All good things must come to an end and this CFL season, with its highs and lows, is on its way out. The shorter season this year has meant we’re missing out on quantity but the teams have certainly brought the quality. Not much separates the teams at the top of the East and West Divisions but they both have fierce competition in their respective divisions, so who will be competing in the final is still up in the air.
For fans interested in having more than just pride riding on a game, online sports betting in Canada has never been easier. Betting guides help make it possible to figure out what the smart bets are, while online sportsbooks make it easy to place them. Whether or not you’re rooting for the obvious favourite or have a soft spot for the underdog, betting on the CFL can make every game a little more interesting. With the 108th Grey Cup coming up in a little under a week, let’s take a look at how this season has gone so far and how the playoffs are shaping up.
East Division
With only four teams in the East Division, all but one team have a chance of making it to the playoffs. 2021 has been a bad year for the Ottawa Redblacks. Their only victories came against fellow struggling team the Edmonton Elks. With no wins in their division, the Redblacks have finished the season with only four points. Maybe next year we’ll see this young team back at the top of their game.
The stars of the season have been the Toronto Argonauts – they’ve finished the season with a dominant lead. Somewhat surprisingly for a team at the top of the table, they’ve scored fewer points than they’ve had scored against them. Their tendency to win games by a small point margin suggests that their playoff games are going to be nail-biters.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes have been fairly well matched this season. Both have a decent record and each team won one game against the other during the regular season. The main thing to consider is the Alouettes’ ability to put points on the board – they’re leading the race for most points scored this season.
West Division
Opinion is divided on which team has the best chance of winning the Grey Cup but we do know which teams have missed their chance. The recently renamed Edmonton Elks have had an unfortunate season. This is the first time in their 72-year history that they have failed to have a single win at home. The BC Lions started the season pretty well but a seven-game losing streak destroyed any chances they had of making it to the playoffs. Hopefully they’ll be able to figure out what went wrong with the second half of their season before the next one starts.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are leading the division and the league as a whole. Not only are they able to score efficiently, they have also been great at denying their opponents the chance to score. The drive and determination they’ve shown this season makes it look like they intend to hold on to the title for another year.
The two teams meeting in the Division Semi-Finals and fighting for the chance to crush the Blue Bombers are the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders. Coach Craig Dickenson seems to have had a positive effect on the Roughriders, leading them to first place in the West Division last year.
However, each time they faced the Stampeders and the Blue Bombers this season, they lost. That doesn’t look good for their chances in the playoffs.
The Calgary Stampeders had a troubled start to their season. They lost five of their first seven games then somehow managed to turn things around. They won two important games against the Roughriders, their division rivals, and managed to secure enough points to earn a spot in the playoffs. Whether the early season Stampeders or the late season Stampeders will be in the playoffs remains to be seen.
As of today, we know that the Toronto Argonauts and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be facing their challengers in the division finals. With the teams so evenly matched, it might be time for some psychological mind games to try and get the upper hand going into the playoffs! Whichever teams make it to Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton for the Grey Cup, it will be a game worth watching.
