It’s been a few months since the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboy Stadium in Super Bowl XLV. And while the 2011 NFL season is still a ways off, for football fans looking for a fix, there’s always the CFL, which begins its schedule this week.

At Bodog’s online sportsbook, the amount of betting we book on three-down football is miniscule compared to the four-down version (NFL and NCAA), but the CFL’s impressive growth as a wagering product is worth mentioning.

For the past number of years the CFL has been experiencing a resurgence in Canada, one that’s seen its television ratings skyrocket thanks to the promotional efforts of TSN, the country’s version of ESPN. At this point, it’s safe to assume the league’s ill-fated expansion into American cities like Birmingham and Shreveport is a distant memory north of the border. 

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Just how popular is the CFL in Canada?

Well, last year’s Grey Cup between Montreal and Saskatchewan was watched by over six million Canadians. In fact, it was estimated that nearly half the country’s population tuned into the Alouettes’ 21-18 victory over the Roughriders at some point during the broadcast. Hockey might be number in the Great White North, but the CFL still has a strong following. 

It’s not just Canadians watching, either. The NFL Network will be broadcasting two CFL games per week in the United States this season.

“We are pleased to offer more football to our fans with more CFL action this year,” said Lawrence Randall, NFL Network’s Director of Programming. “Delivering live games from all levels of football is part of our commitment to our passionate viewers who want football 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

And you can be sure that many of those viewers who want football 24/7/265 are bettors.

The 99th Grey Cup will be played on Nov. 27 at BC Place in Vancouver. We’ve got the two-time defending champion Alouettes at 3/1 odds to win on our futures board, followed by the Calgary Stampeders at 11/4 and British Columbia Lions (11/2).

The Lions have been getting strong early betting support and I wouldn’t be surprised if their odds came down soon, barring another disastrous start. BC made great strides late last year after beginning the season with just one victory in eight games. The Lions won seven of their last 10 regular-season games before falling to the Roughriders in the playoffs in double overtime.

BC’s young quarterback, Travis Lulay – who took over from enigmatic Casey Printers (remember him, Chiefs fans?) – may well be the next CFL star, and is definitely one player to watch out for.

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