Those in need of a quick fix for their football jones are in luck. The Canadian Football League is underway with Week 1 of the season already in the betting archives.
The Canadian Football League is back in action and it truly is the start of the football betting season. Let’s have a quick team-by-team rundown as the season gets underway.
B.C. Lions
Coach: Wally Buono
The Lions bring back Casey Printers and boast a deep backfield of running backs, which should get them back above the double-digit win mark. The real question is how much better than that can they get with a rebuilt offensive line? Coaching is always a strength with Buono and now former Argos head coach, Rich Stubler, helping the defense. Paired with an offense that includes a revitalized Printers and a good group of wideouts, this team has once again potentially to win it all.
Calgary Stampeders
Coach: John Hufnagel
Did the Stamps have a little bit of Grey Cup hangover last year? If so, they should be far more focused and motivated this year. With Henry Burris and Joffrey Reynolds back, the offense is in very good hands. The Stampeders didn’t improve their squad too much since last year, so it’s unclear if this same roster can do better.
Edmonton Eskimos
Coach: Richie Hall
The Edmonton Eskimos will be hosting the Grey Cup in 2010 but will their team be able to make a run at it? The defense should be improved as a number of faces will bolster the unit – especially in the secondary – but they had some serious malfunctions on offense. The explosive passing game disappeared and with the departure of a few more receivers, like Maurice Mann, it doesn’t appear that they will be much better.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Coach: Ken Miller
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be a team that CFL betting fans back quite a bit in 2010. With consistency at quarterback with All-Star quarterback Darian Durant, along with a slew of wide receivers Rob Bagg, Weston Dressler, Andy Fantuz, Prechae Rodriguez, Chris Getzlaf and Jason Clermont, the Roughriders are loaded. On defense, they’ll have to replace a pair of talented ends but if they can do that, they’ll be among the Grey Cup favorites the entire year.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Coach: Paul LaPolice
The Mike Kelly era is over and Paul LaPolice takes over. But he’s got a lot of work to do. The locker room has been cleaned of some veterans and Buck Pierce has been brought in to bring stability at quarterback. The cupboard is bare in Winnipeg but they are still slightly ahead of where Toronto is at, which means that they should be in contention for a playoff spot.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Coach: Marcel Bellefeuille
Well, take a look at who’s ready to compete: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They return plenty of roster consistency from last year with contract extensions for both their head coach and general manager. Without question, they are finally heading in the right direction. The best news? Their improved squad gets to pound on Toronto and Winnipeg throughout the regular season. They’ll challenge Montreal but are still a step behind on paper.
Toronto Argonauts
Coach: Jim Barker
After winning just three games in 2009, the Argonauts don’t have a very high bar to surpass to claim a productive season. Let’s start with the positives: the defense should be strong – especially the back end with the linebackers and secondary. But that might be where it ends. The quarterback situation is a wreck considering nobody on the roster has ever thrown a pass in a regular season CFL game and the receivers aren’t a reliable group quite yet. They are the worst team in the league and this is clearly another rebuilding year.
Montreal Alouettes
Coach: Marc Trestman
Your 2009 Grey Cup Champions enter the 2010 season with pretty much the same questions they had entering 2009: They are a year older and a year greyer. Anthony Calvillo is a year older and while his successor is being groomed, he’s not the only greybeard on this team. Considering how weak the Allouettes' division is, one would have to think that even in a down year, they’ll be back in the Grey Cup. There’s veterans and leadership all around, and there isn’t much to derail them except for age.