CFL Week 2 Odds Preview: Here Come the Champs!
The Argonauts Kick off Season Against Rival
Argonauts-Tiger-Cats is Week 2’s Must-Watch Game
The champs are here! After a Week 1 bye, the Toronto Argonauts begin the defense of their Grey Cup with a home tilt against a familiar foe: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The CFL Week 2 odds peg this as the closest matchup, hence why it also occupies the Sunday slate on the schedule. Toronto looks to start strong while three of the closest contenders are favored on the betting lines.
CFL Week 1 Review: Lions Emerge as Lone Underdog Winner
Week 1 in the CFL kicked off with an upset: the visiting BC Lions took out the Calgary Stampeders as 3.5-point underdogs. In what was the first game of the post-Nathan Rourke era, Vernon Adams scored three total touchdowns. It was the only upset of the week as the other favorites all won and covered their spreads.
Now, the CFL standings look more or less like how the early CFL power rankings have it with Winnipeg at the top. Edmonton, Ottawa, and Hamilton all took losses as they continue to struggle from last season. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan got off on a good note with new quarterback Trevor Harris.
All-in-all, it was a mixed result from teams with new quarterbacks. Saskatchewan and Montreal, who swapped quarterbacks, won while Hamilton lost with Bo Levi Mitchell. Defenses also ruled as all but one game (Hamilton-Winnipeg) went under their respective totals.
Calgary Stampeders (0-1) vs Ottawa Redblacks (0-1)
Date & Time:
Location: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa
Streaming: CBS Sports Network, CFL+
The Stampeders can bounce back with a road win over the shorthanded Redblacks. Jeremiah Masoli continues to be “limited” for Ottawa so Nick Arbuckle, who threw three picks in Week 1, is likely starting. The CFL Week 2 odds quickly moved towards Calgary with their spread going from -3.5 at opening to -5.0. Calgary is 6-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last seven road games.
Blue Bombers (1-0) vs Roughriders (1-0)
Date & Time:
Location: Mosaic Stadium, Saskatchewan
Streaming: CBS Sports Network, CFL+
Toronto-Hamilton is not the only rivalry game this week. The Prairie version takes place with Winnipeg favored at 6.5 points. The Bombers initially opened as 3.5-point favorites. But a strong Week 1 performance on top of being 9-3 ATS in its last dozen against Saskatchewan have bettors leaning on ‘Peg. The 47.5 total is the largest for Week 2.
Edmonton Elks (0-1) vs BC Lions (1-0)
Date & Time:
Location: BC Place, Vancouver
Streaming: CBS Sports Network, CFL+
The Lions can go 2-0 after a favorable early CFL schedule. BC hosts the Elks as seven-point favorites, which makes it the largest for Week 2. Edmonton has lost seven of its last eight games. However, the Elks have also covered six of its last eight road games. Watch out for the totals here (46) as four of these teams’ last six in Vancouver have gone over.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1) vs Toronto Argonauts (0-0)
Date & Time:
Location: BMO Field, Toronto
Hamilton gave Winnipeg a bit of a scare last week. But ultimately, the “Tabbies” fell just short. They get no breaks as they face Toronto at BMO. The Tiger-Cats are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. But the CFL Week 2 odds have moved closer to Hamilton. The total of 46.5 is the second-largest for the week. It has gone ‘over’ in four of these rivals’ last five meetings.
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