by Will Rogers
Sunday, Jun 02, 2024The CFL gets underway this week. The odds to win the Grey Cup, which I've included below, suggest that it will be a 2-team race in the West. Winnipeg is the clear favorite, followed by BC. The proud prairie teams of Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan have all seen better days. Toronto had previously been a significant favorite in the East but a suspension to their star quarterback Chad Kelly, the reigning offensive player of the year, has brought the Argonauts back to the rest of the pack. They're now co-favorites with the Montreal Alouettes, the defending Grey Cup Champions, in the East. Hamilton is also expected to contend. It looks like it'll be a long year for Ottawa.
2023 Recap
Heavily favored, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were up 17-7 at halftime of the 2023 Grey Cup. However, the defense was picked apart in the second half by quarterback Cody Fajardo, who led the Montreal Alouettes to a 27-24 comeback victory. It was Winnipeg's second straight loss in the final after coming up short against Toronto the previous year.
Week 1 Matchups
Thursday: The Bombers get an immediate chance for some payback. They host the Alouettes when the season starts Thursday. Winnipeg is currently favored by six points with a total of 48
Friday: In a sign of how far the Stampeders have fallen, Hamilton is a 2.5 point road favorite at Calgary. The O/U line is 46.
Saturday: Saturday's game features Saskatchewan visiting Edmonton. The Elks are favored by 3.5 points with a total of 46.
Sunday: The final game of the week has a total of 47 with BC laying six points at Toronto.
*Notice that all 4 totals fall in the 46-48 range.
Odds To Win 2024 Grey Cup (From Draft Kings on June 2)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers +200
Toronto Argonauts +500
Montreal Alouettes +500
BC Lions +650
Hamilton Tiger-Cats +800
Saskatchewan Roughriders +1500
Calgary Stampeders +1600
Edmonton Elks +1600
Ottawa Redblacks +2200
My Pick To Win The Grey Cup
Toronto +500 (Draft Kings)
Winnipeg will be hungry for redemption. At +200, there's no value with the Blue Bombers though. Plus, off back-to-back Grey Cup defeats, they've shown that they can't be trusted to win when it counts. The suspension to Chad Kelly caused the odds on the Argonauts to jump. He's only gone 9 games though and the Argos are still the most talented team in the East. They defeated Winnipeg in the 2022 Grey Cup and we could very well be poised for a rematch in Vancouver in November.
2023 Recap
Heavily favored, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were up 17-7 at halftime of the 2023 Grey Cup. However, the defense was picked apart in the second half by quarterback Cody Fajardo, who led the Montreal Alouettes to a 27-24 comeback victory. It was Winnipeg's second straight loss in the final after coming up short against Toronto the previous year.
Week 1 Matchups
Thursday: The Bombers get an immediate chance for some payback. They host the Alouettes when the season starts Thursday. Winnipeg is currently favored by six points with a total of 48
Friday: In a sign of how far the Stampeders have fallen, Hamilton is a 2.5 point road favorite at Calgary. The O/U line is 46.
Saturday: Saturday's game features Saskatchewan visiting Edmonton. The Elks are favored by 3.5 points with a total of 46.
Sunday: The final game of the week has a total of 47 with BC laying six points at Toronto.
*Notice that all 4 totals fall in the 46-48 range.
Odds To Win 2024 Grey Cup (From Draft Kings on June 2)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers +200
Toronto Argonauts +500
Montreal Alouettes +500
BC Lions +650
Hamilton Tiger-Cats +800
Saskatchewan Roughriders +1500
Calgary Stampeders +1600
Edmonton Elks +1600
Ottawa Redblacks +2200
My Pick To Win The Grey Cup
Toronto +500 (Draft Kings)
Winnipeg will be hungry for redemption. At +200, there's no value with the Blue Bombers though. Plus, off back-to-back Grey Cup defeats, they've shown that they can't be trusted to win when it counts. The suspension to Chad Kelly caused the odds on the Argonauts to jump. He's only gone 9 games though and the Argos are still the most talented team in the East. They defeated Winnipeg in the 2022 Grey Cup and we could very well be poised for a rematch in Vancouver in November.
