We’ve reached the final installment of the Canadian Football League season with an unlikely Grey Cup matchup between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the surprising Montreal Alouettes on tap Sunday evening.
Grey Cup CFL betting odds and picks: Best bets for Winnipeg vs. Montreal
The Blue Bombers’ presence in the title game for the fourth consecutive season isn’t unexpected by any means, but Montreal’s certainly is as the club is making its first Grey Cup appearance since 2010. Below, we have our best bet for the championship clash.
Sunday, Nov. 19: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Montreal Alouettes – 6:00 p.m. ET
The Blue Bombers, and franchise quarterback Zach Collaros in particular, have no shortage of championship pedigree and are extremely battle-tested in high-stakes games.
Collaros put together an underwhelming performance in the Western Final win over the Lions, but that was partly due to the fact his defence and ground attack did plenty of the heavy lifting. Winnipeg pressured Vernon Adams Jr. relentlessly and also picked him off three times, while Brady Oliveira turned in yet another 100-yard effort.
The Alouettes shouldn’t lack for confidence after their impressive dismantling of the defending champion Argonauts on the road in the Eastern Final. Nevertheless, Winnipeg arguably presents an even stiffer challenge. The Bombers toppled the Als by 14 and 30 points in the regular season, though the passing attack wasn’t really a central focus for the Bombers in either contest.
Collaros threw for 177 and 240 yards in the two games, although the second featured a four-touchdown effort from the veteran. However, he also threw three picks in that latter game. Oliveira was the centerpiece in both contests, which is unsurprising given the Alouettes struggled against the run all year to the tune of a co-league-high 5.7 yards per carry allowed. Oliveira rushed for 120 and 119 yards in the two games, with the latter tally accompanied by a touchdown.
It’s also worth noting when making the case for a Bombers victory that their stellar defence should once again play a pivotal role. Winnipeg recorded an impressive 53 sacks during the season and got to Fajardo seven times in the two regular-season meetings, while Montreal allowed the second-most (61).
The Bombers moneyline carries too prohibitive a price, but combining it with a very achievable prop for Oliveira, who rushed for at least 90 yards on seven occasions overall in the regular season and also accomplished the feat in the Western Final, makes for a viable same-game parlay.
The Pick: Same-Game Parlay — Blue Bombers moneyline and Brady Oliveira Over 89.5 rushing yards (-101 or better)
