CFL Betting

The Canadian Football League offers a similar experience to the NFL betting and betting on college football. Provided you have general knowledge of sports betting, then you shouldn’t experience any trouble picking up CFL betting.

However, Canadian football does have a few noteworthy differences compared to the NFL:

• Larger field - The CFL field measures 110 feet by 65 feet, with 20-foot-deep end zones. An NFL field measures 100 feet by 53.3 feet, with 10-foot-deep end zones.
• More Players - Canadian football teams can field 12 players on offence and defence. NFL teams, in contrast, can only field 11 players.
• Fewer Downs - A CFL team only has three downs to pick up a first down. An NFL team has four downs to get a first.
• Single Points - CFL scoring works much like NFL and college scoring with one exception — a single point (a.k.a. “rouge”). Teams score one point when kicking a field goal, punt, or kick-off beyond the back end-zone line.
• No fair catch - Unlike in the NFL, Canadian football players can’t call a fair catch when receiving a punt or kick-off. The kicking team, meanwhile, must give the receiving player a 5-yard halo to catch the ball.
• Closer goal posts - Both CFL goal posts are at the front of their respective end zones. NFL fields, in contrast, have goal posts at the back of the end zones.
• Faster plays - CFL teams only get 20 seconds before they must snap the ball. NFL squads enjoy a lengthier 40 seconds in between plays.

Assuming you already understand football, then you’ll quickly pick up these nuances when betting on CFL games. However, you should keep the differences in mind when wagering on the Canadian game.

While certain rules differ between the CFL and NFL, the odds and betting processes don’t vary, which is why it is important that you understand the different odds formats. CFL betting odds are exactly like NFL odds .

The three types of CFL betting odds include American, decimal, and fractional. Canadian bettors prefer decimal odds.

Here’s an example:

• Calgary Stampeders 2.70
• Hamilton Tiger-Cats 1.48

With the Stampeders, you’d risk $100 to win $170 in profit. With the Tiger-Cats, you’d risk $210 to win $100 in profit. To work out how much money you will receive back when betting on decimal odds, you multiply your stake (bet amount) by the odds. $100 x 2.70 = 270 ($170 in profit).

Naturally, you’re risking more to win less on the favourite (Hamilton). Conversely, you’re betting less to win more on the underdog (Calgary). 

As for placing wagers at CFL betting sites, everything begins with the signup and deposit process. You must sign up for an account before doing anything else. You can then proceed to choose an available banking option and deposit.

Afterward, you visit the Canadian Football League section to look for available wagers. You can add one or more CFL bets to your betting slip.

Once satisfied, you submit the ticket and wait for the outcome. You should get into the habit of double and triple-checking your bet slip. All submitted betting tickets are final and cannot be taken back.

Canadian football offers a large range of bet types. You can wager on moneylines, spreads, totals and more. Similar to NFL bets, this variety of CFL bets keeps things entertaining and provides different ways to win money.

CFL Moneyline Betting

Moneyline betting is quite common in CFL wagering. It sees you place a straight-up bet on which football team will win a game. Online sportsbooks skew the odds to encourage action on both sides of a moneyline.

Here’s an example:

• Saskatchewan Roughriders 1.65 (risking $155 to win $100.75)
• BC Lions 2.30 (risking $100 to win $130)

As seen above, the Roughriders are favoured and, thus, require greater risk for less money. Meanwhile, the underdog Lions offer a more-generous payout for a smaller bet. Of course, they also have a lower chance of winning. To work out how much money you will receive back when betting on decimal odds, you multiply your stake (bet amount) by the odds: $155 x 1.65 = 255.75 Total Payout (100.75 profit).

CFL Totals (Over/Under)

Totals betting involves wagering on the combined score of two teams. You can either bet over or under the given point total.

Here’s an example:

• Winnipeg Blue Bombers over 52.5 (1.91)
• Ottawa Redblacks under 52.5 (1.91)

When taking the over, you need the Blue Bombers and Redblacks to combine for 52 points or more. With the under, you need Winnipeg and Ottawa to score 51 points or less. 

If you were to bet $10 on 1.91 odds, you would receive $9.10 in profit if this outcome won. To work out how much money you will receive back when betting on decimal odds, you multiply your stake (bet amount) by the odds: $10 x 1.91 = $19.10 Total Payout ($9.10 profit).

The Canadian Football League generally features high-scoring games. The wider field encourages more passing. Additionally, the faster play clock leads to more overall plays.

You should take these unique traits into account when looking at totals betting odds. Furthermore, you want to be prepared for a high-scoring affair. CFL home teams average 27 points per game, and road teams average 24.5.

CFL Point Spread Betting

Next to moneylines, spread betting is perhaps the second-most-common form of CFL gambling. It assigns each team a number of points to cover during a game. The favourite must win by a certain amount of points, while the underdog must avoid losing by a specific number.

