108th Grey Cup Odds: Ticats Are Early Favorites

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers became the latest team to win the Grey Cup, topping the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 to collect their first championship since 1990. Winnipeg can be found third on the oddsboard to win the 108th Grey Cup, with the 2019 runners-up, the Tiger-Cats, coming in as the favorites at +300.

Online sportsbook BetOnline has the Ticats as the favorites at +300 followed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders at +350, the Blue Bombers at +450, the Calgary Stampeders at +500, the Edmonton Eskimos at +750, the Montreal Alouettes at +800, the BC Lions at +900 and the Ottawa Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts at +1200 to round out the oddsboard.

Why Is Hamilton the Favorite?

The 2019 Tiger-Cats posted the best record in franchise history at 15-3, returning to the Grey Cup for the first time since 2014, but came up short in seeking their first Grey Cup victory since 1999. Hamilton posted a perfect 10-0 record at home, including its 36-16 triumph over Edmonton in the East final.

The Ticats were able to achieve this success without their starting QB, Jeremiah Masoli, who appeared in only six games before suffering a season-ending injury. Backup QB Dane Evans filled in very well, though, throwing for the sixth-most passing yards and the best pass completion percentage of any QB who played in 10 or more games. This led to Hamilton topping the CFL with 26.1 points per game.

Defensively, Hamilton surrendered the fewest points, 42 fewer than second-place Saskatchewan. Much of that was due to a ferocious front line that racked up 54 sacks and 15 forced fumbles and allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game. The team should have a similar feel in 2020 going into the second full season under head coach Orlondo Steinauer, and should rightfully be the favorite to win the 108th Grey Cup.

Which Team is Providing the Best Value to Win the 108th Grey Cup?

I look at the fourth team on the oddsboard, the Calgary Stampeders at +500, as my favorite pick outside of the Ticats. The Stamps finished with the third-best record in the CFL last season, scored the third-most points and allowed the fourth-fewest. Like Hamilton, Calgary also had to deal with the injury bug with QB Bo Levi Mitchell injured in Week 3 and not returning to the lineup until Week 12.  

Despite that injury, the Stamps still made the playoffs but ran into the eventual champs, Winnipeg, in the West semifinal. I’d like to see more pressure on opposing signal-callers as Calgary finished fifth in the CFL with 35 sacks and fifth with 14 forced fumbles. That said, the Stampeders nonetheless led the league with 26 interceptions, three of which were taken back to the house. The Stamps qualified for the playoffs for the 15th straight year, the longest streak in franchise history and the fifth-longest in CFL history, so it’s hard to count out Calgary from at least being in the dance.

Odds as of December 1 at BetOnline