For more than six decades, the Canadian Football League (CFL) has been ingrained in the collective consciousness of sports fans across the Great White North. The Grey Cup, given to the league champion each year since 1909, is one of the most coveted trophies in all of North American sports.
The CFL has long piqued the interest of sports bettors, but now that Canada sports betting has expanded, there will undoubtedly be more action on Canadian football than ever before.
But, whether you use Ontario sportsbooks or not, there’s a lot to learn about this league if you want to be a successful bettor. Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about CFL betting in Canada, including the various bet types, strategies to use, and mistakes to avoid as you begin betting on football in Canada.
CFL Season Format in 2022
Before we get into betting information, let’s first discuss what to expect from the upcoming CFL season. This includes the format as well as key information about when it begins and ends.
When does the 2022 CFL season begin?
Week 1 of the 2022 CFL season begins on June 9, with the season typically running from mid-June until late November, when the Grey Cup is played. Each of the nine CFL teams plays an 18-game schedule over a 21-week season that includes three bye weeks for all teams. The 109th Grey Cup will be held on November 20, 2022.
How do the CFL playoffs work?
After 18 games, six teams qualify for the postseason, with the top team in each division receiving a bye to the Division Championships. The next two teams in each division are seeded No. 2 and No. 3, with the former hosting the latter in the Division Semifinals.
The winner of those games will face the top seed for the East or West championship, with the two winners receiving bids to the Grey Cup final.
Best CFL sportsbooks in Canada
Betting on Canadian Football League games is similar to betting on NFL or NCAA football in the United States, or even basketball leagues such as the NBA. Moneylines, spreads, and totals are the three most popular bet types, with props being offered by some sportsbooks depending on the league and game.
The traditional markets are a great place to start, so let’s look at an example using two popular CFL teams:
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | +3.5 (-110) | +140 | Over 47.5 (-105) |
| Toronto Argonauts | -3.5 (-110) | -160 | Under 47.5 (-115) |
Moneylines
Moneylines are the most basic form of betting because all you have to do is predict which team will win the game. It’s a great place to start for any beginner because it’s simple to understand and calculate potential wins and losses.
Every sportsbook app will label it, but you can always point it out because it has a plus or minus in front of it and is three digits long in most cases, especially when it comes to pregame lines.
Favorites have a negative moneyline in American odds, and the number represents how much you must risk to win $100. A bet on the Toronto Argonauts at -160 means risking $160 for every $100 wagered, for a total return of $260.
Underdogs command a higher payout but are considered less likely to win by oddsmakers. The moneyline is equal to what you can win when betting $100, so a $100 wager on Saskatchewan could earn $140 in profit and a total return of $240 when your original stake is included.
If you want to bet less, use the moneyline and $100 as a guide, then adjust for your exact amount.
Point differentials
Because no two teams are of equal quality, oddsmakers use point spreads to level the playing field for bettors. While the moneylines for the two teams in our examples are quite different, we can see that they both have a 3.5-point spread.
A point spread has two components to consider: the spread itself and the price you pay for it, also known as the juice.
In our example, bettors taking Toronto -3.5 (-110) must win by four points and risk $110 to win $100. Taking Ottawa +3.5 (-110) has the same risk and reward, but requires the Redblacks to lose by three points or less if they do not win the game.
In general, point spreads increase payouts for favorites while decreasing payouts for underdogs.
The point spreads for both teams are the same, but the price (juice) associated with those spreads may vary. The most common starting point is -110, but the price of point spreads can range from -125 to +100.
Totals
Betting on totals, also known as over/unders, is simple. All you’re doing is predicting whether the total score of the game will be higher or lower than the total set by the oddsmakers.
Totals are the same on both sides, similar to point spreads, with standard juice being -110, though it will vary between -125 and +100 on nearly all occasions. There are also additional lines for totals.
In our example, a bet on Over 47.5 (-105) means risking $105 to profit $100, with 48 or more combined points required to win the wager. Wagering on the Under 47.5 (-115) requires 47 or fewer total points in the game and puts $115 at risk for every $100 won.
Props
Prop bets are any wager that is not on the moneyline, spread, or total. Most props are classified as player, team, or game props, with the former being the most common.
