CFL Power Rankings: Winnipeg or Bust on The Grey Cup Odds

Heading To Week 7, It’s Winnipeg and Everyone Else

To nobody’s surprise, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers top both the CFL Power Rankings and the 2022 Grey Cup odds. Winnipeg is the only undefeated team in the league and just handed both the Lions and Stampeders their first losses. What’s crazy is that Winnipeg has not been invincible. They could well be 5-1 or 4-2 had some bounces gone for the other team.

But seven weeks in, the Bombers have started to separate themselves from the rest of the bet on CFL. Winnipeg has yet to play their archnemeses, the Roughriders, but they will likely beat them. Unless a major injury happens on the team, God forbid, we can’t unseat Winnipeg at the top spot. Here are the CFL Power Rankings heading to Week 7:

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-0)
2. BC Lions (3-1)
3. Calgary Stampeders (4-1)
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-2)
5. Toronto Argonauts (2-2)
6. Montreal Alouettes (1-4)
7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-4)
8. Ottawa Redblacks (0-5)
9. Edmonton Elks (2-4)

Note that these rankings are solely based on the Grey Cup betting odds board. This would be why Edmonton, despite having two wins, sits below Ottawa and two one-win teams.

Who’s Got a Better Shot at Winnipeg: BC or Calgary?

Both of them tried and both of them failed. But both the Stampeders and Lions will get another crack at Winnipeg. In fact, Calgary will face the Blue Bombers again in Week 8. Dave Dickenson’s crew nearly had Winnipeg had Kamar Jorden secured the touchdown pass as the game ended.

The Bombers made Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell’s life a living hell. They sacked him three times and put so much pressure on him that he played his worst game of the season, completing just 42.9 percent of his passes. Calgary had Winnipeg where they wanted them but could not convert on scoring chances.

The Lions, on the other hand, got humbled. It may have been Marcus Sayles’s “vanilla offense” comments, but Winnipeg lit up the Lions in what was their best showing to date. BC has looked unstoppable before running into the Bombers. Nathan Rourke is still a Most Oustanding Player (MOP) candidate and the Lions’ defense remains a top-tier unit.

The Better ‘Dark Horse’: Saskatchewan or Toronto?

The Argonauts just opened a can of you-know-what on Saskatchewan and yet they’re still ranked below them? The CFL Power Rankings (Grey Cup odds) take into account the big picture and not just recent results. If Saskatchewan can find a way to stay disciplined and quarterback Cody Fajardo heals up, this team could be the second-best in the CFL.

The Roughriders are 4-2 despite all the chaos around them. Garrett Marino is suspended for his cheap shot on Jeremiah Masoli while Duke Williams is throwing helmets at players. Saskatchewan has alternated between being a Grey Cup contender and a struggling team. We can say similar things about Toronto.

The “Double Blue” is one of the hardest CFL 2022 teams to get a good read on. They have performances like the one against Saskatchewan and Winnipeg where they look like world beaters. Then they also looked like one of the worst teams against BC. The jury is still out on whether McLeod Bethel-Thompson is a guy who can lead a team into championship territory.

Which Longshot Has a Chance to Go All the Way?

The odds don’t look great for the bottom four teams in the CFL Power Rankings, but this is Canadian Football! We only have two divisions here and Montreal, Hamilton, and even Ottawa can still win the division. Edmonton, despite being outscored by nearly a hundred points, is in the playoff picture!

We’ve seen it done recently with sub-.500 teams like Toronto or Ottawa that didn’t make the playoffs – then go all the way. The Argonauts were 9-9 and Ottawa was 8-9-1.

The Tiger-Cats were in back-to-back Grey Cup appearances. The team lost plenty of key players but still has a solid roster. Montreal has shown flashes and could easily be 3-2 if they closed out games better. Edmonton and Ottawa look ready to be forked, especially with questionable quarterbacks, however, don’t count them out just yet.