Canadian Football (CFL) Odds and Lines

What is Canadian Football?

Canadian football is a unique variant of American football played primarily in North of the border. It shares similarities with American football but incorporates distinct rules and features such as a larger field, three downs instead of four, and 12 players on the field instead of 11.

The Canadian Football League (CFL) is the highest level of professional Canadian football. Fans interested in Canadian football betting can look to BetUS for all the Canadian football odds. These lines allow enthusiasts to wager on CFL games, including betting on different aspects such as the outcome of the match, point spreads, or totals.

How Does Canadian football work?

Canadian football differs from American football with its rules and variations. The CFL is also much smaller than the NFL in terms of league size: only nine teams versus 32 teams. This impacts the strategies for Canadian football betting even if the point spread, moneyline, and total all function the same.

The spread in Canadian football works like in American football. If Winnipeg is listed -3.5, this means 3.5 points is subtracted from Winnipeg’s final score. Thus, Winnipeg must win by four or more points to “cover the spread.” Alternatively, its opponent can lose by up to three points as their final score gets a +3.5.

In terms of the moneyline, a negative line indicates a favorite while a positive line is an underdog just like in America. If Winnipeg is -150 to win, that means a $150 wager returns $100. If its opponent is +130 to win, $130 is won on a $100 wager.

Betting Strategy

Betting on the Canadian football odds requires strategy and research. Looking up each team’s stats and betting history is the start before laying down wagers. Converting the Canadian football lines to implied probability is another way to do it.

Prop Bets

Like American football, there are many prop bets open in Canadian football. One popular prop market are the player props. These involve betting how many touchdowns a quarterback will throw or how many rushing yards a running back attains. Other prop bets include more specific decisions such as a team’s margin of victory.

Understanding Line Movements

Just like American football, the Canadian football lines shift depending on the action. This applies to the main markets: the point spread, moneyline, and totals. The lines may look very different from when they release.

For instance, Calgary opened at -6.5 to over Hamilton. But due to some CFL news, such as an injury to a key player, the public bet heavily on Hamilton’s line. The line then moved from Calgary -6.5 to Calgary -3.5 due to the action.

Choosing Between Spread and Moneyline

As such, winning and losing on the spread is dependent on knowing when to bet. And the other part is knowing if the spread or moneyline has better value.

Calgary at -3.5 may be a better bet than Calgary to win on the moneyline at -190. Spreads are almost always lined at even odds of -110 or -115 each. Wagering $110 or $115 can be better than wagering $190. But of course, the Stampeders will need to cover the 3.5 points so they have to win by four or more points.

Look up Calgary’s betting history. If the Stampeders, for instance, are 5-1 in their last six games but just 2-4 against the spread (ATS), taking the moneyline might be better. This means that while Calgary wins games, it tends to lose on the spread. So it is winning games but not by as much as the oddsmakers expect.

The live betting market is also an underrated way to bet. Some teams could overcome deficits and win while some are frontrunners and could fade down the stretch. As such, if a favorite starts slow, the lines could offer them at a longer price. This could be an opportunity to earn more out of a favorite.

The Power of Totals

Alternatively, the best Canadian football odds may be on the total. This is where fans can bet whether a game goes “over” or “under” the book’s total. In the Calgary-Hamilton game, the total was set at 44.5 points.

While it can be hard to choose a side on the spread or moneyline, the totals can be an easier read. Calgary has a high-powered offense that averages 27.5 points while Hamilton’s defense is allowing over 26 points per game. There is consistency here that could lead to high-scoring.

Also, researching the weather conditions prior to each game is a must for Canadian football just like in the NFL or NCAA. Most Canadian teams are experienced playing in cold or wintery conditions. But if there is a winter storm or windy condition, it may be harder to score points. So the total may be worth betting to go under.