BCLions.com
Rejoice football fans the season is finally upon us! No better time of year than right now when the weather is warm (unless you’re in Regina and hail wreaks havoc on your enjoyment of the preseason) and we’re all filled with optimism about how our favourite respective franchise is going to fare in 2015.
Of course as the season goes on that optimistic feeling will be replaced with anger/confusion as your team stumbles out of the gate and can’t get it back together. So with that in mind, I have decided to take the Bodog odds for each teams’ chances of winning the Grey Cup and explain why you should bet the farm on your team winning it all and why you need to save your money and avoid that bet at all costs.
Calgary Stampeders
How did they do last year: Fulfilled their destiny of being the most talented team in the league by defeating Hamilton 20-16 in the Grey Cup.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup: 13/4
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
Let’s start with the obvious reason, because they have the current belt holder for the best quarterback in the league and their coach John Hufnagel wants to go out in style. Mitchell is coming off his best season and was rewarded with a contract extension meaning the team goes into the year with a high level of stability.
Speaking of which, Calgary will see the return of the majority of a starting defensive unit that was second overall in fewest points allowed, interceptions and total turnovers. On the other side of the ball Calgary was both explosive and efficient on offence as no team put more points up on the board or had more rushing yards all the while committing a league low 29 turnovers. How can you not bet on a team that has gone 41-13 in the past three years, qualified for two Grey Cups and ended up winning last year?
So why should I avoid betting on Calgary?:
Considering all the positives I just wrote about you would think it would be a no-brainer to bet your entire mortgage on Hufnagel’s crew. But I always wonder about the kind of fatigue that comes from a defending champion. It’s harder to defend your championship than to get over the hump and win it. Remember, last season Calgary was labelled as the most talented team to not win the Grey Cup. Well that can provide plenty of motivation for a group of proud athletes looking to prove everyone wrong. That motivation is now gone. 
Will any of the players lose some of their hunger or edge this year? It’s only human to ease off the gas medal ever so slightly after reaching the pinnacle of your sport. That tiny gap may be just enough to allow Edmonton to sneak past them. For those of you that don’t buy that cliched story line, that’s okay. I’ll switch over to pure logic, consider these two names: Stanley Bryant and Brett Jones. One is an all pro left tackle who’s main job was to protect Mitchell and the other just happens to be the top lineman in the league. Calgary’s offensive line allowed the fewest sacks while pushing around opposing teams defensive lines to the tune of 144 rushing yards per game. I have a hard time imagining them doing it again without Bryant and Jones in the lineup.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
How did they do last year: Behind the magical duo of Tino Sunseri and Kerry Joseph Saskatchewan somehow lost 18-10 to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 5/1
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?
Because if you don’t you’ll be shamed by a rabid fan base who show up in their Weston Dressler jerseys even to non-CFL games. Actually this one is easy … sort of.
The reason you should bet on Saskatchewan is you believe that Darian Durant will be healthy by the end of the season. Please allow me to remind you all for the 264,492,291st time that Saskatchewan was 8-2 with him in the lineup and 2-6 without him. Fair to say that the Sunseri and Joseph experiment was NOT the roaring success that many envisioned. Snark aside, I’m a big fan of the signing of Kevin “the insurance policy” Glenn. His presence allows for Durant to miss the odd game if he’s at all banged up.
So why should I avoid betting on Saskatchewan?:
Defensively, despite the strong individual season from John Chick, the Roughriders had a down year, finishing in the bottom three in most major categories, including net yards. Hard to imagine the team getting through the West if new coordinator Greg Quick can’t turn things around. Also the overall roster is starting to resemble the groomsmen for someone’s second marriage, lots of guys over 30.
Edmonton Eskimos
How did they do last year: They did what they always do, lose to Calgary. On the plus side behind Chris Jones and Mike Reilly the team bounced back from a 4-14 season to 12-6.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 11/2
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?
We’re entering Year Three of the Mike Reilly era in Edmonton. Don’t worry about the statistical drop in his passing numbers from 2013. Remember that two years ago Reilly racked up a lot of those yards in many of the teams’ 14 losses. Garbage yards are great for your fantasy team but are useless for real teams. Last year Reilly was the league’s best running quarterback, his interception totals went down, his completion percentage went up and the team won a dozen games. Most importantly Reilly is healthy. Defensively no team had a better 2014 than the Eskimos who registered the elusive daily double of leading the league in fewest yards and fewest points allowed.
