We’re set for Week 2 of the Canadian Football League season and below are our predictions for two of this weekend’s critical games.
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Week 2 CFL betting odds and picks: Best bets for Winnipeg vs. Saskatchewan, Edmonton vs. B.C.
After an exciting opening week of CFL action, we’re back with predictions on a pair of intriguing Week 2 battles.
Friday, June 16: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders – 9:00 p.m. EDT
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The Blue Bombers offence was in high gear to begin the season against the Ticats, with Zach Collaros maximizing his incumbent group of pass catchers to the tune of 354 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, running back Brady Oliveira offered ideal balance with his 106-yard, one-touchdown tally.
The Bombers’ defence was also much better than Hamilton’s 31-point total would imply. Bo Levi Mitchell was picked off twice and held under 200 passing yards. Defence and special teams played a big role in Hamilton’s point total.
The Roughriders limped to 17 points against the Elks in Trevor Harris’ debut at quarterback. That doesn’t bode well for their chances of keeping pace with Winnipeg’s attack.
Saskatchewan also had trouble slowing down Edmonton running back Kevin Brown (5.4 yards per carry) and Eugene Lewis (5-148-1), an optimistic development for the Bombers’ chances of running a balanced attack once again.
Even with the larger spread, I like the Bombers’ chances of a cover.
The Pick: Bombers -6 or less (-110 or better)
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Saturday, June 17: Edmonton Elks at B.C. Lions – 7:00 p.m. EDT
The Elks’ defence did indeed look much improved against the Roughriders in Week 1. Yet that comes with the slight caveat it was against an aging signal-caller in Trevor Harris playing his first game in a new offence.
While Edmonton is projected to be an improved team overall this season, the Lions bring quite the challenge. A mobile Vernon Adams Jr. guides a talent-rich offence that didn’t look like it missed a beat in the opener with Taquan Mizzell taking over at tailback for James Butler.
However, the Elks bring plenty of firepower in their own right. Taylor Cornelius is bound to perform better the more comfortable he gets with several new weapons. As it is, he already displayed plenty of chemistry with Eugene Lewis in the opener as he connected with the explosive veteran on five occasions for 148 yards and a score.
Kevin Brown also looked good at running back in Week 1 while averaging over 5.0 yards per carry. The speedy Dillon Mitchell also doesn’t figure to be held anywhere close to the one catch for minus-five yards he mustered against Saskatchewan to open the season.
Factoring in Steven Dunbar Jr. and Kyran Moore should also build more chemistry with Cornelius by the week, I like the Over to hit.
The Pick: Over 45.5 points or fewer (-110 or better)
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