Grey Cup Predictions & Best Bets: Can Anyone Stop Blue Bombers?
Ahead of the start of the CFL season, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are clear favorites across our best sportsbooks in Canada to win in 2024, as we dive into a few other possibilities to consider in our Grey Cup predictions.
The CFL season kicks off tonight with an exciting rematch of the 110th Grey Cup between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes. According to the Grey Cup odds, both teams are viewed as strong contenders.
The Blue Bombers, in particular, appear poised for another successful campaign, boasting two players in contention for the CFL Most Outstanding Player odds honors. However, as we saw last season, the league's unpredictable nature underscores the potential for unexpected outcomes.
In 2023, the Toronto Argonauts emerged as frontrunners during the regular season, only to face disappointment in the playoffs, falling to the eventual champions, the Alouettes. As the upcoming season approaches, the Argonauts face some major hurdles to return to that point, including the suspension of star quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine games.
Here are our Grey Cup predictions ahead of Week 1 of the CFL season (odds via our best betting sites in Canada).
Grey Cup odds 2024
(Odds via Betway as of June 5)
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | +200 |
| Toronto Argonauts | +300 |
| Montreal Alouettes | +600 |
| B.C. Lions | +600 |
| Ottawa Redblacks | +1000 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | +1000 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | +1100 |
| Edmonton Elks | +1400 |
| Calgary Stampeders | +1800 |
Grey Cup predictions
Favorite: Blue Bombers
It's pretty obvious why the Blue Bombers are the favorites to win the Grey Cup heading into the CFL season. No other team returns as much offensively as Winnipeg. Starting QB Zach Collaros has won two of the last three CFL Most Outstanding Player awards, and he's arguably the league's best passer with Kelly suspended.
It doesn't hurt that All-Star talent is surrounding him either. Winnipeg boasts the league's reigning rushing leader and the Most Outstanding Canadian in Brady Oliveira, and the team's top four receivers are returning. That includes All-Star pass-catchers Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski. This offense led the league in yards per game (431.4) and points per game (33.0).
This isn't a one-dimensional team either. Defensive leader Willie Jefferson is back after racking up 11 sacks in 2023, as is three-time Most Outstanding Defensive Player Adam Bighill. Those two lead a defense that ranked first in yards allowed per game (319.6) and points allowed (20.9) in 2023.
Head coach Mike O'Shea looks poised to lead the Bombers to their fifth straight Grey Cup appearance.
Odds: +200 via Betway
Contender: Lions
With the Argonauts down Kelly for at least half the season, and the Montreal Alouettes not looking quite as strong on paper despite their championship run in 2023, the BC Lions should be Winnipeg's toughest opposition. The Lions finished with the CFL's third-best record in 2023 at 12-6, and they boast the Most Outstanding Player favorite at QB in Vernon Adams Jr.
Adams pushed the Lions toward the second-most yards per game in 2023 (392.4) and the third-most points (27.5). The 31-year-old clearly needs to stay healthy. But if he does, Adams could be even more dangerous during his second full season in BC. He'll be throwing to Keon Hatcher and Alexander Hollins, both of whom topped 1,000 yards in 2023.
While the defense isn't quite as strong with Mathieu Betts now in the NFL, it's still one of the CFL's better units. Head coach Rick Campbell has quickly rebuilt this Lions team with back-to-back 12-win seasons. And he knows what it takes to win a Grey Cup after leading the Ottawa Redblacks to one in 2016 as an underdog.
Odds: +600 via Betway
Long shot: Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats boast some of the most well-known names in the league with two-time Grey Cup MVP Bo Levi Mitchell, two-time CFL All-Star Tim White, and two-time 1,000-yard rusher James Butler. Hearing all that makes you wonder why Hamilton isn't viewed as a contender, but that's because Mitchell hasn't looked quite like himself since the canceled 2020 season.
However, the Tiger-Cats face a clearer path to the Grey Cup than the reloaded Saskatchewan Roughriders and rebuilt Edmonton Elks. With the Argos down Kelly and the Redblacks looking like one of the CFL's worst teams, Hamilton is a threat if Mitchell can stay healthy.
The Tiger-Cats built their defense back up in the offseason too, getting All-Star Casey Sayles help in the form of former Argos Jamal Peters, Brandon Barlow, and Dewayne Hendrix. New head coach Scott Milanovich won the Grey Cup with Toronto in 2012, and he could give the Tiger-Cats the boost they need.
Odds: +1100 via Betway
Grey Cup power rankings for the 2024 CFL season
| Rank | Team | Grey Cup odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | +200 via Betway |
| 2 | B.C. Lions | +600 via Betway |
| 3 | Montreal Alouettes | +600 via Betway |
| 4 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | +1000 via Betway |
| 5 | Toronto Argonauts | +300 via Betway |
| 6 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | +1100 via Betway |
| 7 | Edmonton Elks | +1400 via Betway |
| 8 | Ottawa Redblacks | +1000 via Betway |
| 9 | Calgary Stampeders | +1800 via Betway |
Given the uncertainty in Toronto, the top three teams in the CFL ahead of any football being played are hard to dispute. Put the Blue Bombers, Lions, and Alouettes in any order you'd like, but those three are the cream of the crop, and each returns its head coach and veteran QB. I then give Winnipeg and BC the edge over Montreal because those clubs bring back 1,000-yard pass-catchers, while the Alouettes lose theirs (Austin Mack) to the NFL.
The tier after that is made up of the Roughriders, Argos, Tiger-Cats, and Elks. Each team faces questions, especially Toronto, which is just too tough to peg at this point with Kelly suspended after being the 2023 Most Outstanding Player. Saskatchewan is mighty interesting with new head coach Corey Mace and the addition of A.J. Ouellette, but Trevor Harris needs to stay healthy.
It's a similar situation with the Tiger-Cats, who need Mitchell to be healthy during Milanovich's first year in charge. Meanwhile, the Elks are trying to bounce back in a big way after going 4-14 in 2023. Bringing in McLeod Bethel-Thompson at QB should go a long way.
Both the Redblacks and Calgary Stampeders look like they could be in for long seasons. Ottawa brought in former Bombers backup Dru Brown to start at QB, and although he's flashed off the bench, the pivot is unproven. Meanwhile, the Stampeders need to deal with the loaded West. For as good as Reggie Begelton is out wide, running it back with Jake Maier under center doesn't look like the answer.
Grey Cup FAQs
Who are the Grep Cup favorites?
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the Grey Cup favorites. The Blue Bombers' odds are as short as +200, which implies a 33.33% probability they'll win the Grey Cup, according to our odds calculator.
Who won the Grey Cup last year?
The Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the 110th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont. It was Montreal's first Grey Cup victory since the 2010 season.
When will the 2024 Grey Cup be played?
The 111th Grey Cup will be played on Sunday, Nov. 17.
Where will the 2024 Grey Cup be played?
The 111th Grey Cup will be played at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. It will be the 17th time Vancouver has hosted the championship game, and the first since 2014.
How to watch the 2024 Grey Cup
RDS and TSN will broadcast the 111th Grey Cup in French and English, respectively.
CFL betting odds pages
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