As a New Jersey resident, the CFL is surprisingly one of my favorite leagues to bet and watch. There are only three downs instead of four and end zones are 20 yards long. Not only are the rules more entertaining, but the season starts in June, too — three months before college football and the NFL.
Most importantly for Americans, games are on either ESPN or ESPN+.
The CFL Championship is called the Grey Cup, and leading up to the Grey Cup is a six-team playoff. With only nine teams in the CFL and six teams in the playoffs, teams typically get a crack at the Grey Cup if they are .500 or better.
If a team is first place in their division (East or West), then they get a first-round bye and must only win two games to win the Grey Cup. As a result, the best way to pick the Grey Cup champion is to figure out the division winner from each division.
With many different regulated sportsbooks available, you don’t have to be a genius to make money on the CFL this season. If you randomly pick a Grey Cup winner at most books, you would lose $20 for every $100 bet on average. If you have an account with every regulated sportsbook, you will surprisingly make $0.90 for every $100 bet.
Below, I go over my Grey Cup predictions before the season kicks off in June.
CFL Grey Cup Odds
CFL Grey Cup odds are courtesy of BetMGM and current as of Monday, June 6, at 12 p.m. ET.
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+250)
- Saskatchewan Roughriders (+450)
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+500)
- Toronto Argonauts (+700)
- Calgary Stampeders (+700)
- Montreal Alouettes (+900)
- Edmonton Elks (+1100)
- BC Lions (+1100)
- Ottawa Redblacks (+1800)
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CFL Grey Cup Best Odds
| Team | Best Odds | Breakeven Odds | Sportsbook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 300 | 25% | PointsBet |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 700 | 12.5% | DraftKings |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 700 | 12.5% | FanDuel |
| Toronto Argonauts | 700 | 12.5% | BetMGM |
| Calgary Stampeders | 800 | 11.1% | FoxBet |
| Montreal Alouettes | 1000 | 9.1% | FanDuel |
| Edmonton Elks | 1600 | 5.9% | BetRivers |
| BC Lions | 1800 | 5.3% | FanDuel |
| Ottawa Redblacks | 1800 | 5.3% | BetMGM |
CFL Grey Cup Prediction
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+300) at PointsBet (Would bet up to +250)
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won the last two CFL championships (2019 and 2021). Last season, Winnipeg was clearly the best team, and the Grey Cup was no fluke. The Blue Bombers were 11-3 and went undefeated at home.
On average, Winnipeg won each regular season game by 12.4 points last year. In the CFL, which is a low scoring league, this is an accomplishment.
Heavy favorites to win championships should usually be greeted with skepticism, but once the season gets going, it is hard to imagine Winnipeg dropping to a better price.
The Blue Bombers return virtually everyone from their 2019 and 2021 core. This includes their defense, which is led by linemen Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat, and 2021 CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player Adam Bighill.
Their only significant losses this offseason was offensive lineman Drew Desjarlais (now signed with the New England Patriots) and wide receiver Kenny Lawler, who went to the Edmonton Elks.
Desjarlais will be hard to replace, but three of their returning offensive linemen were 2021 CFL All-Stars. The Blue Bombers should be fine without Lawler, as they signed wide receiver Greg Ellingson in free agency who has been one of the most consistent CFL wide receivers over the last eight seasons.
At (+300), the Blue Bombers are worth a play at PointsBet. I would bet them up to their (+250) consensus price.
CFL Grey Cup Contender
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+700) at FanDuel (Would bet up to +550)
Outside of Winnipeg, the best team in the CFL over the last two seasons has been the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They won the Eastern Conference in each of the last two seasons, only to lose to Winnipeg in the Grey Cup. They even lost last year in overtime at home in Hamilton in what was one of the best football games I have ever watched.
This offseason, the Ti-Cats had their roster raided by other CFL teams. Hamilton lost QB Jeremiah Masoli to Ottawa and WR Brandon Banks to Toronto. Masoli has been one of the best CFL quarterbacks recently, and Banks one of the best wideouts.
The Tiger-Cats quietly added Canadian National Lemar Durant, who was limited last season by injuries and a dysfunctional BC Lions team. Canadian Nationals are important in the CFL, as teams are required to always have a certain number of Canadians on the field, and typically these players aren’t at offensive skilled positions.
Masoli should have a good year at Ottawa assuming their offensive line is up to the task, but quarterback Dane Evans won’t be too much of a downgrade this season. Last season, Head Coach Orlondo Steinauer had a hard time deciding who to play between the two. Both quarterbacks even split time in the Grey Cup.
Without Masoli and Banks, I believe that the Tiger-Cats will be still the best team in the East. The rival Toronto Argonauts may have won the division last year, but they had a negative scoring differential. Outside of Winnipeg, Hamilton had the best defense in the CFL last year, and they return most of their players this season.
At (+700), the Tiger-Cats are worth a bet, and I would bet them up to (+550).
CFL Grey Cup Sleeper
Ottawa Redblacks (+1800) at BetMGM
Over the last two seasons, no team has been as bad as the Ottawa Redblacks. Last year they had a 3-11 record and lost each game by an average of 11.4 points. Ottawa’s offense scored the fewest and allowed the most points in the league. You don’t even need to know anything about the CFL to know that Ottawa wasn’t good last year.
So why do I like them?
Not only do the Redblacks play in the weakest CFL division, but they underwent a complete makeover this offseason. They have a new general manager Shawn Burke who went wild with Ottawa’s checkbook. Not only did Burke add Jeremiah Masoli in free agency, but he also added several defensive free agents.
The Redblacks start off their season with back-to-back games against Winnipeg. If they can make it through that meat grinder and lose either game by less than a touchdown, then I will probably make another bet on Ottawa. Until then, I am only making a small wager on the Redblacks winning the Grey Cup until I see them in action.