Here’s how spread betting looks:

• Montreal Alouettes +3.5 (1.91)
• Calgary Stampeders -3.5 (1.91)

As slight dogs, the Alouettes can lose by up to 3 points and still deliver a successful bet. The favoured Stampeders, meanwhile, need to win by 4 points or more.

The CFL odds on a point spread are usually 1.91 for both sides. However, you’ll occasionally see odds set lower (e.g., 1.93) or higher (e.g. 1.89).

CFL Futures Betting

Some CFL markets offer futures bets at the beginning or even middle of the season. A futures wager revolves around an outcome that will be decided in the distant future. For example, many online sportsbooks offer odds for Grey Cup betting. These betting odds will be available at the beginning of the season and will change throughout the season until the championship game.

Odds to win Grey Cup

• Winnipeg Blue Bombers 3.00
• Hamilton Tiger Cats 5.50
• Toronto Argonauts 6.00
• BC Lions 7.50
• Calgary Stampeders 8.50
• Montreal Alouettes 14.00
• Saskatchewan Roughriders 17.00
• Ottawa Redblacks 18.00
• Edmonton Elks 26.00

A betting site may keep offering these CFL odds week after week. If so, they’ll adjust the odds to reflect the current standings. Assuming the Blue Bombers get off to a bad start, for example, they could drop to 1.25 odds of winning. The Lions, meanwhile, could start off hot and improve their championship odds to 1.18.

In addition to Grey Cup odds, sportsbooks can offer other types of futures too. For example, they might feature CFL betting odds on the season’s leading passer, receiving and rusher. The same principle applies in that you’re wagering on outcomes that’ll be decided much later.

CFL Prop Betting

Proposition (“prop”) bets let you wager on outcomes that aren’t associated with final scores. They can include everything from a game’s leading passer to how many touchdowns will be scored.

Here’s an example on prop betting:

• Winnipeg vs Saskatchewan - Quarterback with most passing yards
• Zach Collaros 1.75
• Cody Fajardo 2.45

The number of available prop bets generally depends upon the profile of a game. Not surprisingly, the Grey Cup offers more prop betting opportunities than any other CFL game.

CFL Parlay Betting

A parlay features multiple outcomes rolled into one bet. You must win all of the outcomes to win the wager.

Here’s an example of parlay betting :

• Pick No. 1: Hamilton Tiger Cats -6.5 (1.91)
• Pick No. 2: Edmonton Elks +11.5 (1.91)
• Pick No. 3: BC Lions +9.5 (1.91)
• Overall odds on parlay 7.00

The exact payout depends upon how many teams/outcomes you choose and the odds. Most sportsbooks let you put 2–12 outcomes in a single wager. You stand to win more money when adding extra outcomes, but your risk factor increases greatly with more teams.

In the example above, each point spread bet features 1.91 odds. The overall odds on the three teams at 1.91 are 7.00. Overall odds don’t come out so neatly, though, when adding moneylines to parlays.

Here’s an example:

• Pick No. 1: Hamilton Tiger Cats 1.44
• Pick No. 2: Edmonton Elks 4.00
• Pick No. 3: BC Lions 3.55
• Odds on overall parlay 20.50

The Hamilton selection gives you a strong chance to win at least one leg. However, you’re taking huge risks when adding Edmonton at 4.00 and BC at 3.55. You’ll be well rewarded if you do win, though, thanks to the 20.50 overall odds.

CFL Live Betting

Thanks to CFL online betting, you can place live wagers as a game is happening. Depending upon a game’s profile, you could enjoy dozens of live betting opportunities.

Examples of CFL live bets include:

• Updated odds on a moneyline winner after each quarter.
• Next team to score a touchdown.
• Next team to score one or more points.
• Next player to score a touchdown.
• Which player will score the next point(s).

The Canadian Football League doesn’t provide as many live betting opportunities as the NFL. Nevertheless, it still offers a fair number of chances to place live wagers. Just like with prop betting, the Grey Cup delivers the most chances for live bets. Other notable games — especially playoff contests — can also offer plenty of live wagering.

You can find the best online sportsbooks for football betting by focusing on certain criteria. The following aspects are especially important when seeking a high-quality CFL betting site. They include everything from lucrative bonuses to licensing considerations.

Competitive CFL Odds

The best odds refer to prices where sportsbooks don’t take as much juice (a.k.a. vig) from bets. Simply put, lower vig gives you a stronger chance of winning money. If one sportsbook offers the Toronto Argonauts at 1.63 and another at 1.67, then you want the second option.

Not all internet sportsbooks are equal when it comes to CFL lines. Some are more generous than others and consistently offer the best CFL bets. Assuming you’re looking for a better chance at winning money, then you definitely want a fair sportsbook. Luckily, plenty of online sportsbooks exist that feature competitive CFL odds.

Mobile Betting on the CFL

Betting markets are no longer confined to land-based locations. Instead, they’re available through smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Most sports gamblers today like the convenience of mobile betting markets. Therefore, you want to prioritize a sportsbook’s mobile product.

