With Week 1 officially in the books, it’s time for bettors to turn their attention to Week 2 of the CFL season.
Home teams went 4-0 straight up and 4-0 against the spread in the opening week, with favourites also going a profitable 3-1 SU and 3-1 ATS. It’s obviously a small sample size, but something to consider heading into Week 2.
Bettors have four games to handicap in Week 2, with three of those matchups taking place in Ontario:
| Matchup | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
| BC Lions @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Lions -3.5 (-110), Bombers +3.5 (-110) | 48 points (o -110, u -110) | Lions -170, Bombers +145 |
| Montreal Alouettes @ Ottawa Redblacks | Als -4.5 (-110), Redblacks +4.5 (-110) | 46 points (o -110, u -110) | Alouettes -220, Redblacks +180 |
| Calgary Stampeders @ Toronto Argonauts | Argos -1.5 (-115), Stamps +1.5 (-105) | 50.5 points (o -110, u -110) | Argos -135, Stamps +115 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Riders -3.5 (-105), Ticats +3.5 (-115) | 51.5 points (o -110, u -110) | Riders -170, Ticats +145 |
CFL Week 2 news and notes
- Redblacks quarterback Dru Brown has been ruled out against the Alouettes due to an unspecified injury. Matt Shiltz will start at quarterback for the Redblacks, who opened as one-point favourites before the spread moved all the way to Als -4.5 once the news broke.
- The Roughriders suffered five impactful injuries in their season-opening 31-26 win over the Redblacks, prompting them to sign veteran running back Ka’Deem Carey to fill one of those vacant roster spots after he was released by the Argonauts. Both Thomas Bertrand-Hudon and AJ Ouellette are on the team’s Week 2 injury report, so it’s very possible Carey, who won the Grey Cup with Toronto last season, is forced right into action.
- The Blue Bombers will open the season without starting quarterback Zach Collaros, who is serving a one-game suspension for failing to appear for an offseason drug test. That means backup quarterback Chris Streveler will be under centre for Winnipeg, which was the only team not to play in Week 1. Streveler is a huge downgrade from Collaros, a two-time Most Outstanding Player Award winner, and that’s why the Bombers are 3.5-point home dogs this week against the BC Lions.
BC Lions moneyline
Three CFL Week 2 bets to consider
- Samuel Emilus over 70.5 receiving yards (-110): Saskatchewan is already beaten up at the running back position, so expect the Roughriders to utilize their potent air attack even more on Saturday in Hamilton. Emilus caught eight es for 133 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against Ottawa, averaging 16.6 yards per catch with his longest reception coming in at 33 yards. Hamilton has four defensive backs listed on its injury report this week, which doesn’t bode well for containing Saskatchewan’s ing game. Emilus has sured 70.5 yards receiving in three straight regular-season games dating back to last year, and he should have no problem shredding Hamilton’s weak defence, which coughed up 38 points to the Stampeders last week.
- Brady Oliveira under 80.5 rushing yards (-110): With Collaros out, BC’s defence will be stacking the box in an attempt to contain Winnipeg’s elite running back. BC’s defence was potent against the run last week against Edmonton, holding the Elks to 87 yards on the ground on 19 attempts and 248 yards of total offence. With stud defensive end Mathieu Betts anchoring the defence, it could be a long day for Oliveira without a complementary ing game from Streveler, who also loves to run with the ball.
- Kenny Lawler over 81.5 receiving yards (-110): It appears as though Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is already in love with his newest receiving weapon. Lawler, in his Ticats debut, was targeted a whopping 13 times by Mitchell in Week 1, hauling in six es for 87 yards and a touchdown. Saskatchewan boasts a nasty rush, as evidenced by the four sacks its defence amassed in Week 1, but the Tiger-Cats’ offensive line also did a great job of protecting Mitchell in Week 1 by not allowing a single sack. The Riders were shredded for a league-high 413 yards through the air in Week 1, and with injuries already mounting on the defensive side of the ball, there should be opportunities for Mitchell and Lawler to connect often to inflict damage.