Football fans pining for action should look no further than the Canadian Football League. Specifically, the CFL offers a high level of quality football excitement. The 3-down format of the CFL makes for an offensive brand of football that fans love. Last year was a great example of the CFL betting odds parity that gamblers are drawn towards. The Toronto Argonauts stunned the CFL wagering world by defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the Grey Cup championship. Winnipeg was the 2-time defending champion and dominated the regular season. But Toronto won a 24-23 classic as 5.5-point dogs.
2023 Canadian Football League
| Date: | Season Opens June 8, 2023, Grep Cup Championship is on November 19, 2023 |
|---|
2023 CFL Grey Cup Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 200 |
| British Columbia Lions | +340 |
| Calgary Stampeders | +500 |
| Toronto Argonauts | +500 |
| Hamilton Tiger Cats | +750 |
| Montreal Alouettes | +750 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | +900 |
| Edmonton Elks | +1500 |
| Ottawa Redblacks | +1500 |
Grey Cup Thriller
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers rolled to a 15-3 online wagering record in the much tougher West Division. In comparison, the Toronto Argonauts were 11-7 in the weaker East Division.
A.J. Ouellette and Boris Bede gave the Toronto Argonauts a one-point advantage. And then Robbie Smith made it stand up. Ouellette’s five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter rallied Toronto to a stirring CFL lines upset of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Bede’s convert gave the upstart Argos their slender advantage.
Toronto linebacker Henoc Muamba was the game’s most valuable player. He intercepted Zach Collaros to put the Argos at the Winnipeg 43-yard line with 3:20 to play. But Winnipeg’s Nick Hallett blocked Bede’s 37-yard field goal to put the Bombers at their 29-yard line with two minutes remaining. After sacking Collaros on second down, Smith got to the Bombers’ star again on third down. However, he was flagged for a facemask penalty that helped Winnipeg drive to the Toronto 40-yard line. Yet Smith made up for the penalty by blocking Marc Liegghio’s 47-yard attempt. Toronto got the ball at its 14-yard line with 43 seconds remaining. Subsequently, they ran out the clock for the stunning victory.
CFL Conclusion
Smith wasn’t Toronto’s only unsung hero. Backup quarterback Chad Kelly engineered the five-play, 36-yard drive Ouellette capped. Of course, Kelly is the nephew of former NFL star Jim Kelly. He replaced veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who suffered a dislocated right thumb. Kelly delivered a crucial 20-yard run on second-and-15 to the Winnipeg 15-yard line that kept the drive going. In turn, the march was set up by Javon Leake’s 44-yard punt return to the Bombers’ 31 with 6:07 remaining. Kelly finished 4-of-6 passing for 43 yards in relief of Bethel-Thompson. In comparison, Thompson completed 15 of 28 attempts for 203 yards.
Also, Toronto’s victory earned veteran receiver Brandon Banks his first Grey Cup title. The five-foot-seven, 150-pound Banks was appearing in his fifth championship contest. The previous four came with Hamilton, which had lost the last two CFL title games to Winnipeg. In turn, the loss tarnished a record-setting effort by Winnipeg’s Janarion Grant. Grant had a 102-yard punt return TD that is the longest in Grey Cup history in the fourth. The Bombers attempted to become the first CFL team to win three straight Grey Cups since Edmonton captured five consecutive titles from 1978-82.