So why should I avoid betting on Edmonton?:
I’m not going lie, this is my favourite bet on the board. Even with the injury of John White, the loss of Fred Stamps and the teams inability to beat Calgary this team is trending in the right direction and has the sort of stability needed to win the Grey Cup. Of course if Reilly injures his foot again, well then all bets are off.
B.C. Lions
How did they do last year: The glass half full version is the team managed to make the playoffs with Travis Lulay being a complete non factor due to injury and the team lost their most dynamic offensive player in Andrew Harris. The glass half empty season recap is not only did they lose 50-17 in the first round of the playoffs but they suffered the indignity of being a Western Division team that lost to a team from the East. But hey what a year from the reigning MOP Solomon Elimimian!
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 6/1
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
You have faith that Travis Lulay is fully health for the first time in years and will recapture his 2011-2012 form that saw him throw for over 9,000 yards with 59 touchdowns compared to just 21 interceptions. He’s made a lot of money these past two seasons with very little to show for it so you know his motivation to prove he can once again be a franchise quarterback is off the charts.
Keeping on the theme of motivation Lulay will be a free agent after this year so his football future hinges on this season. Andrew Harris is back and it was only a couple years back he was neck and neck with Jon Cornish for the title of best running back in the league. Finally is there a better linebacking duo than Adam Bighill and Elimimian? Don’t answer that question, it’s rhetorical, yes they are the best.
So why should I avoid betting on the B.C. Lions?:
How many 31-year-old quarterbacks are able to come back from multiple injury plagued seasons to regain their MOP forms? I think we all believe it will happen because we want it to happen. We want to see the 2012 version dueling with Reilly, Darian Durant and Mitchell for Western supremacy. The reality is there is a very good chance Lulay will be out again and the Lions no longer has that veteran presence of a Kevin Glenn to pick up the pieces.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
How did they do last year: They were a block away from pulling off a Grey Cup upset over Calgary.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 13/2
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
They have the second best coach/quarterback combination in the league behind only Calgary. The duo of Zach Collaros and Kent Austin should be enough to get Hamilton out of the East and back into their 3rd straight Grey Cup. Collaros played his best game of the season in the Grey Cup and looked sharp in his one half of pre-season action. He is breathing down the neck of Bo Levi Mitchell for the title of best quarterback in the CFL. The team (when healthy!!) is loaded on the defensive line and Simoni Lawrence is a beast at linebacker.
So why should I avoid betting on Hamilton?:
By the time you finish reading this column (I know it’s too long but did you really expect me to have changed my inability to edit) I’m guessing there will be two more Tiger-Cats on the injury list. From C.J. Gable to Nic Grisgby to Mossis Madu the injuries at running back range from “nicked up” to “I’ll see you in 2016”. The defensive side of the ball has seen injuries prematurely end the season’s of Linden Gaydosh and Brian Bulcke plus Eric Norwood starts off the year on the six-game injury list.
Montreal Alouettes
How did they do last year: A tale of two seasons for Montreal who started out 1-7 before settling on an identity of tough defence and Jonathan Crompton doing just enough as the Alouettes ripping off 9-3 stretch to end the season that included a 50-17 beat down of the Eskimos before losing 40-24 to Hamilton.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 8/1
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
You should bet on Montreal because you’re a firm believer in momentum. Montreal displayed such a high level of resilience by clawing back into the playoffs after such a dreadful start to the season. Oh sure they’re not the players they used to be but the additions of Fred Stamps and Nik Lewis will provide leadership, winning pedigrees and most importantly viable options for Jonathan Crompton who is looking to take the leap from “game changer” to “quarterback who put who the team on his back and get a win they didn’t deserve”.
Ignore the majority of Montreal’s team defensive statistics where they placed firmly in the middle in most of the key categories. The offence spent the first half of the season punting and punting often. Nothing tires out a defence like a steady diet of two and outs. This defence will be a beast if Crompton continues to improve.
