CFL Week 9 Betting Preview: Backup QBs Take Over as Montreal and Edmonton Lead the Way

Four backup quarterbacks. Two division leaders on a home-and-home rematch just nine days after a walk-off classic. And a Montreal team that looks like the class of the league right now — Week 9 of the CFL season has a little bit of everything.

The slate opens with a Thursday night quarterback mystery in Winnipeg, rolls through a home-and-home in the East between Montreal and Ottawa, swings into Hamilton for a Calgary crossover test, and closes with the West’s best rivalry renewing itself in Edmonton. Here’s how the lines shake out and where the value is hiding.

BC Lions vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Thursday, July 30, 8:30 p.m. ET at Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg. Line: Winnipeg -6, O/U 54.5.

Both teams walk in without the quarterback who won them a Most Outstanding Player award. Nathan Rourke landed on the six-game injured list with a shoulder issue on his non-throwing arm, clearing the way for rookie Kaidon Salter to make his first career start after replacing an ineffective Chase Brice last week against Toronto. Winnipeg has its own concern under center, with Zach Collaros unable to practice this week because of a neck injury that will keep Dru Brown in the lineup for a fourth straight start. Brown has won two of his three starts in relief, but he’s coming off a four-interception meltdown in a 52-30 loss to Calgary.

That gives BC (1-5) an opening it desperately needs, but Winnipeg (4-3) at home with a talented supporting cast is still the safer side, even breaking in a rookie passer of its own on the opposite sideline. Bettors who want in on Thursday’s opener should check a DraftKings promo code before kickoff to get the best number on a spread that could move throughout the week as more injury news trickles in.

Pick: Winnipeg Blue Bombers -6

Montreal Alouettes vs. Ottawa Redblacks

Friday, July 31, 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Place, Ottawa. Line: Montreal -7, O/U 60.5.

Montreal has been the best team in the league over the last month. The Alouettes have won four straight, including a 31-18 handling of Hamilton last week, and sit at 6-1 — tied for the CFL’s best record. Ottawa, by contrast, has dropped two of its last four and fell 36-34 to Winnipeg in a shootout that exposed some soft spots in its secondary. The Redblacks have shown fight at home this season, but Montreal’s offense has been humming with balance and its defense has been opportunistic in the turnover column.

Seven points is a real number on the road, but Montreal’s four-game streak carries real weight, and Ottawa’s recent defensive slippage makes covering that number a tall order. The Alouettes have not just been winning — they have been doing it with a combined scoring margin that dwarfs most of the league over this stretch, which is exactly the kind of form that travels well into a building where the home crowd hasn’t had much to cheer about lately.

Pick: Montreal Alouettes -7

Calgary Stampeders vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Saturday, August 1, 3:00 p.m. ET at Hamilton Stadium (Tim Hortons Field). Line: Calgary -5.5, O/U 60.5 (some books have it at CGY -2).

This is the widest line discrepancy on the board, and for good reason — Hamilton has been trying to steady itself since losing Bo Levi Mitchell to ankle surgery back in early July, an injury serious enough that he was carted off in an ambulance. The Ticats have managed to stay competitive in the East race without him, but replacing a 300-yard-a-game passer isn’t something any offense does seamlessly. Calgary, meanwhile, has been must-watch football lately, dropping 52 points on Winnipeg in a blowout that showcased just how explosive this offense can be when it’s clicking.

The gap between the full number and the shaded number tells you the market isn’t fully sure how healthy Hamilton’s operation is right now. Calgary’s offensive form says lean toward the value side.

Pick: Calgary Stampeders -2 (shop for the lower number)

Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Elks

Saturday, August 1 at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton. Line: close to pick’em, Edmonton favored slightly, O/U ~60.5.

This is the rematch nobody wanted to wait for. Just over a week ago, these two West Division heavyweights played one of the games of the season in Regina, with Edmonton’s Vincent Blanchard drilling a 57-yard field goal as time expired to steal a 36-34 win and push the Elks to 6-1 and first place in the West. Saskatchewan, the defending Grey Cup champion, sits right behind at 4-2 and has more than enough firepower to flip the result in the return leg. Both offenses lit up the scoreboard in the first meeting, and neither defense did much to slow the other down.

A near pick’em line makes sense for a rematch this even. Home field and the sting of that walk-off loss should have Edmonton just a hair sharper. Neither defense forced much of anything in the first meeting, so anyone leaning toward the total should expect another track meet rather than a low-scoring grind.

Pick: Edmonton Elks moneyline

This Week’s Best Bets

Two plays stand out above the rest of the card. Montreal’s four-game win streak and clear talent gap over a stumbling Ottawa defense make -7 the safest lay of the week, even on the road. And Calgary’s high-powered offense against a Hamilton team still searching for stability post-Mitchell is the sharpest number on the slate if you can find that shaded -2.

1. Montreal Alouettes @ Ottawa Redblacks: Montreal -7
2. Calgary Stampeders @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Calgary -2 (or -5.5 depending on the book)

The BC-Winnipeg opener and the Saskatchewan-Edmonton rematch are the two most watchable games of the week, but with backup quarterbacks and a rivalry rematch this tight, they’re better watched than bet with confidence.