In football, player props revolve around individual statistics such as passing, receiving, and rushing yards, as well as touchdown scorers. Team props will include, among other things, team totals for quarters, halves, and full games.
Game props are in-game events that aren’t tied to a specific player or team, such as the total number of touchdowns or field goals scored in a game.
With betting expanding to Canada and more online sportsbooks in Ontario offering CFL games, we should see some additional prop markets than were previously available in the United States.
Using NFL games as an example, we could see some of the following at sportsbooks across the United States:
- Touchdown Scorer (First/Last Play of Game, Anytime, First/Second Half)
- Over/Under Yards in Passing, Rushing, and Receiving
- Attempts, Completions, and Receptions of Over-Under Passes
- Quarters/Halves Total Team Totals, Moneyline, and Spread (Quarters, Halves, Full Game)
- O/U Total Field Goals/Touchdowns Winning Margin (Halves, Full Game, By Team)
- The first team to X points wins (10, 15, 20, 25, etc.)
- Halftime/Full-Time Score
Betting in real time
Because of the popularity and growth of mobile gambling, there has been a dramatic increase in people participating in live betting, which occurs after a game has already begun. In-game betting lines allow you to place wagers until deep into the fourth quarter, whether you’re strategically letting part of the game play out or you just missed kickoff and want to get in on the action.
Most sportsbooks will offer moneylines, spreads, and totals, but it’s unclear whether CFL props will be available, particularly after kickoff. Even the standard options, however, allow for hedging and middling opportunities that can result in profits.
Grey Cup odds | CFL futures betting
Every year, the Canadian Football League season culminates with the Grey Cup, a championship game comparable to the Super Bowl in the NFL. However, it is safe to say that the Super Bowl is as much a spectacle as it is a football game.
Despite the fact that the CFL began in 1958, football in Canada dates back much further. The Grey Cup was first presented in 1909, and several of the league’s franchises have won it as different iterations of the franchise or as separate franchises entirely.
In today’s world, the Grey Cup is not only one of the sport’s great trophies, but it’s also a popular source of betting action for CFL fans.
The advantage of betting on futures is that the odds are longer and the potential payouts are larger. Even the favorites near the top of the board have long enough odds to gamble on, though picking the champion before the season begins can be difficult.
You may also want to wait until the season begins before betting on a championship winner in real time. A third option is to place preseason wagers in the hopes of finding an opportunity to hedge and guarantee a profit during the season.
Grey Cup betting can also keep you interested in the game for much longer than just one game. It can also help bettors limit their weekly wagering. Even if you only bet a small amount on some of these futures, there’s no better feeling than arriving at the big game knowing you have a season-long bet on the line that you’ve been waiting to cash for months.
In addition to betting on the Grey Cup, you can find preseason odds for the East and West division winners, as well as regular season win totals.
The top CFL betting apps
Single-game wagering has been available in Canada for a short time, but there have been few options. While PROLINE+ is adequate as a stand-alone sportsbook, betting expansion in Ontario is set to change the game.
Those in Ontario will suddenly have access to a much wider range of sportsbook options. The competition can only be good for the bettor, as operators will use promotional offers to entice players to play at their sites.
Bettors will quickly realize that there are many more betting options and offers available than what they have seen thus far. There will be many Canadian sportsbooks to choose from, but the following should be among the best:
OKBET Sportsbook
There are numerous reasons why OKBET Sportsbook is an industry leader in every market in which it operates. CFL bettors will quickly discover that this is the place to go if you want the best combination of available sports, competitive odds, promotional offers, and a generous welcome offer.
BetRivers Sportsbook
This is the place to bet on CFL futures. There are several sites that offer Grey Cup odds, but there aren’t nearly as many that offer divisional futures. It also doesn’t hurt that it has a massive betting menu and is known for providing a generous welcome bonus to new players.
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM is yet another site that offers a plethora of betting options, including Grey Cup odds and weekly CFL betting lines. In addition to the numerous sportsbook promotions, this site may earn you rewards or discounts at BetMGM properties.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel, like DraftKings, has a massive betting menu with a variety of options. If you’re trying to decide which sites have the most to offer a CFL fan, put FD on your shortlist. It will have Grey Cup odds available throughout the offseason, as well as weekly odds. Overall, the sportsbook competes with the best.
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