So why should I avoid betting on Montreal:
I beat this drum last year and I will continue this year until I am proven wrong, I just have not seen enough from Crompton to say he can be the guy to take Montreal to the highest level. Listen I know that sounds like an insult but let’s think about it for a moment, there are only so many elite quarterbacks in the league, that’s why they’re called “elite”. Jonathan did a great job turning around a disastrous first half of the season showing the leadership and poise needed to be a starting quarterback and he should be praised for what he and the team managed to do last year. Hurting him even more is the loss of his favourite target Duron Carter. I’ll finish by saying this, I hope Crompton proves me wrong. The league is better off if it’s littered with talented young quarterbacks lighting up scoreboards all across Canada.
Toronto Argonauts
How did they do last year: Ricky Ray did his part outpacing the entire league passing for 4592 yards but a mediocre defence and an inconsistent rushing attack left Toronto two games under .500 and missing the playoffs.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 8/1
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
You’re not concerned about the Ricky Ray injury as the Argonauts are on the road for five of the first six weeks of the season and you never expected them to dominate early on anyway.
Oh before I continue, did my high school geography teacher lie to me? Is the good city of Fort McMurray located in Southern Ontario? I thought Fort McMurray was in the province of Alberta which is where (unless things have changed) the city of Edmonton is located. So the Argonauts play their first “home” game in the province of Alberta where the Eskimos are based out of. Got it.
So why should I avoid betting on Toronto?:
I’m not ready to line in a world without Ricky Ray throwing passes to Chad Owens. The league’s most productive quarterback last year is 35 years old and is still dealing with a shoulder injury. Call me a cynic (or just paranoid) but I have time believing we’re going to see Ray bounce back after his injury and play the remainder of the season. Trevor Harris is a massive unknown right now. Speaking of unknowns I have no idea if there will be stability at the receiver position that saw 22 players catch a pass last year. Hey at least the Argonauts finally have a deal with BMO!
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
How did they do last year: After getting out of the gates 5-1 Drew Willy looked like the next great quarterback superstar and Mike O’Shea was being hailed as a saviour. Unfortunately this would be the high water mark for a team who could not protect Willy, could not stop the run and ended up last in points allowed.
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 17/2
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
Three of the past four Grey Cup champions have won in their own home stadiums so the Blue Bombers have that on their side!
All right I’m stretching with that one just a wee bit. The Drew Willy we saw in the first six games, the one that threw 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions and posted four 300 yard games will play like that for the entire season. Yes Willy, like most of the team slumped in the second half of the season (We all remember that eight game losing streak) but with the additions of Stanley Bryant and centre Dominic Picard the offensive will be dramatically improved allowing both Willy and the running game to flourish. Finally an improved offence means fewer snaps for a defence that was routinely pushed around by opposing teams running games.
So why should I avoid betting on Winnipeg?:
It’s hard to imagine a team that has gone 16-38 in the past three seasons since their 2011 Grey Cup appearance suddenly turning things around. I’m a big fan of Mike O’Shea and have no doubt he will be a success but the second half of the 2014 season was rough. Also you could combine Wally Buono, Don Matthews and Marv Levy and I doubt they could fix a defence that allowed 12 more rushing yards per game than the next last team. There is a lot of pressure on Greg Peach and Bryant Turner Jr to right the ship. I wish Richie Hall all the luck in the world.
Ottawa REDBLACKS
How did they do last year: They returned to the league! What’s that, you want to know what their record was for the 2014 season? Why bother with that? I say focus on the fact that football which had been dormant in our nation’s capital since the end of the 1996 season finally returned. That’s far more important than being concerned with the team’s win total. Let’s just us all agree on this and move on, shall we?
Bodog odds of them winning the Grey Cup?: 20/1
So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:
Because you’re trying to be a hero. You’ve decided to tell your friends on Monday November 30th that you knew all along that Henry Burris could put together a magical season boosted by the addition of Maurice Price, Ernest Jackson and Chris Williams. You knew that this would be the year that Chevon Walker could put together a healthy 20 game season playing behind a much improved offensive line.
So why should I avoid betting on Ottawa?:
I know we have to be careful about not drawing too many conclusions from the Pre-Season but Ottawa did very little in those eight quarters to prove the team will be much better than the 2014 version. Finally I loved watching Chris Williams play but he’s been out of the league for three years so it’s hard to believe he’ll manage to come close to his 2012 form so soon. He’s only 27 so he still has a bright future but I wonder just how in synch this offence will be with so many additions at the wide receiver position.
