other, both teams in the CFL have to line up a yard from each other.
When you’re monitoring a game and looking to make a live bet, with the idea that it’s a third and two, these guys will punt the ball. Teams in the CFL are much more likely to go for it on a third and two. If the O-line does its part, the QB or the RB should, more times than not, get that first down. It’s not a given. The 12th player can make it way harder (or easier) to get that extra yard.
Injury Reports
We’d be doing you a huge disservice if we didn’t talk about injury reports. Unlike the NFL, where the reports need to be out in a timely manner, the CFL’s injury reporting leaves something to be desired. In fact, we’d go out of our way to say that the injury reports are 🐶💩.
Since single-event wagering has become legal in Canada, there has been an unfathomable amount of times when injury reports have been:
- Inaccurate by not listing players that are hurt. Think running backs with minor ankle injuries and quarterbacks with shoulder soreness.
- Misleading information about the severity of injuries and the availability of certain players. For example, a player is listed as “probable” when, in actuality, they should’ve been listed as “doubtful” so that WHEN THE GAME STARTS AND THERE’S A FLIPPING SECOND STRING QB WALKING OUT ONTO THE FIELD INSTEAD OF A FIRST STRING, IT’S NOT SUCH A GOSH DARN SURPISE.
- Hard to find.
If you’re ever planning on betting big bucks on a game, we recommend following a team’s local beat reporter on Twitter/X. The beat reporter will usually tweet any last-minute injury reports, so no injury comes as a surprise.
We’ll give the CFL credit where it’s due; they’ve done some work to figure out how to accurately update injury reports with more people betting on the league. Nevertheless, the head honchos didn’t realize how badly inaccurate injury reports screwed over sports bettors who are trying to handicap a game. For example, if the superstar QB is out and some know-name second string from Hicktown, Ohio is starting, buying into that team at -7.5 two hours before game time seems like a bad bet.
TL;DR: Don’t sleep on the injury reports. We recommend reading the “official injury report” carefully and doing your own background research to fact-check it. If a player is going to be out and the books haven’t adjusted their lines in time, you just got some +EV!
Recent Performance
Unlike the NFL, where there are 30 odd teams, the CFL is a small league. Just because a CFL team got its butts handed to them by the best team in the league doesn’t mean that it can’t get the picture back into its frame and light its next opponent up like a Christmas tree.
When it comes to CFL betting odds, bookies aren’t as quick to react as fans watching their favourite teams. If a road dog is only +2.5 in a week where every wannabe wise guy says they should be +3.5, odds are the dog offers value. That doesn’t mean that dog will win, but do you honestly think books are going to offer up gifts like that? They’re not.
Where to Find CFL Betting Lines
Sweet! You know the differences between the CFL and the NFL. We walked you through some betting strategies and things to look out for. The next step we must train you on, young Padawan, is to find competitive and fair CFL betting lines. More importantly, we want to show you where to watch the CFL, as not too many sportsbooks offer chances to livestream games.
Sports Interaction CFL Betting Odds
SIA is a homegrown talent that loves to promote Canadian sports, especially the CFL. At SIA, you’ll find all the normal offerings like moneylines, spreads, and totals. You can also bet on team props like total points for a team, sacks, etc. SIA also offers the player props like anytime touchdown, passing yards, and rushing yards. Depending on the game, there may also be specials bettors can wager on.
Best CFL Betting Odds
BET99 CFL Betting Odds
BET99 has been getting its feet wet in CFL betting markets. Over the last couple of seasons, the sportsbook has offered some of the better lines you’ll see when it comes to spreads and totals. BET99 has been doing a good job offering competitive props markets. The books’ moneylines have also been good value.
Best CFL Betting Odds
Betway CFL Betting Odds
Betway doesn’t mess around when it comes to the CFL. The book offers plenty of markets with decent value, especially when it comes to player props. We’ve seen instances where Betway outdoes the market. In the process, offering the bettor the best bang for their buck.
Best CFL Betting Odds
bet365 CFL Betting Odds
The thing we love about bet365’s approach to betting on the CFL is the book’s single-game parlay (SGP) feature. On top of the usual markets like moneylines, spreads, and totals, the bettor can expect to find many boosted bets that offer pretty good closing line value, especially the super boost bet365 regularly offers.
Best CFL Betting Odds
NorthStar Bets CFL Betting Odds
NorthStar Bets prices are pretty fair. The book offers all the bets we’ve already discussed, with a bit more sprinkled in for good measure. NSB’s “Sports Insights” section also does a good job of giving the bettor a deeper look into specific CFL matchups. Inside those insights from smart people like us at CSB, the experts talk about important head-to-head matches, important stats, and how to approach certain games if key players are injured. Good stuff in our books.
Best CFL Betting Odds
Popular CFL Betting Markets
Okay, you’ve probably heard us talk about specific betting markets. Yet, you might be confused about what they are. Let’s break it down, three-minute drill style!
