After the coronavirus took away the 2020 CFL season, the 2021 campaign will finally get underway on Thursday, August 5. The new season was supposed to begin back in June, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay.
There will be plenty of action to bet on this CFL season as bettors can get back into the swing of football betting prior to the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons in the US. One of the top prop bets in the CFL this season is Most Rushing Yards.
One player stands out above the rest, but there are plenty of contenders. Here’s a look at the race and our best bet in the category.
Harris Favored to Lead CFL in Rushing Yards
It’s no surprise that Winnipeg RB Andrew Harris is the favorite to lead the CFL in rushing for a fourth consecutive season. Harris led the league in 2017, 2018, and 2019 with totals of 1035, 1390, and 1380 yards, respectively.
He is the +200 favorite despite entering this season at age 34. Harris will have a great shot at winning the title again. Winnipeg just happens to be the reigning Grey Cup champion. If the Blue Bombers can keep QB Zach Collaros healthy, their balanced offense could take them back to the final…and win Harris another rushing title. The Blue Bombers are top contenders to win the 2021 CFL Grey Cup.
The Contenders
Right behind Harris are a pair of Williams – William Powell of Saskatchewan and William Stanback of Montreal. Powell finished second in rushing in 2019 with 1093 yards, but he did lead the CFL in carries in 2018 with 251. He’ll get plenty of opportunities to surpass Harris this season. Powell is given +325 odds to win the CFL rushing crown.
Also listed at +325 is Stanback who wound up third in 2019 with 1048 yards on 170 carries. Stanback also only played 14 games that season. Stanback will benefit in 2021 from the retirement of former Alouettes running back Jeremiah Johnson. In 2019, Johnson finished eighth in the league in rushing with 532 yards on 89 carries. Those are carries that can help Stanback in 2021.
The Sleeper
Despite playing in just eight games in 2019, Calgary RB Ka’Deem Carey wound up 11th in the CFL in rushing with 422 yards. At the mid-point of the season, Carey broke an arm that forced him to miss the rest of the season.
The Stampeders, who finished 12-6 in 2019 and in second place in the West Division, are among the favorites to win this year’s Grey Cup. A big part of that will be Carey and QB Bo Levi Mitchell, who was the Most Outstanding Player in the 2018 Grey Cup which was won by Calgary. Carey is given +600 odds to win this year’s rushing title.
2021 CFL Rushing Leader Predictions
Harris is about as close to a lock as one could find, but he is 34 years of age. That’s the equivalent of 100 in running back years. With Harris aging and a 27-year-old Stanback looking to get more carries this year in Montreal, the better value is on the Alouettes leading rusher.
Plus, Harris signed a new two-year contract in the offseason and is reeling after a shot at making the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 roster. Harris was released in August 2020 and the feeling left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He’s going to take it out on CFL defenses this season.
BEST BET: WILLIAM STANBACK (MTL) +325
Odds to Have the Most Rushing Yards in the CFL in 2021
Andrew Harris +200
William Powell +325
William Stanback +325
John White +600
Ka’Deem Carey +600
Shaq Cooper +800
James Wilder Jr +1200
Brendan Gillanders +1600
Maleek Irons +1600
