CFL Week 2 Preview & Picks: Jake Maier To Get Humbled By Lions

The CFL kicks off Week 2 with the 111th Grey Cup waiting to be hoisted in November. Join me all season long as I deep dive into every game to give you my weekly expert picks. 

Current Record: 2-2 (-0.18 Units)

After missing out on all last week's fun, CFL's Week 2 schedule features the Redblacks hosting their season opener against the Blue Bombers, who are eager to bounce back from their 0-1 start. Jump to the game you're interested in or browse through all my picks:

CFL Week 2 schedule & odds

 

winnipeg blue bombers vs ottawa redblacks: OVER 46.5 (-110)

I would tread carefully if I were the Bombers (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS). In their season opener, Winnipeg did not look solid. Zach Collaros barely threw 200 yards and tossed an interception, rather than a touchdown. We saw barely any action from the offensive arsenal of Brady Oliveira, Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski. Whether it was missing field goals, a brutal defensive effort — the Bombers generated nothing. 

The Redblacks are coming off a bye week to start the season. But, I'm not dwelling on last year's 4-14 record too much. Especially not this week and it's all because of Dru Brown. The new QB1 for Ottawa spent the last three seasons squatting as back-up for Collaros, but now the 27-year-old finally gets his shot — against his former team. 

I'm taking the OVER here. I think Winnipeg's big three on the offense will be demanding more chances while Brown will want to flex his skill in front of the team that let him go. 

Montreal alouettes vs edmonton elks: alouettes -5.0 (-110)

I really liked what I saw from Montreal (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) last week. I was already expecting the defense, which held the Bombers to 12 points and snagged an interception, to be sturdy. It was the offense, that lost Austin Mack and William Stanback, I was a tad concerned about. But, in soars Tyson Philpot with his 141 yards and pair of touchdowns. It's safe to say those concerns have washed away. 

In his Elks (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) debut, McLeod Bethel-Thompson wasn't afraid to use his arm, completing 33-of-42 passes for 336 yards. But his two tosses in the endzone to WR Hergy Mayala didn't cut it against the Roughriders. 

I'm backing that tough Als defense I witnessed last week.  

calgary stampeders vs bC Lions: Lions -8.0 (-112) 

Nobody had Jake Maier being CFL's top performer (according to PFF) on their bingo card for Week 1. Like, literally nobody. But, completing 80% of his passes with a pair of touchdowns was quite the showcase but i'll be damned if it happens again this week. 

Despite being upset by the Argos, Vernon Adams Jr. and the Lions (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) impressed me. The signal-caller also connected on 75% of his 33 passes for 363 yards. Getting a bit more use out of Stanback, who recorded 35 yards on 11 carries, will help get the ball down the field. 

This is going to be a quarterback "I can throw more than you can" clash but I trust Vernon Adams consistency more. 

saskatchewan roughriders vs hamilton tiger-cats: UNDER 48 (-110)

Raise your hand if you too fell for the Bo Levi Mitchell hype train again. The long-awaited return to McMahon Stadium and you couldn't just cover the spread and complete the upset for me?

RB James Butler is the glimmer of hope for me, hanging 119 yards on the Stamps. Though only one week is accounted for, the Roughriders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) coughed up just 39 rushing yards on 12 attempts last Friday.

With back-to-back one-point underdog spreads, oddsmakers join me in not knowing what to think of Hamilton (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) just yet. But, with the help of our CFL database, the UNDER is a whopping 8-2 in the last 10 matchups between these two benches. I'll lean on that trend.

How To Bet On CFL Betting Odds:

While you can bet on spreads and point totals, one of the easiest ways to bet on CFL betting odds is through a moneyline. This moneyline bet means you simply pick which side you think will win between the favorite (signaled with a minus sign) and the underdog (signaled with a plus sign).

A CFL moneyline of +200 means that you would win $200 on a successful $100 wager. That’s also equivalent to fractional odds of 2/1, decimal odds of 3.00 and implied odds of 33.33%. A negative moneyline of -200 means that you would have to wager $200 in order to win $100 on the favorite.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *