The Canadian Football League (CFL) season typically starts in June and concludes in November. Lots of football fans enjoy betting on the CFL, especially while they wait for the NFL and NCAAF seasons to start.
There are lots of great ways to bet on CFL games, but you’ll need to shop around. A lot of sportsbooks will only have straight bets (moneyline, point spread and over/under), but betting sites with a lot of players in Canada will have more betting markets, such as game props and even CFL player props.
CFL Betting Markets Explained
We’re going to explain how to bet on the CFL. Before placing any bets, it’s important to understand all of the different betting markets available. Here are the most popular ways to bet on the CFL.
CFL Moneylines, Point Spreads and Game Totals
Moneyline Bet: Argonauts (+120) vs. Alouettes (-140)
All you need to do is predict which team will win the game straight-up.
Understanding CFL odds is also important for new bettors. In our example, the Argos are underdogs (+ odds) and the Alouettes are favorites (- odds). With negative odds, the number is how much you need to bet to win $100 ($140 bet on Montreal pays $100 profit). With positive odds, the number is how much you can win on a $100 bet ($100 bet on Toronto pays $120 profit).
Point Spread Bet: Argonauts +2.5 (-110) vs. Alouettes -2.5 (-110)
With point spread bets, the team with a negative spread (Alouettes -2.5 in our example), needs to not only win the game, but cover the spread. Montreal needs to win by 3+ points to cover ATS and win. Bets on the Argos at +2.5 will win if Toronto wins the game or if they lose the game by two points or less.
Game Total Bet: Over 43.5 Points (-110) vs. Under 43.5 Points (-110)
Game total bets require you to predict whether both teams will combine to score over or under the posted total. In our example, a bet on over 43.5 points will cash if both teams combine to score 44+ points. Under bets will cash if both teams combine to score 43 points or fewer.
You can also bet on the moneyline, point spread or totals for the 1st or 2nd half. For example, a bet on the Argos +1.5 1H will cash if the Argos are leading after the 1st half or losing by a single point.
CFL Game Props
Sportsbooks will offer various CFL game props to bet on. Some examples include first team to score, first team to score X points (10, 20, etc.), winning margin, double result, highest scoring half/quarter, will the game go to overtime, first score method (TD, FG or other) and total points odd or even.
CFL Player Props
Some bookies release CFL player props. You can bet on first, last or anytime touchdown scorers. Other CFL player props include how many passing, rushing or receiving yards will have in a game.
CFL Futures Betting
There aren’t too many CFL futures betting markets. You can bet on the winner of the Grey Cup (Read our CFL Grey Cup betting guide), regular season win totals or which team will win the East or West divisions.