CFL Point Spreads
A point spread is a wager where you bet on how many points a team will win or lose buy. If you take the Toronto Argonauts -3.5 spread on bet365, that means the AAARRRGGGOOOSSS would have to win by four or more points. Controversially, if you take the Hamilton Tiger-Cats +3.5 spread, that means the T-Cats would have to lose by NO MORE than three points.
CFL Moneyline Bets
To keep this simple, when you bet on the moneyline, all you’re betting on is what team will win the game outright. The team could win by 21 points or by one. As long as the team you backed to win triumphs, your bet cashes.
CFL Game Props
An example of a game prop would be the “total.” The total refers to how many points will be scored by both teams combined. Betway could set the total for the Argos/T-Cats game at 47.5 points. If you take the Over, you need both teams to combine for 48 points or more. If you take the Under, you hope the score will be lower than 47.5 points.
CFL Opening Lines
An opening line in football is where the books set the odds for moneylines, spreads, and totals. Lines will change after the market starts to bet and if there are noticeable injuries to key players on either side. bet365 is what we would refer to as a “market setter.” 365 is usually one of the first books to set up lines for the week. Those can come out anywhere from late Monday evening to early Wednesday morning, depending on the schedule for a particular week.
CFL Grey Cup Odds
Betting on a team to win the Grey Cup is defined as a “futures bet.” You’re betting on that team to win the Grey Cup. If they don’t win, your bet loses. The best team will usually have slimmer odds, the worst teams will have the highest odds. BET99 is known to offer fair prices for Grey Cup futures.
CFL Free Picks & Betting Previews
How to Bet on CFL Games
CFL predictions are hard to make, but by betting, that’s essentially what we’re doing for better or for worse. Nevertheless, we’re going to give you some parting advice to make the most of your wagers.
Shopping for CFL Odds
Always shop for odds. If you’re betting point spreads, even half a point can make a huge difference in the outcome of your bet. Always get the best value for your money. If anything, we encourage you to line shop on multiple books, find the best price for your specific bet, and keep a tally in a spreadsheet of where you’re betting.
Choosing a CFL Betting Site
As always, when you’re line shopping, make sure you’re using a trusted sportsbook. That usually means the site is regulated, offers safe and secure deposit methods, and doesn’t take its sweet time to pay you out when you win. As you can see, CSB has reviews on some of the best sportsbooks in Canada. Give ’em a read if you’re unsure of where to sign up.
Creating an Account
Creating an account is pretty easy. Most sportsbooks will have a “sign up” button. Click on it, create a password, and give them your information as it appears on your driver’s license and/or passport. To complete what is called the “KYC verification process,” you’ll have to send the sportsbook a picture of your photo ID and a bank statement to the account that you’ll be using for withdrawals. Don’t panic, though; it’s all a part of the process to keep players safe.
CFL Betting Odds FAQs
Fourth and one deep in the red zone. One second left on the clock. Many questions remain. With the snap of the ball, all of them will be answered.
Yes, you can bet on the CFL! All of the top Canadian sportsbooks recognize the market for Canadian Football Betting and provide options. Keep up with the latest CFL Betting Tips and CFL Betting Trends and get in the action!
Well, this depends on the kinds of odds you’re interested in playing, as each sportsbook will have its own unique offering. The best thing to do is to check out the various bookmakers we have on-site and find one which you like to play with – we only offer the safest and most competitive oddsmakers around.
The 2022 Grey Cup was won by the Toronto Argonauts 24-23 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
As is the case in most sports betting markets, the moneyline is comfortably one of the most popular betting lines for CFL bettors. Keeping up with the latest CFL game odds is key to getting the most out of moneyline betting.
Certainly among Canadian bettors, who are normally sports fans, as it’s a league that is their own, which isn’t the case with other leagues they participate in like the NHL, MLS, and NBA.
There certainly are prop betting opportunities. This is especially true around the Grey Cup, but you’ll find player props, specials, and team props throughout the season at selected sportsbooks.
While not at it’s zenith of popularity, the CFL continues to have a sizable following from coast to cast, particularly in small-medium sized Canadian cities. It’s a great way to enjoy football while still feeling the regional pride that we don’t get out of the NFL.
The CFL has never been the bigger of the two leagues while both have been in operation – simply put, the American-focused league will almost always outgrow the Canadian-focused one. The CFL has historically been more popular than the NFL within Canada, though in recent years that the two are relatively equal.
CFL and NFL teams have matched up in exhibitions in the past, a tradition that peaked for the 50s and 60s. Several players have played in both the NFL and CFL over the years, including the likes of Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, Cameron Wake, Rocket Ismail, and even a brief spurt for Chad Ochocinco.
The CFL has existed since 1958. Prior to that, it’s original teams played predominantly in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (“Big Four”) of the East, and the Western Interprovincial Football Union of the West. These two Unions would eventually break off from the Canadian Rugby Union and form the two divisions of the CFL.
The oldest CFL team is the Toronto Argonauts, who are the oldest active professional sports team in North America. They will celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2023, having been founded on October 4th, 1873.
The highest paid CFL player is Winnipeg Bluebombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who makes $550,000. The current league minimum salary is $70,000. CFL players get a defined contribution pension based on how much they put into it over the years prior.
