CFL Week 2 Betting Guide

by Joey House - 6/12/2025

As the NBA Finals and NHL Stanley Cup series grip sports fans, football lovers are already eyeing the college and NFL seasons, just under three months away. For those who can't wait, the Canadian Football League (CFL) launched its 69th season last week, offering its thrilling, fast-paced, high-scoring action with some unique differences from the American game, captivating fans across Canada and beyond. Betting on the CFL is also a smart way to grow your bankroll for the fall season, with Doc's savvy handicappers providing expert guidance for your wagers.

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CFL vs. NFL: Key Differences

The CFL offers a distinct flavor of football compared to the NFL, with several rule differences that contribute to its fast-paced, high-scoring nature. The CFL plays with 12 players per side on a larger field (110 yards long and 65 yards wide, including 20-yard end zones) compared to the NFL's 11 players and smaller field (100 yards long, 53.3 yards wide). Teams have three downs to advance 10 yards in the CFL, unlike the NFL's four downs, which encourages aggressive play-calling. Another significant difference is scoring on kicks: in the CFL, a missed field goal or punt that goes out of the end zone or is not returned from it results in a single point called a "rouge," adding a unique strategic element absent in the NFL. Additionally, the CFL's wider field and motion rules—allowing unlimited backfield motion before the snap and towards the line of scrimmage—create a more open, dynamic passing game, further amplifying the excitement.

Beyond the on-field action, the CFL and NFL differ significantly in their league structure and scheduling. The CFL is a smaller league comprising nine teams, divided into two divisions: the East Division (four teams) and the West Division (five teams), which fosters tight-knit rivalries across Canada. In contrast, the NFL is much larger, with 32 teams split evenly into two conferences (AFC and NFC), each with four divisions of four teams. The CFL regular season spans 21 weeks, typically from June to November, with each team playing 18 games and receiving three bye weeks, resulting in a compact yet intense schedule. The NFL season, which runs from September to January, consists of 17 games per team over 18 weeks, with one bye week, reflecting its larger scale. The CFL's six-team playoff culminates in the Grey Cup, while the NFL's 14-team postseason leads to the Super Bowl, highlighting the differing scopes of these leagues.

Week 2 Preview: Matchups to Watch

Week 2 of the 2025 CFL season brings a four-game slate from Thursday to Saturday, with eight teams hitting the field as the Edmonton Elks take a bye after a 31-14 loss to the BC Lions in Week 1. Here's a rundown of the matchups to help get you ready for the action. Games can be watched on CBS Sports Network (U.S., select games) and streamed on CFL+. Our Canadian viewers can tune in to TSN and RDS.

Thursday, June 12: (1-0) British Columbia (BC) Lions at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8:30 pm EST)

BC -3.5 (-110) Total: 48 Moneyline: BC -180 Winnipeg +150

Coming off their 31-14 season-opening victory over Edmonton, the Lions opened the week as a 2.5-point favorite against the Blue Bombers, who were idle in Week 1. We have seen that line increase to 3.5, as well as the total moving from the opening 49.5 points to the current total of 48. The Lions QB Nathan Rourke looked sharp, going 27-36 (75%) for 324 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. BC's 448 total yards of total on offense and 248 total yards allowed on defense led the CFL. Winnipeg opens the season with backup QB Chris Streveler under center due to the starting QB Zach Collaros's one-game suspension for an off-season failed drug test. Streveler is in his second stint with the Blue Bombers and was on two NFL rosters from 2020-2023. He's an adequate backup, but over four CFL seasons, he has a 4.7% rate in both touchdowns and interceptions, with 20 apiece. Winnipeg will rely heavily on 2024's Most Outstanding Player, running back Brady Oliveira, who led the CFL last year in rushing with 1,353 yards but only three touchdowns. The trip to Princess Auto Stadium has been a nightmare recently for BC, as they have gone 3-7 SU/ATS in their last 10 visits, with the totals going under six times.

Friday, June 13: Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks (7:30 pm EST)

Montreal -4 (-115) Total: 46 Moneyline: Montreal -195 Ottawa +165

Ottawa's starting QB has been ruled out for the Redblacks' Week 2 tilt, which has caused the most significant line movement of the week, as Ottawa initially opened as a 1-point home favorite and is now finding themselves as a 4-point dog. Montreal defeated the reigning Grey Cup champions, the Toronto Argonauts, 28-10 as QB Davis Alexander remained a perfect 5-0 in his career starts with Montreal, thanks in large part to the ground game, which gained 163 yards. The Alouettes' defense resumed their 2024 form when they led the league in defensive yards allowed per game (335.8 ypg). The Als held Toronto, led by backup QB Nick Arbuckle, to 279 yards of total offense, with 245 through the air. Ottawa's late 4th-quarter rally ultimately fell short as they lost to Saskatchewan 31-26. After QB Dru Brown's outstanding performance for the Redblacks, going 34-41 for 413 yards and 2 touchdowns, they will be forced to turn to backup Dustin Crum. Crum was the Redblacks' starting QB for the majority of the 2023 season, and while he was an effective passer, the Redblacks stumbled to a 4-14 record. While their passing attack was the highest of the three teams that threw for 300 yards, their ground game was the worst, with a mere 30 yards on 14 carries (2.14 ypc) and two rushing touchdowns. Montreal has enjoyed its twice-yearly trek to Ottawa, as they are an astounding 10-0 SU/ 8-2 ATS, last losing at their division rival's home in 2018.