Any decent online sportsbook should offer compatibility for both Android and iOS devices. After all, these two operating systems make up roughly 99% of the mobile market.

Sportsbooks don’t necessarily need to offer a dedicated Android and/or iOS online betting apps. However, it should at least feature browser-based betting with smooth navigation. In contrast, you want to avoid mobile sportsbooks that clutter their homepages with banner ads. The goal is to locate CFL and other betting markets without hassle.

Free Bets or CFL Bonuses/Boosts

Many internet sportsbooks offer a bonus when you first join and deposit at their sites. They’ll provide one or more of the following bonuses as part of a welcome package:

• Free bet - A free wager that only awards winnings (not the stake) when successful. If you win $25 on a $30 free bet, for example, then you’ll collect $25.
• Risk-free bet - A risk-free wager awards potential losses back in the form of bet credits. Assuming you wager $50 and lose, for instance, then you’ll collect $50 in credits after meeting relevant terms.
• Deposit bonus - The sportsbook matches your deposit up to a certain amount. For example, a sportsbook might offer a 100% match bonus worth up to $100. If you deposit $50 under this deal, then you’ll qualify for a $50 bonus.

These offers help pad any potential winnings earned from a sportsbook. That said, you should look for CFL betting bonuses whenever possible.

You also want to seek sportsbooks that offer promotions beyond the welcome deal. Common promos include more risk-free bets, free bets, and parlay boosts. The latter increases your winnings on a successful parlay bet.

Terms and conditions (T&Cs) on bonuses/promos are important too. They determine how easy it’ll be for you to cash in on a CFL bonus. Simply put, you want operators that feature fair terms in comparison to the competition.

Rollover (a.k.a. wagering requirements) determines how much you must bet before withdrawing bonus funds. If one sportsbook features 8x rollover and another 5x rollover, then the latter offers the path of least resistance. Rollover is just one term to consider when reviewing the T&Cs. You should also look at the maximum bet allowed, market restrictions, minimum odds and more.

Safety and Security

Any reputable online sportsbook will make sure that its website is secure. After all, it doesn’t want its CFL bettors getting hacked. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology is the most-popular way to protect websites. It’s high-level encryption technology that prevents third parties from stealing your personal and financial data.

Aside from securing its website, an internet sportsbook should also hold licensing. A license shows that a sportsbook is willing to be vetted by the relevant governing body. It also demonstrates that an operator will pay the necessary fees to serve a particular market.

Thanks to C-218, the Canadian market gives every province the opportunity to legalize sports betting. The Ontario sports betting market is currently the only CA jurisdiction with operators right now. However, other provinces figure to attract betting sites at some legal point in the near future. British Columbia could join Ontario when considering their large populations and the surge of sports betting since single-game wagering launched in August.

At Gambling.com, we pride ourselves on pouring time into each and every review. Our staff wants to ensure that we offer informed recommendations on the best online sportsbooks for CFL betting. We closely examine all of the factors discussed above to get a composite opinion on each CA sportsbook.

Here’s a recap of the factors that we highly value:

• Competitive odds for the CFL and other markets.
• Android/iOS compatibility and smooth mobile navigation.
• Bonuses and promotions — especially those with favourable terms.
• Secure website with Secure Sockets Layer tech.
• Licensing from one or more Canadian provinces.

You likely won’t feel like visiting multiple sportsbooks and analyzing them for all of these factors. After all, you could spend hours reviewing online sportsbooks yourself. We do this work for you by reviewing both existing and new betting sites.

When looking at the top CA online sportsbooks above, you can take comfort in knowing that plenty of thought goes into this list. We make it a mission to thoroughly examine every listed sportsbook and give an honest opinion.

The vast majority of betting sites will offer a wide range of markets on the CFL. The sites that you can sign up to will depend on your location as each province has its own set of laws surrounding sports betting. In some cases your only option may be to sign up with an offshore operator. Some provinces are beginning to change their laws. For example, Ontario Sports betting has now been legalised and there are a whole host of new operators available to sign up with. So, be sure to check what your options are in advance of signing up with any betting site.

The CFL may not be quite as famous nor televised as the NFL. However, it’s definitely a hit in the Great White North.

That said, you should consider this league if you’re into football or just sports betting in general. Canadian football features a lengthy season with many available gambling opportunities. It also offers three weeks’ worth of playoffs — culminating in the famed Grey Cup.

You can get started at a CFL betting site with relatively little time wasted. When signing up, you should look for any potential bonus opportunities too. An online sportsbook may give you a free bet, risk-free bet or deposit bonus after you’ve deposited.

Assuming you’re just starting out with CFL gambling, we recomend taking it slow in the beginning. You should dip your toes in with moneyline, totals, and/or point spread wagers. After gaining more confidence, you could branch out into futures, prop bets, live bets and/or parlays.