CFL Betting Odds 2023: Blue Bombers favorites to win Grey Cup, Zach Collaros favorite for Most Outstanding Player

CFL Betting Odds 2023: Blue Bombers favorites to win Grey Cup, Zach Collaros favorite for Most Outstanding Player

The 2023 CFL regular season is set to kick off on Thursday night after a ton of changes in the offseason, potentially making this season one to remember. Heading into 2023, all eyes will be on the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts, who defeated the Blue Bombers (15-3) in the 109th Grey Cup last season. The Argos will have a new quarterback, as Chad Kelly will take over as the full-time starter for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who is in the USFL.

Kelly isn’t the only new starting QB this season. Bo Levi Mitchell, who spent most of his career with the Calgary Stampeders, was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-cats and inked a three-year deal. The Ticats hope that Mitchell can get them back to the top of the East division this season.

Along with Mitchell going to Hamilton, we saw former Ticats QB Dane Evans head to the B.C. Lions, where he will back up Vernon Adams Jr., who was acquired last season by the Lions. Adams Jr. is taking over as the starting QB for Nathan Rourke, who is with the Jacksonville Jaguars. We also saw two vets change locations, as former Montreal QB Trevor Harris joined the Roughriders, while former Saskatchewan QB Cody Fajardo signed with the Alouettes.

Below, we’ll break down the latest odds for which team will win the 110th Grey Cup before highlighting some contenders for Most Outstanding Player.

CFL Grey Cup Odds 2023

Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction

CFL Grey Cup 2023 odds: Favorites

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+190). Despite losing the Grey Cup last season to the Argos after an impressive 15-3 record in the regular season, the Blue Bombers are the betting favorites to win their third Grey Cup since 2019. The Blue Bombers didn’t have a ton of change in the offseason, as they re-signed/extended 16 players from last year’s squad.

However, one of the notable moves Winnipeg made this offseason was signing veteran wide receiver Kenny Lawler, who is currently on the suspended list because of his second impaired driving charge since 2021. Lawler is back with the Blue Bombers after spending last season with the Edmonton Elks, where he posted 58 receptions (93 targets) for 894 yards and five touchdowns. When the 6-2 pass catcher is available to play, he will be a big-play threat in the Blue Bombers’ passing game that lost Greg Ellingson in free agency (Montreal) but still has CFL ROY Dalton Schoen, Nic Demski, and Rasheed Bailey, among others.

With the talent Winnipeg has on both sides of the ball, it would not be a surprise to see it back in the Grey Cup, as two-time Most Outstanding Player Zack Collaros is one of the best pivots in the league.

Betting advice: The Blue Bombers don’t provide the best value at +190, but that will only shorten if they get off to a hot start, so if you’re all in on this team, now’s the time to get some action down.

CFL Grey Cup 2023 odds: Sleepers

Toronto Argonauts (+560). It’s crazy to call the reigning Grey Cup champions sleepers to win the Cup again, but with a new starting QB (Chad Kelly), the oddsmakers have the Argos with the fourth-best odds to repeat and the second-best odds to win the East division. All eyes will be on Kelly, who is taking over for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who is playing in the USFL this season with the New Orleans Breakers.

Kelly took over for an injured Bethel-Thompson in the Grey Cup last season, leading the Argonauts back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter. The 29-year-old quarterback completed four-of-six passes for 43 yards and had 21 rushing yards. Overall, Kelly threw for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 136 yards and six scores in 18 games last season. If Kelly can prove that his Grey Cup performance wasn’t a flash in the pan this season, the Argos will be in great shape, as they added a few more playmakers to the defense. Offensively, Toronto still has CFL-leading rusher Andrew Harris, who will be hanging up his cleats at the end of the season.

Betting advice: Bettors would not be wrong to put down a small wager on the Argos to win the Grey Cup (+560), as they are built to make a deep run, especially if Kelly is the real deal at QB. If they get out to a fast start, Toronto’s odds will shorten quickly to win the Cup and the East division.