Saturday, June 14: Calgary Stampeders at Toronto Argonauts (4 pm EST)

Toronto -1.5 (-110) Total: 50.5 Moneyline: Calgary +115 Toronto -135

The questionable status of a starting QB has affected another line, this time with Toronto's QB Chad Kelly's recovery from a broken leg suffered in last year's playoffs. He was limited in practice, and the opening line of Toronto -3 has dropped a point and a half, while the total was bumped up a point from the original 49.5. The Args struggled poorly last week, mustering 276 yards of total offense and a league-low 10 points in its 28-10 loss to Montreal. Free agency struck Toronto's defense hard, as they lost three members of its defensive line, and it showed as they surrendered 163 rushing yards to Montreal. Roster turnover also hurt the offense, as both RB Ka'Deem Carey and QB Cameron Dukes were released a week before the season began. Backup QB Nick Arbuckle was average, throwing for 273 yards on 20-32 (62.5%) with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Calgary saw a change in starting quarterbacks, as the top two QBs on the 2024 depth chart, Jake Maier and Tommy Stevens, joined Saskatchewan and were replaced by Vernon Adams, who joins his fourth franchise in his 8-year CFL career. He led the Stamps to a 38-26 victory over Hamilton. Adams is a significant upgrade from the turnover-prone Maier. While his QB rating (71.1) in his Stampeders' debut was considerably lower than his career rating of 98.3, with more time with the offense, he should start replicating the production he had in BC, where he threw for 9,202 yards with 53 TDs to 28 INTs in 34 regular-season starts. Calgary's rushing attack of 158 yards was second to Montreal's 163 yards gained against Toronto. Stampeders' RB Dedrick Mills had 94 yards on 17 carries and 3 rushing TDs, tripling his total from 2024. Calgary's defensive effort was relatively average, giving up 351 total yards and 304 through the air. They had absolutely no pass rush, with no sacks or interceptions. Calgary has owned this series for the past 12 years, going 16-4 SU/ 13-6-1 ATS, including posting a 7-3 SU/ 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 road games against the Argonauts. At the time of writing this (Thursday afternoon), Kelly's status is still questionable.

Saturday, June 14: Saskatchewan Rough Riders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7 pm EST)

Saskatchewan -3.5 Total: 51.5 Moneyline: Saskatchewan -170 Hamilton +145

This game is the only one that had no movement in the opening spread and just a one-point increase in the total. The Rough Riders defeated Ottawa in Week 1 31-26, covering as a 3.5-point favorite. They were consistent with their offensive statistical output, ranking 4th in total yards (366 ypg), rushing yards (89 ypg), and passing yards (277 ypg). The 31 points they scored put them in a tie with divisional rival BC. The Rough Riders' defensive effort was wider on the spectrum. Their 368 passing yards was the most allowed by a defense, and the 398 yards in total offense allowed was the 3rd-highest. However, the run defense that gave up 30 yards on the ground was the best, and the 26 points surrendered was 3rd-lowest last week. They added insurance at the QB position by signing the top two QBs from Calgary, Jake Maier and Tommy Stevens. Stevens is especially important, as he is the primary weapon on 3rd and short, as he showed with his lone carry last week being a 1-yard plunge for a touchdown. They strengthened an already strong backfield by signing Ka'Deem Carey this week, and he should see some action with Thomas Bertand-Hudson and A.J. Ouellette. Hamilton looked bad in its 38-26 loss at Calgary, failing to cover as 3-point dogs. The Ti-Cats should have success through the air, as they threw for 304 yards. The concern lies with their defense, who gave up 428 total yards, 158 coming on the ground. Dating back to last season, the Rough Riders are 6-2 SU/ 6-2 ATS but have not had much success on the road, going 4-12-1 SU in their last 17 road games. While Hamilton has a slight lead in this series as a host, going 6-4 SU/ 6-4 ATS over the last 10 meetings in Hamilton, they are an alarming 1-7 SU/ 2-6 ATS when they are home dogs against the Rough Riders, including five consecutive losses straight up and against-the-spread.

Boosting Your Bankroll with Doc's CFL Experts

The team at Doc's Sports ran up the score last week, with our CFL cappers going a combined 8-2 and +$3440. Leading the way was Vernon Croy, who hit a 4-unit Thursday night and then his 7-unit BC -5.5 over Edmonton for a profit of +$1100. Coming in second was Raphael Esparza, with a 4-unit winner on Friday and a 5-unit on Saturday, +$900. Trailing Raphael by 1 unit is Doc, who cashed both his Thursday and Friday plays.

With even more CFL blockbuster winners this weekend, don't sleep on the action—visit the Bigwebsite'srt (BPA) at docsports.com to grab all of our expert Doc's predictions and sharp insights to fuel your winning bets!

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CFL Week 2 Betting Guide

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