Twenty-one months since they left the field, CFL teams are planning to pick up right where they left off – with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats taking center stage.

The Blue Bombers beat the Tiger-Cats 33-12 in the 2019 Grey Cup game, and Winnipeg will play host to Hamilton in the 2021 CFL regular season opener on Aug. 5.

The entire 2020 CFL season was wiped out by COVID-19. The league is back after a season away from the gridiron. Each of the nine CFL teams will play a 14-game regular season over a 16-week span concluding on Nov. 20. The 2021 campaign will culminate with the Grey Cup game on Dec. 12 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.

While single-game sports betting in Canada won’t be up and operational in time for the opening kickoff of the 2021 CFL season, the belief is that there certainly will be wagering opportunities available to Canadian sports bettors at betting sites and sportsbooks in time for the Grey Cup game.

2021 CFL Grey Cup Odds

Odds via Bet365 and correct as of publication. Check out our Bet365 sportsbook review.

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CFL Grey Cup Top Contenders

It’s supposed to be defense that wins championships. Hamilton allowed the fewest points per game (19.1) and fewest touchdown passes (17) in the CFL in 2019. But in the biggest game of the year, Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris carved up Hamilton’s defense for 134 yards rushing in the Grey Cup.

The Tiger-Cats suit up a versatile offense and should be fired up by the knowledge that their city is playing host to the Grey Cup game. Ontario sports betting fans in the Steel City know that Hamilton was unbeaten at home in 2019. No team has won the Grey Cup on their home field since the 2013 Saskatchewan Roughriders, though.

The more things change, the more they stay the same in Calgary. The Stampeders have assembled eight straight double-digit win seasons. They’ve played in four of the past six Grey Cups. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell’s return to health should have Alberta sports betting followers giving Calgary the stamp of approval.

It seems that football people are willing to chalk up Winnipeg’s 2019 Grey Cup win to a third-place team that got hot at the right time. The Blue Bombers are returning 21 of 24 starters from that Grey Cup squad. Manitoba sports betting fans best be wary, though. Since 1998, just one team – the 2009-10 Montreal Alouettes – have won back-to-back Grey Cups.

Best Value Bet: Calgary Stampeders (+500 at Bet365)

CFL Grey Cup Long Shots To Back

As a CFL quarterback, Khari Jones went to the Grey Cup. He was part of a Grey Cup winner as an assistant coach. In 2019, he was thrust into his role as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes six days before the season started. To the delight of Quebec sports bettors, he led an Als team that was a combined 21-51 over the previous four seasons to a 10-8 record and a playoff appearance. Imagine what Jones can accomplish with 18 months to prepare.

The Toronto Argonauts go into 2021 with a new coach (Ryan Dinwiddie), new VP of player personnel (John Murphy), new starting QB (Nick Arbuckle) and a raft of new players. Following back-to-back 4-14 seasons, the biggest question mark facing Toronto and Ontario sports bettors will be how quickly can the Argos get so many new faces to mesh together and on the same page?

If you’re an Alberta sports bettor seeking to really roll the dice on a Grey Cup winner, well we’ve got one for you. The newly-named Edmonton Elks share the longest shot on the board to be CFL champions with the Ottawa Redblacks at +1100 on betting apps.

Reports are suggesting the time away from football has done wonders for Edmonton QB Trevor Harris. With a receiving corps of Armanti Edwards, Tevaun Smith, Derel Walker and Greg Ellingson, there’s potential for the Elks to club opponents with their passing game.

Long shot Pick: Montreal Alouettes (+850 at Bet365).