2011 CFL Eastern Division Odds

A lot can happen in the course of a season, especially in an 8-team football league and that’s why the odds to win the CFL East don’t offer huge value on the underdogs.

Montreal is the class of the division and is the two-time defending CFL Grey Cup champions. Small wonder the Anthony Calvillo-led Alouettes remain the top betting choice at online sportsbooks like 5Dimes.

The loss of Ben Cahoon and Avon Cobourne may be overrated subtractions according to many observers and the Als won the Cup last year with the third-worst rated ground game in the league. WRs Brandon Whitaker and Emmanuel Marc are expected to produce terrific targets for Calvillo.

Montreal is a -150 favorite, meaning you need to risk $15 to profit $10 on the Alouettes.

In Hamilton, the Tiger Cats are given the best shot at upsetting the Als. Hamilton’s 57-20 beatdown of Montreal the Alouettes in Week 2 of the pre-season impressed many, but questions remain about the secondary and the passing game in general.

At +250 odds (risk $100 to win a $250 profit) doesn’t seem like the best betting value for CFL fans this year. Expect them to falter early.

Many rank the Toronto Argonauts as the CFL’s worst team, but some peg The Peg. At 5Dimes, Toronto is +650 as the third betting choice in the CFL East. QB Cleo Lemon has targets in Cory Boyd and Chad Owens that were reliable last year. Not everyone thinks that will continue and that makes them a CFL East odds longshot.

Not quite as long as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but close. The Bombers are largely expected to bomb again in 2011 and they are +975 odds to win the East. This is where your CFL betting value may come in as some feel Terrence Edwards and Greg Carr at wideout combined with last year’s leading rusher Fred Reid can turn this around.

It’s true that nine of their 14 losses in 2010 were close ones (4 points or less), so maybe they are primed for a breakthrough season.

Here are the odds to win the 2011 CFL Eastern Division at 5Dimes as of June 30.

• Montreal Alouettes -150
• Hamilton Tiger Cats +250
• Toronto Argonauts +650
• Winnipeg Blue Bombers +975