CFL Best Bets for Week 1 (Can the Argonauts Figure It Out Without Chad Kelly?)
By Nate Duffett
The 2024 CFL season begins Thursday night with a Grey Cup rematch between the defending champion Montreal Alouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The CFL offers a great viewing experience, as most weeks feature one game per night for the entire weekend. The Friday night matchup sees the Hamilton Tiger-Cats take on the Calgary Stampeders, then Saturday is the Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Elks.
The weekend completes when the Toronto Argonauts host the BC Lions.
Let's dive into my Week 1 Best Bets as we attempt to bet every game during the CFL season.
CFL Best Bets Week 1
- Blue Bombers -7.5 (-110) vs. Alouettes
- Stampeders +1.5 (-115) vs. Tiger-Cats
- Roughriders vs. Elks OVER 46.5 (-110)
- Lions -5.5 (-110) vs. Argonauts
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Alouettes vs. Blue Bombers Prediction and Pick
The Blue Bombers will try to avenge their Grey Cup loss last season when they host the defending champs Alouettes.
The all-time series between these two teams can't get any closer, as they've each won 51 games with two ties. Alouettes' quarterback Cody Fajardo is one of the top quarterbacks in the league but struggles against the Alouettes. He is a career 2-8 against Montreal, while he is 34-16 against the other eight teams.
Revenge can be a powerful motivator, and the Blue Bombers seem to know what to do against Fajardo. I'm going to take the Blue Bombers to roll in this game.
Pick: Blue Bombers -7.5 (-110)
Tiger-Cats vs. Stampeders Prediction and Pick
There's a lot of hype surrounding the return of Bo Levi Mitchell to McMahon Stadium. Mitchell was a star for 11 years with the Stampeders, owning a 90-25-2 mark, including a 47-13-2 record at McMahon. The fact is that Mitchell isn't the quarterback he used to be, and he is six years removed from his last Grey Cup, Grey Cup MVP, and Most Outstanding Player awards.
These teams play tight games and are both trying to rebound after ending 2023 poorly. It could come down to a coaching battle, and I trust the 79-41-2 record of Dave Dickenson over the debut of Scott Milanovich in Hamilton, who has a 43-47 record all-time as a head coach in the CFL.
Pick: Stampeders +1.5 (-115)
Roughriders vs. Elks prediction
The Edmonton Elks offense showed glimpses of a resurgence towards the end of the season despite average to below-average quarterback play. Enter McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who will take over the starting quarterback job for the Elks. The Elks still dress a below-average defense, and the Roughriders were the worst last season, allowing 34.9 points per game over their last ten.
Meanwhile, Trevor Harris is back healthy for the Roughriders, and they have an upgraded running back and offensive line, with A.J. Ouellette getting most of the carries. We could see a lot of points in this one.
Pick: OVER 46.5 (-110)
Lions vs. Argonauts Prediction and Pick
The Argonauts have won nine straight regular season home games and three in a row against BC. However, they will be without last season's Most Outstanding Player, Chad Kelly, who must serve a nine-game suspension. Kelly led the team to a franchise record 16-2 mark last season, but now they'll have to rely on Cameron Dukes. Duke's inexperience could be costly in the early portion of the season.
The Lions have dominated the East division since 2016, owning a 33-17 record, despite some struggles when playing the West. I expect to find out just how important Chad Kelly is in this game, and the Lions will make a statement in the early portion of the season.
Pick: Lions -5.5 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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