CFL Odds

The Canadian Football League is the most prominent football organization in Canada. Founded in 1958, it's become the number two football league behind the NFL. We've created a guide to every aspect of CFL odds so you can start predicting events.

CFL Teams & History

There have been many teams in the CFL over the years, including some from the USA. However, as of 1996, it's been purely a Canadian league. It currently has two conferences: the West Division has five, and the East Division has four, for a total of nine teams.

Division

Team

City

Stadium

Capacity

East Division

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Hamilton, Ontario

Tim Hortons Field

24,000

Montreal Alouettes

Montreal, Quebec

Percival Molson Memorial Stadium

23,420

Ottawa Redblacks

Ottawa, Ontario

TD Place Stadium

24,000

Toronto Argonauts

Toronto, Ontario

BMO Field

25,000

West Division

BC Lions

Vancouver, British Columbia

BC Place

54,320

Calgary Stampeders

Calgary, Alberta

McMahon Stadium

35,400

Edmonton Elks

Edmonton, Alberta

Commonwealth Stadium

56,302

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Regina, Saskatchewan

Mosaic Stadium

33,350

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Princess Auto Stadium

33,234

The CFL has a post-season period during which it runs playoffs for the Grey Cup, the league's championship trophy. The Grey Cup has a rich history, having been a trophy for amateur football teams since 1909.

The following active teams are the most successful in Grey Cup history:

Team

Wins

Losses

Total

Last Won

Toronto Argonauts

18

6

24

2022

Edmonton Elks

14

9

23

2015

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

12

18

30

2021

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

8

14

22

1999

Montreal Alouettes

8

11

19

2023

Calgary Stampeders

8

9

17

2018

BC Lions

6

4

10

2011

Saskatchewan Roughriders

4

15

19

2013

Ottawa Redblacks

1

2

3

2016

The Argonauts lead the table considerably. However, it is important to consider that many of their wins came at a time when competition was much weaker. While this puts an asterisk against some historical wins, the Argonauts are still a strong team in the modern era, winning seven consecutive Grey Cup final appearances.

Could be interesting:

CFL and NFL Differences

When picking your CFL football odds, you'll notice differences between traditional NFL predictions.

1. Longer and Wider Fields

The first difference is the length of the field. The CFL field is 10 yards longer and 11 ⅔ yards wider. While this suggests more space initially, the second difference explains why it's not always the case. CFL end zones also add an extra 10 yards, making the total difference 30 yards.

2. More Players

The CFL allows 12 players to enter the field at a time, while the NFL has only 11 players. CFL football lines are different due to slightly different positioning with the extra player.

3. Fewer Downs

The NFL allows four downs for players to achieve 10 yards. In the CFL, there are only three downs per play. Fewer downs impact CFL odds and predictions as turnovers are more common.

4. Goalpost Location

In the NFL, the goals are at the back of the end zone. However, because the CFL has a longer field and 10 yards of extra end zone, this significantly increases kicking difficulty. As a result, the CFL puts the goalposts at the front of the end zone in a similar layout to a rugby pitch.

CFL Odds Explained

Calculating CFL odds requires you to understand the predictions you can make. Multiple standard and prop picks are available, offering plenty of variety for players. The most common regular predictions are as follows:

  • Moneyline
  • Outright picks
  • First touchdown
  • Exact score prediction

Each choice will vary in the odds that they offer. For example, picking the moneyline, which is choosing the winner of a game, will provide smaller odds than predicting the exact score. You must determine the best selection for you, mainly because football scores can often vary massively.

When making prop picks, they typically relate to stats in the game. Yards dashed, yards passed, point totals, and successful kicks are all examples of popular prop predictions. They can appear in the following forms:

  • Over/Under
  • Handicaps
  • Asian Handicaps
  • Exotic props

You can make the first three picks easier with research. For example, placing an over/under pick on the total points in a game is more accurate when you know how many points both teams have scored recently.

However, exotic props relate to aspects that aren't typically part of the game. Aliens landing in the middle of the field or the length of the national anthem are potential exotic picks you might find.

CFL Odds Types

American odds are the most common format for CFL lines today. They appear in two ways.

  • As a negative number
  • As a positive number

The negative CFL game odds are for the favorite, meaning the positive lines are for the underdog. To calculate each variant, follow our simple steps:

Negative American Odds

When a CFL line appears in the format -165, you must go through this process to calculate your reward.

  1. -165 means 165 units gives a profit of 100 units
  2. So, making a 330-unit prediction provides a total reward of 530 units
  3. As a result, the profit is 200 units

Positive American Odds

If your CFL odds today are a positive number, it works slightly differently. Instead of showing the units for a 100-unit profit, it shows the surplus from a 100-unit prediction.

  1. Odds on CFL games of +290 means there's a 290-unit profit from 100 units
  2. Placing 300 units returns 1,170 units
  3. The total profit is 870 units

Where to make your CFL Predictions?

The CFL has many prediction opportunities throughout the season, so if you're an expert on Canadian football, there's only one place to visit. At Sportzino, we cover from the regular season's first kick to the Grey Cup's last.

We make it easy to sign up with a single click starting the process. Click the button at the top of the page, enter your details, and find the best CFL odds and predictions in minutes. We make it easy to play for free, ensuring Sportzino is the best choice on the market.