Eric Uribe
Two tickets to the CFL Grey Cup are on the line this weekend as the playoffs roar on with a pair of semi-finals matchups. In this article, we’ll cover the best CFL 2021 semi-final playoff picks to make! Read on for free advice on the big weekend ahead.
Against The Spread: Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Toronto Argonauts
The best online sportsbooks for football DO in fact carry CFL betting odds. Lines are up for both games happening, however, we immediately gravitated toward the Hamilton-Toronto spread, which is almost at pick ’em right now:
| Team |  |  |
| Hamilton spread (+1) | -110 | -110 |
| Toronto spread (-1) | -110 | -110 |
The one-point spread makes complete sense given how the first four meetings between these two teams went. They were virtually identical in two ways — either it ended in a one-point thriller or a complete blowout. The Tiger-Cats took the first meeting 32-19 followed by an Argonauts 17-16 win. Both those results were in September. Later in the year, Toronto stole another close 24-23 contest before finishing the year with a 31-12 blowout win for the Argonauts again.
So in sum: Toronto won three of four meetings this year (and in a row too). The scoring differential between both in all games was +8 in favor of the Argonauts. So again, the razor-thin spread seems extremely warranted.
While Toronto has the head-to-head advantage, the season stats favor Hamilton ever slightly. On offense, the Tiger-Cats are barely ahead of the Argonauts in points scored and total yardage. The differences are much more apparent on defense, however. Hamilton is allowing only 17.4 points per game (second-best) compared to Toronto’s average of 22.7. The same goes for yards allowed as the Tiger-Cats are at 314.2 to Argonauts 360.5.
Given how close the two teams are across the board, one must look for the tiniest of edges when picking a winner. In this case, it’s home-field advantage. Toronto has been near unbeatable inside the BMO Field. They are 6-1 on the season at home, including two victories over Hamilton. The East final will be a fun one, but the Argonauts are the team to back with a bet.
Against The Spread: Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
| Team | | |
| Saskatchewan spread (+8) | -110 | -110 |
| Winnipeg spread (-8) | -110 | -110 |
At first glance, the eight-point against the spread line favoring Winnipeg might jump out to you. But it really shouldn’t. The Blue Bombers have been the best team in the CFL wire-to-wire, evident by its league-leading 11-3 mark (the next best team was Toronto and Saskatchewan at 9-5). Moreover, among other CFL bets like futures, Winnipeg has the best line to win the Grey Cup, hovering around -110.
Just like we did with the Argonauts-Tigercats matchup, it’s worth mentioning how previous games between these two teams went. Winnipeg won both meetings over Saskatchewan this season — and neither one was a close game. The first one was a 23-8 victory on the road followed by a 33-9 rout at home. These two games happened back-to-back in September so you could argue neither one of these teams is the same as three months ago. What doomed the Roughriders both times were sluggish second halves, where they were shut out each matchup.
Here’s a few betting trends worth remembering in this one: get this, the Blue Bombers are 7-1 against-the-spread versus the Roughriders. Even more surprising, both teams have gone under in eight straight games. Eight! For bettors wondering, the point total is set at 46 in this game.
We really don’t think Saskatchewan is any match for Winnipeg. The latter is just too good. Sure, it lost two meaningless games down the stretch, but besides that, the Bombers have waltzed over its opponents. The team is made up of 15 all-stars in the West division — 10 of which were first-time selections. The spread might be large, but Winnipeg is good enough to cover it and then some at home.
For the bettors feeling extra risky, consider laying a same-game parlay (if your bookie allows it) on the Blue Bombers spread combined with the game’s under of 46 points. You saw the two previous trends we mentioned — why not ride the “hot hand” per se? That two-leg parlay could pay out a nice sum of cash, too!
How To Bet CFL Playoffs?
Only three games remain in the CFL playoffs — both these semi-finals matchups and the eventual Grey Cup. So your chances at making money betting on CFL playoffs are running dry. Are you going to let it slip? We sure hope not. To seize the final opportunities, head to one of the online sportsbooks we’ve listed underneath. Each one of these has CFL playoff odds available — from over/unders to moneylines to futures.
While you’re at it, be sure to look into the big-money sign-up bonuses available at these same bookmakers. New players could score hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play via these bonuses. The table below details what welcome bonuses are currently on the table for first-time bettors. Pick one offer and hit the corresponding “play now” button to redeem your bonus winnings!
