The 2024 CFL season gets underway on Thursday, June 6, and our resident CFL expert has you covered with an in-depth team-by-team preview. Find out who Rohit Ponnaiya is high on this year, and which team he believes will struggle.
The 2024 CFL season kicks off next week and there’s plenty for football bettors to catch up on regarding the CFL Grey Cup odds. The CFL offseason might not have the media frenzy of its counterpart south of the border, but there’s usually more turnover which can lead to some interesting betting angles at the start of each season.
You’ll definitely want to catch up on what has changed in this topsy-turvy league before betting CFLodds and what better way to do that with my 2024 CFL season team-by-team preview.
CFL Team Previews 2024
Winnipeg Blue Bombers team preview
- 2023 record: 15-5 SU, 12-8 ATS, 14-6 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 12.5 (-155)/Under 12.5 (+125)
- Grey Cup Odds: +210 at bet365
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers came up short in the Grey Cup for the second-straight year but making the title game for the fourth consecutive season is still pretty damn impressive. The Bombers will be contenders as long as Zach Collaros is under center and is surrounded by weapons. Winnipeg was able to retain running back Brady Oliveira and wideout Dalton Schoen after they received interest south of the border. With those two back in the fold, this attack will be explosive even with the loss of a couple of key offensive linemen.
Their defensive line will take a step back with the departure of their best interior lineman Ricky Walker and the retirement of long-time end Jackson Jeffcoat. However, Adam Bighill returns to anchor the LB crew and the secondary has plenty of experience even with one boundary corner spot up for grabs.
Toronto Argonauts team preview
- 2023 record: 16-3 SU, 13-6 ATS, 11-8 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 9.5 (-110)/Under 9.5 (-110)
- Grey Cup Odds: +300 at bet365
After winning the Grey Cup in 2022, the Toronto Argonauts were the most dominant team in the CFL during the regular season before getting upset by the eventual Grey Cup champion Alouettes in the Eastern Finals. It was a disappointing end to a historic season for the Argos, and it will be tough for them to duplicate that regular season success again.
The hardest blow for this team is that reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly has been suspended for at least the first nine games of the season due to sexual harassment. Kelly’s ability to spread the ball around will be missed since Toronto lacks elite receivers. Cameron Dukes looked solid as a backup last year and along with mediocre veteran Nick Arbuckle will hold the fort at QB until Kelly returns.
On defense, the Argos still have plenty of high-end talent in their front seven and adding Jake Ceresna (12 sacks) was a bonus. However, the depth won’t be the same after losing Brandon Barlow, Dewayne Hendrix, and Adarius Pickett. They also lost three of their best starters from their secondary in Qwan’tez Stiggers, Jamal Peters, and Robertson Daniel, although the signing of Tunde Adeleke should cushion that blow. The Boatmen also said goodbye to defensive coordinator Corey Mace and now have a pair of first-time defensive play-callers in William Fields and Kevin Eiblen sharing duties.
Montreal Alouettes team preview
- 2023 record: 14-7 SU, 13-7-1 ATS, 10-11 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 8.5 (-130)/Under 8.5 (+100)
- Grey Cup Odds: +600 at bet365
The Montreal Alouettes were a .500 team at the start of last season but they caught fire at the right time and rode their opportunistic defense to a Grey Cup. They went 8-0 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in their final eight games and upset the Argos and Bombers.
Montreal’s defense was the key to its turnaround last year and they’ve retained most of the talent on that side of the ball. They also added Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Dylan Wynn, and Derek Wiggan to bolster a defensive line that was the weakest part of their stop unit.
While there is stability on this roster, the few players that departed were crucial pieces. Austin Mack was their best receiver and is now in the NFL and workhorse running back William Stanback is now in BC. Veteran QB Cody Fajardo came through down the stretch but he isn’t a game-breaking passer and isn’t able to attack downfield. Expect lower-scoring games from this Als squad.
BC Lions team preview
- 2023 record: 13-7 SU, 9-10-1 ATS, 12-7-1 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 11.5 (-135)/Under (+105)
- Grey Cup Odds: +600 at bet365
For the second straight season, the BC Lions went 12-6 in the regular season and beat the Stamps in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Bombers in the West Final. They’ll try to get over that hump this year and have the talent and chemistry to do it. Vernon Adams Jr. is back at QB and despite the loss of Rhymes, the WR corps is loaded with size and athleticism. William Stanback will be an instant upgrade at running back and will give the offense more balance and the line returns four of five starters.
On the other side of the ball, they lost the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Mathieu Betts to the NFL. However, they managed to snag defensive tackle (and BC native) Christian Covington who has played 102 career games in the NFL with 32 starts. They also added Pete Robertson who has been one of the better pass-rushing ends in the CFL over the last two years. The Leos also have plenty of continuity at LB and in the secondary which should help them remain near the top of the league.
Saskatchewan Roughriders team preview
- 2023 record: 6-12 SU, 7-10-1 ATS, 13-5 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 8.5 (+105)/Under 8.5 (-135)
- Grey Cup Odds: +1,000 at bet365
The Saskatchewan Roughriders hit rock bottom last year, losing their last seven games to finish with a 6-12 mark. This team has been completely revamped with a new head coach in Corey Mace, a new offensive coordinator in former Stamps QB coach Marc Mueller, and some new faces on offense. Saskatchewan lost veteran QB Trevor Harris to a season-ending injury in Week 6 last year which exacerbated their issues. But Harris has looked healthy and sharp during the preseason and will bring stability to a new offensive scheme. He’ll be helped by the addition of All-Star RB A.J. Ouellete while Jermarcus Hardrick and Ryan Sceviour will bolster a line that has been awful the last two years.
