When it comes to betting on the CFL, you don’t have to stop at the point spread. In fact, you don’t even have to stop at the OVER/UNDER because you can make futures bets.
What is a Futures Bet?
A futures bet is a wager made on an event that is going to happen. Unlike a totals bet where you are betting on the total number of points scored during a game, a futures bet involves making a wager on games that have yet to take place. Future odds are set so far in advance that the payouts involved can be exceptionally high if you win your wager. For the CFL you can make futures bets like:
• Who will win the Grey Cup?
• Who will be named Most Outstanding Player?
• Which teams will win their divisions?
• Which teams from the East and West will play each other in the Grey Cup game?
How to Read Futures Odds for the CFL
We don’t know who will win the Grey Cup at the start of the season. Even if Toronto is the incumbent champion, there’s no way to know if the Argonauts are destined to repeat their previous year’s success. When you make a futures bet on the CFL, you are taking into account what the oddsmakers are saying about a particular team and using this data to shape your wager.
Futures odds are identified in the table above. You’ll notice that each of the nine teams have a number beside them that is prefaced by a plus sign. There are also several columns with futures odds from the top sportsbooks. The first column, under the Odds Shark logo, is where the lines opened at.
When oddsmakers set the lines prior to the season, the are basing their data on how a team preformed the year before. However, the lines will move throughout the season as teams win and lose their games. For example, if Calgary is leading the West in August, they may be listed at +300 to win the Grey Cup. That means if you had placed a $100 futures bet on the Stampeders, you’d win $300 if they actually did win the Cup. On the other hand, if Winnipeg is listed at +2000 in August and you put a $100 futures bet on them, you’re making a long-shot wager. However, if the Blue Bombers turn their season around and win it all, you’re in line to win $2,000.
The only downside to futures bets is that they can tie up your money for the majority of the CFL season because they would only pay out after the event you have bet on has occurred. Nonetheless, futures bet could leave you with a huge pay out if you win.
To keep tabs on CFL futures lines, check back here throughout the season. You can also become a betting pro by learning more about futures betting lines.