Calgary Stampeders (+595). Keep an eye on the Stampeders this season, who will officially usher in a new era of Calgary football with Jake Maier under center. Maier is taking over for Bo Levi Mitchell, who is now with the Ticats after spending 10 years with the Stampeders. The 26-year-old Maier doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he played well last season when his number was called. The 6-foot signal caller completed 74.7 percent of his passes for 2,387 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also went 6-3 as a starter.

If Maier can handle his business through the air, the Stampeders should have a successful season, as they have one of the best running backs in the league in Ka’Deem Carey. Carey rushed for a career-high 1,088 yards and 10 touchdowns on 164 carries last season. The Stampeders finished third in the West last year, which still got them into the playoffs. However, their eyes are set on a bigger prize and will look to leapfrog British Columbia in the West.

Betting advice: The Stampeders play in a tough division but have two winnable games against the Redblacks (Week 2) and Roughriders (Week 3) to start the season. If Calgary can beat the Lions in Week 1 and handle their business against Ottawa and Saskatchewan before playing the Blue Bombers in Week 5, their Grey Cup odds will be in great shape. Nevertheless, bettors should wait to see how Calgary through its first three games with a new full-time starting quarterback before placing a wager.

2023 CFL Most Outstanding Player odds: Top-10

2023 CFL Most Outstanding Player odds: Favorites

Zach Collaros, Blue Bombers (+274). Collaros is the favorite to three-peat as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player, which hasn’t been done since Doug Flutie in 1993. Flutie won four-straight MOP awards and six overall in his CFL career.

Collaros led Winnipeg to their second-straight Grey Cup last season and a historic 15-3 record. The 34-year-old quarterback completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 4,183 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He’s been critical to the Blue Bombers’ success recently and is set to have another outstanding season with the weapons he has on offense. If he can win his third-straight MOP, which would require another top finish in the CFL and West division, Collaros will go down as an all-time great.

Betting advice: If you think Collaros will come out of the gates hot, it’s best to put a wager on his MOP odds right now. The two-time MOP winner should have another big year through the air with the offensive talent at RB and WR.

Bo Levi Mitchell, Tiger Cats (+501). Mitchell is looking to prove that he still has some game after the Stampeders moved on from him for Maier. The 33-year-old struggled last season in Calgary, completing 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,010 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions. The last time Mitchell threw for less than 10 TD passes in a season was his rookie year in 2012 (2).

Mitchell enters a new situation in Hamilton, where they are looking for some consistency at quarterback, which was an issue last season. The veteran quarterback has won Most Outstanding Player twice in his career (2016, ’18) and can do it again this season, especially having WRs Tim White and Duke Williams at his side.

Betting advice: At 5/1 odds, this is a tremendous value for Mitchell, who had a down year in Calgary, but has the playmakers at wide receiver to have a major bounce-back season. With Tim White and Duke Williams at wide receiver, bettors should not be quick to write off the 33-year-old quarterback yet.

2023 CFL Most Outstanding Player odds: Sleeper

Vernon Adams Jr., Lions (+2200). Finally, if you are looking for a sleeper to back for MOP, Adams Jr. is not a bad option. He played well last season for an injured Nathan Rourke. With Rourke now in the NFL, Adams Jr. will try to build off his performance in 2022, where he went 4-2, completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,504 yards, six touchdowns, and an interception. The 30-year-old dual-threat quarterback is also a threat on the ground, rushing for 129 yards.

The Lions also have former Ticats signal caller Dane Evans on the roster, giving them one of the more solid QB rooms in the CFL. However, if Adams Jr. plays well in a high-flying offense, we could see B.C. back in the Western Final this season.

Betting advice: Adams Jr. is the perfect sleeper to throw a half-unit on, as he can put up big numbers in an offense he’s familiar with. However, bettors can wait on Adams Jr. as the Lions have a tough-four-game stretch that features Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto. If B.C. makes it out 2-2 or better with Adams Jr. playing well, you should be able to get his MOP odds at a good number.