We’re still a long way from the start of the NFL season, but that doesn’t mean football bettors have to wait until September to begin sharpening their handicapping skills.
The Grey Cup champions.
The Toronto Argonauts are runaway favourites to repeat as Grey Cup champions at most online sportsbooks at around +250 odds, but the CFL can be wildly unpredictable due to the fact that six of the nine teams qualify for the playoffs. It’s all about getting hot in the fall, and we’ve seen several underdogs cruise to Grey Cup titles over the years.
Toronto Argonauts to win the Grey Cup
Betting on who will win the Grey Cup is just one of the many ways you can indulge in Canadian football, though, so let’s expand our horizons and take a look at three season-long futures bets to lock in before the pigskin flies on the new season.
All odds in this article courtesy of bet365.
Nathan Rourke Most Outstanding Player (+700)
A refocused Rourke has the potential to easily be the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player this season, and that’s reflected in him having the second-shortest odds to win the award behind Toronto’s Chad Kelly at +425. If you can recall, the BC Lions quarterback wasn’t on a CFL roster to start last season as he tried to find a permanent home in the NFL. After several failed attempts to crack some active NFL rosters, he returned to the Lions in the middle of the season and struggled, leading the team to a 3-5 record while throwing four touchdowns and nine interceptions. Making the transition from the NFLback to the CFL in the middle of a campaign is beyond difficult, but with a full offseason to readjust and acclimate to the Canadian game, Rourke, the 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian, should easily be a top-three player in the league this time around.
In 2022, Rourke exploded onto the CFL scene by finishing the year with a 78.7% completion rate while throwing for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in just 10 games. Unfortunately, a foot injury in Week 11 derailed his incredible 2022 season, but he’ll now have the chance to play his first full season of Canadian football, and the statistical possibilities are potentially record-breaking. The Lions have two competent veteran running backs in William Stanback and James Butler to balance out the offence, and Rourke has several potent receiving options in Jevon Cottoy, Justin McInnis, and Keon Hatcher, among others, to help guide him to success.
If he can stay healthy, +700 will likely be the longest price we see for Rourke in this betting market for the entirety of the season.
Tiger-Cats over 8.5 regular-season wins (-135)
Are the Hamilton Tiger-Cats the most undervalued team in the league from a betting perspective this season?
Most online sportsbooks have given them the second-longest odds to win the Grey Cup this season at around +1000, suggesting they’ll be a sub-.500 team.
However, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell turned back the clock last year with the most impressive statistical season of his illustrious 12-year CFL career, and Hamilton went out and got him even more weapons to choose from this offseason, including All-Star receiver Kenny Lawler, who is also a two-time Grey Cup champion. Mitchell’s health is always a concern, especially now at the age of 35, but Taylor Powell is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, so the Tiger-Cats should be in good shape should Mitchell succumb to injury.
The team also made some under-the-radar moves on defence, which should also help their chances of being at least a .500 team this season.
Surprisingly, two of the three ists on TSN’s CFL Preview Show picked Hamilton to win the Grey Cup this year, so perhaps the Ticats are being undervalued by oddsmakers to start the season?
Tiger-Cats over 8.5 regular-season wins
Tim White over 1,025.5 receiving yards (-110)
If you believe the Tiger-Cats are being undervalued, and that Mitchell can at least have an average season by his Cstandards, this pick is a virtual lock.
White has recorded no less than 1,164 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons, and there’s no reason why he can’t be one of the best receivers in the league again this season. He’s been incredibly durable throughout his four-year CFL career, appearing in no less than 13 games in each of those seasons, while averaging an impressive 15 yards per catch in that span.
White will once again be the team’s top receiving option in 2025, which means he’ll be getting plenty of targets, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t easily sur the 1,000-yard mark if he can remain healthy.