Hamilton Tiger-Cats favored to win CFL's Grey Cup

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed back the start of the Canadian Football League season, which was originally scheduled for the middle of June. 

When football does return north of the border, where three downs and a larger field rule the day, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will open the season as favorites to win the Grey Cup. Since 2013, the Ti-Cats have made it to the Grey Cup three times, losing on all three occasions, including last fall. Could this be the year that changes?

The Tiger-Cats were dominant in 2019

The Tiger-Cats dominated the CFL regular season in 2019, with a 15-3 record, but their offense stagnated in the Grey Cup game last November in a 33-12 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 

Favored to win the Grey Cup with odds of +375 at BetAmerica, the Tiger-Cats are expected to be led on offense by former Oregon Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who is returning from a torn ACL suffered in a game last July. 

When Masoli went down, University of Tulsa product Dane Evans took over the starting duties, helping lead the Tiger-Cats to their best regular season record in franchise history and a berth in the Grey Cup game. 

But injuries to starting quarterbacks was a league-wide problem last season, and having a capable contributor backing up the starter is almost a necessity in the CFL.

When training camps do open this summer, there could be a healthy competition for the starting quarterback job. Whomever wins, the successful candidate should have the tools required to help Hamilton continue as a power in the East Division. 

Winnipeg Blue Bombers aim for a repeat

Despite the fact the fact the CFL is a nine-team league, no team has repeated as champions since 2010, when the Montreal Alouettes accomplished the feat by defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

The Blue Bombers will have their work cut out for them this year. Winnipeg was forced to make a mid-season change at quarterback last year, after their starter, Matt Nichols, suffered a season-ending injury. The Bombers acquired quarterback Zach Collaros in October, and he helped lead them to a championship the following month. 

Collaros, who played college football with the Cincinnati Bearcats, signed a contract extension with Winnipeg in January. 

If he’s able to stay healthy, the Blue Bombers offense could once again wreak havoc on opposing defenses – they scored an average of 24.2 points per game, second highest in the league – and give themselves a chance at emerging once again from the West Division. 

The Calgary Stampeders are never a bad bet

The Calgary Stampeders have flirted with being the CFL’s version of the New England Patriots over the last several years.  

The Stampeders have won the Grey Cup three times since 2008, and made six appearances in the championship game in that time.  

The balance of power in the West Division shifted last year, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders recording the best record in the division and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers emerging from the playoffs as its representative in the championship game. 

But the Stampeders were once again strong contenders in the West, and that isn’t likely to change this year with Eastern Washington product Bo Levi Mitchell back at quarterback and former NFL QB Dave Dickenson back as head coach.

The Stampeders have Grey Cup outright odds of +500 at BetAmerica, which isn’t a bad bet considering the sustained success they’ve had.