New Grey Cup odds offer some choice value plays

With the initial rush of free agency behind us, the linemakers have put out a new round of Grey Cup odds and there’s some Mike Reilly-level money to be made.

The defending Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders are the favourites after retaining franchise QB Bo Levi Mitchell and betting on John Hufnagel and Dave Dickenson regularly can make you cash. The question remains how much the free agent exodus will cost Calgary – though it seems like the pundits predict the Stamps’ decline every year and it fails to materialize.

But Winnipeg and Hamilton would be two value picks with the current lines. The Bombers added dynamic defensive lineman Willie Jefferson while the Ticats signed a pass rusher in Ja’Gared Davis in free agency and both teams stabilized their rosters by re-signing key pieces before free agency started. At quarterback, Winnipeg’s Matt Nichols and Hamilton’s Jeremiah Masoli are top-tier starters that are relative bargains in the new economic landscape for quarterbacks.

The addition of Reilly has given the Lions a boost from some bookmakers but not others while the talent imported by Eskimos general manager Brock Sunderland wasn’t enough to improve Edmonton’s standing – they are still the seventh-best team on every list.

Saskatchewan saw Chris Jones leave for the Cleveland Browns and his replacements, including rookie general manager Jeremy O’Day and first-time head coach Craig Dickenson, are untested. The Riders lost some talent and have some question marks at quarterback. Saskatchewan is still in the middle of the pack from an odds standpoint and will likely benefit from their rabid fan base propping them up a little.

Toronto and Montreal bring up the rear. Corey Chamblin does have a Grey Cup on his resume and if James Franklin can take a leap with Marc Trestman gone, the Argos could contend in the East. The Alouettes had a sneaky solid free agent period, but Antonio Pipkin has never been a regular starter at quarterback even though he shown flashes of potential, which makes Montreal a riskier play.