Football ‘North of the Border’ is ready to go with a new season set to get underway in the CFL starting on June 22. MyBookie has recently updated its CFL futures odds to win this year’s Grey Cup title in what promises to be an exciting race all the way to the championship game
CFL 2016 Grey Cup Futures Odds
The Calgary Stampeders dominated play in the CFL last year with just two straight-up losses in 18 regular season games, but it was the Ottawa RedBlacks that prevailed in the postseason with a stunning 39-33 overtime victory over Calgary in the Grey Cup title game. Both teams figure to be right in the mix this season along with the other seven teams in the league.
The following is a look at my top-valued favorite, contender and longshot to win the 2017 CFL Grey Cup based on betting odds from MyBookie.
Top Valued Favorite
Calgary was clearly the best team in the CFL last season and, with that crushing loss in the title game, the motivation level to win it all this time around is higher than ever. The Stampeders have the best odds on the board at +230 and I believe there is quite a bit of value in that number.
Bo Levi Mitchell remains at the helm at quarterback after leading the league last season in touchdown passes with 32 as part of his 412 completions for 5385 total passing yards. Marquay McDaniel should be Levi’s top target in this potent passing attack and the Stampeders will turn to Jerome Messam to anchor the running game.
Top Valued Contender
Ottawa won the East last season with a record of 8-9-1 so this entire division remains up for grabs. The RedBlacks proved that anything can happen in a winner-take-all showdown so I am going with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as my top-value contender to make that run out of the East this season at +600 betting odds.
Hamilton made the playoffs at 7-11 in 2016 following two-straight trips to the Grey Cup title game in its previous two seasons. I have them going above .500 this year behind a healthy Zach Collaros at quarterback. He has proven himself to be one of the best pure passers in the CFL when healthy and he appears fit and ready to go. The Tiger-Cats also has some solid depth at that position in Jeremiah Masoli.
Top Valued Longshot
Saskatchewan sat out the playoffs in 2016 with just five SU wins verse 13 losses, but the Roughriders showed some resiliency through all that adversity by winning four games in a row towards the end of the season. Their odds to completely turn things around with a worst to first run to the top have been set at +600, so even the Oddsmakers are fairly optimistic about their chances to radically improve this season.
Much of Saskatchewan’s chances to get back on top in the West will hinge on the play of veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn, who is trying to resurrect his CFL career at the age of 38. Vince Young was signed to possibly fill that role but injuries should keep him out of action through the early part of the season.
Other CFL Futures Odds
The British Columbia Lions have the second-best odds on the board to win the Grey Cup at +400 after finishing second to Calgary in the West last season at 12-6. Also in the West, Edmonton is listed as a +500 third-favorite followed by Winnipeg out of the East at +580. The logjam at +600 betting odds also includes Ottawa and Montreal along with Hamilton and Saskatchewan. The longest odds on the board belong to the Toronto Argonauts at +1000.