That said, while Mace was brought over to level up their defense, he doesn’t have the players for a quick turnaround.
This is a stop unit that allowed a whopping 34.9 ppg in the last 10 games of 2023. Micah Johnson and Anthony Lanier are lynchpins at DT and the LB corps should be better but they don’t have proven pass rushers off the edge and secondary has plenty of holes. With a defense that will continue to be bad and an offense that should show improvement, Overs should be profitable at the start of the year.
Ottawa Redblacks team preview
- 2023 record: 4-14 SU, 6-12 ATS, 11-7 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 6.5 (-105)/Under 6.5 (-115)
- Grey Cup Odds: +1,000 at bet365
The Ottawa Redblacks have finished in last place in the East Division every year since 2019. They went 4-14 last year but made some big moves in the offseason, adding quarterback Dru Brown, All-Star receiver Dominique Rhymes, and Adarius Picket who was named the most outstanding defensive player in the East Division last year.
The secondary struggled last year but was decimated by injuries and has the pieces to be much better. Pickett will be an instant upgrade at LB and make up for the loss of Douglas Coleman III to the NFL, and the defensive line looks strong. That said, I’m not convinced the offense will be any better even with Rhymes and Brown.
Brown was sharp last year, completing 69.7% of his passes for 983 yards with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. But it’s one thing to be a backup QB in an ideal situation like Winnipeg and another to have a target on your back behind a shaky line and with few weapons. The Redblacks also have veteran Jeremiah Masoli and dual-threat sophomore Dustin Crum at QB, so Brown won’t have a long leash if he doesn’t impress out of the gate.
The key to Ottawa’s success on offense might hinge on the running back position. Ottawa lost 1,000-yard rusher Devonte Williams to a torn Achilles tendon last month and backup Jackson Bennett retired soon after. Ryquell Armstead and Kylin Hill are the next men up and while they don’t have a single CFL carry to their names, they were both on NFL rosters and have a great size/speed ratio. If either of them breaks out, this offense could be solid but if not it will struggle once again.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats team preview
- 2023 record: 8-11 SU, 9-9-1 ATS, 8-11 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 8.5 (-115)/Under 8.5 (-105)
- Grey Cup Odds: +1,100 at bet365
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats entered last season with high expectations but injuries and shaky play from new QB Bo Levi Mitchell resulted in an 8-10 season. More is expected from Mitchell in his second year with the team but the truth is that the former MOP hasn’t had a good season since 2019. The Ticats return one of the best receivers in the league in Tim White and one of the top running backs in James Butler running behind a solid O-Line. They had a subpar defense in 2023 but have added several studs from Toronto in Barlow, Hendrix, Peters, and linebacker Jordan Williams.
Hamilton has All-Star caliber players in every position group but they also have weak links and don’t stand out in any one area. I’m not confident in Mitchell turning things around for this franchise.
Edmonton Elks team preview
- 2023 record: 4-14 SU, 6-12 ATS, 9-9 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 7.5 (-105)/Under 7.5 (-115)
- Grey Cup Odds: +1,500 at bet365
It’s now Year 3 of head coach Chris Jones’ second tenure leading the Edmonton Elks and the former Grey Cup winner is on the hot seat. The Elks have gone 4-14 in the last two years with Jones at the helm and despite his reputation as a defensive guru they’ve been giving up way too many points.
The offense should be better after signing QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson and trading for ratio-breaking wide receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. Edmonton’s offensive line was one of the worst in the league at the start of last season but turned into one of the best towards the end of the year. It’ll be interesting to see if that was because of the development of young linemen or if it was due to a mobile QB like Tre Ford taking over under center. It will also be interesting to see how Jones will utilize Ford as a change-of-pace behind Bethel-Thompson who is more of a pocket passer.
The defense will once again be a massive question mark due to plenty of new faces and bigger roles for guys with little CFL experience. Jones’ tendency to swap defenders in and out of the lineup while encouraging competition has led to little stability on defense. He’ll look to develop chemistry with a new crop of defenders and Robert Nkemdiche who was an NFL first-round pick in 2016 might be the best of the bunch. The Elks struggled mightily at the start of last season before looking more competitive down the stretch and it could take a while for this team to find its footing again.
Calgary Stampeders team preview
- 2023 record: 6-13 SU, 9-10 ATS, 8-10-1 O/U
- 2024 win total O/U: Over 6.5 (-130)/Under (+105)
- Grey Cup Odds: +1,800 at bet365
The Calgary Stampeders went just 6-12 last year for their first losing season since 2007. I don’t see them being much better this season even if they have better luck on the injury front.
Jake Maier is back for his second year at QB and he’ll need to be more consistent after throwing 15 picks and being held below 200 passing yards in eight contests. Starting RB Ka’Deem Carey left in free agency but Dedrick Mills is more than good enough to take over and the WR corps should be better with a healthy Malik Henry back in the fold. The offensive line wasn’t great last year but the left tackle position has been upgraded with the signing of Trevon Tate. The Stamps have some solid pieces on defense but they don’t have much juice off the edge and need to make more big plays.
