The Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers clash in the Grey Cup Final.
The pregame narrative: Winnipeg has only lost once since Week 8, and it opens as a nine-point favourite over the Argos. Even though Chad Kelly will be sidelined for the big game, I still like Toronto to cover the lofty spread.
Check out my Grey Cup picks and predictions for the game on Nov. 17.
Grey Cup picks
Full CFL Grey Cup markets
Best Bet: Argonauts +9 (-110)
If Chad Kelly was healthy, this spread would be a lot smaller, but I have faith in Toronto’s backup.
Nick Arbuckle entered the semifinal game against the Montreal Alouettes and completed 5-of-8 passes for 73 yards en route to the Argonaut win.
In his four games played during Kelly’s suspension, Toronto went 2-2. In the two games it lost, Toronto easily covered this number, losing by three to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and then by one to the Edmonton Elk.
He also played in a game against the Blue Bombers, where Toronto won 16-14.
For as good as the Bombers are playing, they haven’t covered this spread frequently. Including the playoffs, they are 5-13-1 against this line.
I don’t necessarily think the Argonauts will win this game but their defence is strong (led the CFL with 48 sacks) and they went 6-4 without Kelly this year.
Key stat: Additionally, Toronto went 2-0 against Winnipeg this season.
Quick pick
Under 51 points (-110): Multiple factors point to the under having some good value:
- Winnipeg scored just 25 points total in two meetings with Toronto
- The two games ended with an average of 27.5 total points
- The Blue Bombers allow the fewest points per game (20.3)
In conclusion, Winnipeg’s defence is elite, and Toronto’s defence has stepped up against Winnipeg all season.
To put it in perspective, the Bombers scored less than 20 points just three times this year – Two of those games were against Toronto.
Picks made at 1:31 p.m. ET on 11/14/24.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.