CFL Week 1 Betting Picks 2025
It’s June which marks the beginning of the Canadian Football League regular season. Nine teams will start their quests for a trip to Winnipeg and the 112th Grey Cup. These CFL Week 1 Betting Picks 2025 get you set for all of the action as the new season gets underway.
Action begins on Thursday night as the Ottawa Redblacks take on the Saskatchewan Roughiders. Week 1 concludes Saturday night with the Edmonton Elks battling the B.C. Lions in Victoria.
CFL Week 1 Betting Picks 2025
Ottawa Redblacks over Saskatchewan Roughriders (+155 via BetMGM)
Thursday, June 5th, 6:00 P.M. Pacific
The Redblacks celebrated their 10th season in the nation’s capital with their third winning season in franchise history posting a 9-8-1 record by year’s end. Ottawa dominated at home going 7-1-1 at TD Place putting an end to a horrific era of painful losses in front of friendly faces. The Rouge et Noir fared well against the West last year as well going 6-3-1 against their western foes.
TD Tyrie Adams💥💥
🪓| 16
🐦| 24 pic.twitter.com/XDusUpSwCC— Ottawa REDBLACKS (@REDBLACKS) May 31, 2025
Saskatchewan also closed out the 2024 season with a 9-8-1 record. Much of their success came early with wins against Eastern opponents. Overall, the Riders came away with a 4-3-1 record against teams from the East division.
These teams met twice last year with the Roughriders earning a win in the series and the two playing to a draw in the other. If you are not confident about an Ottawa outright win in this game, you can find the Redblacks at +3.5 on most books with FanDuel offering the best odds at -105 to cover.
Toronto Argonauts +5.5 vs Montreal Alouettes (-115 via DraftKings)
Friday, June 6th, 4:30 P.M. Pacific
The Montreal Alouettes went 12-5-1 last season and were the East Division champions. The Als went 6-2 against their divisional opponents and were 6-2-1 at home last year. As impressive as all of that was, they struggled against the spread down the stretch failing to cover in six of their last nine games of the season including the playoffs. In fact, they lost outright in five of six to close out their 2024 campaign. Montreal will start Davis Alexander at quarterback who made five starts for the Alouettes last season and has thrown for 1,492 yards in his three CFL seasons.
The Toronto Argonauts are the reigning Grey Cup champions. They finished 10-8 during the regular season and powered their way through the postseason on their way to a second Grey Cup in three seasons. Toronto closed out the season a perfect 7-0 against the spread including the playoffs and the Grey Cup. The Argos will have to attempt to repeat without last year’s team MOP Ka’Deem Carey at running back. They are also starting veteran quarterback Nick Arbuckle under center over Chad Kelly who is still nursing an injury he suffered in the East finals.
Miyan Williams finds a seam and goes for a big gain 😤 pic.twitter.com/Fz7V11IhnR
— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) May 31, 2025
Toronto has had Montreal’s number winning the last three head-to-head matches. The last time these teams met, the Argos ended the Als season with a 30-28 win in the East Division final. The Argonauts are +190 on the moneyline this week on DraftKings and are worth some consideration there as well.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats -1.5 vs Calgary Stampeders (-110 via Caesars)
Saturday, June 7th, 4:00 P.M. Pacific
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are looking to improve on a 7-11 season last year which landed them in last place in the East Division. However, there is hope for a more productive 2025 season as they closed out 2024 winning five of their last seven games. Their quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell, put together a near MOP season throwing for 5,451 yards and 32 touchdowns last year. He’s set to return under center for Hamilton, healthy, rested, and ready to take his team to the playoffs.
bo 🤝 tim pic.twitter.com/JS7xb5pYHV
— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) June 4, 2025
To say the 2024 season was a disappointment for the Calgary Stampeders is an understatement. The team went 5-12-1 and finished dead last in the West Division. Their offense was unable to produce points landing them last in the league in total points. They were not stopping teams from scoring on defense either, surrendering 29.3 points per game which was the second worst average in the league last year. The Stamps went 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games of the season.
Hamilton has won three of its last four matchups against Calgary going back to the 2022 season. Bo Levi Mitchell went off against his old team last October, throwing for over 400 yards and five touchdowns. Expect a similar game from him again this week and for his team to come away with a decisive win.
BC Lions -5.5 vs Edmonton Elks (-110 via Caesars)
Saturday, June 7th, 7:00 P.M. Pacific
Last season was not all that the BC Lions had hoped for going 9-9 on the season and finishing third in the West Division. However, there is a new look for the Lions this year as they welcome a new head coach and will have Nathan Rourke under center from game one this season. Rourke spent time in the NFL last year before returning to BC in the latter half of the year He and his potent group of wide receivers should feast on an Elks defense that allowed the most passing yards per game last season.
The Edmonton Elks had their best season since 2021 going 7-11 and finished fourth in the West Division. Their offense showed signs of life as they scored the second-most points in the league last year. The Elks will rely on Tre Ford again at quarterback to start the season. Ford threw for 533 yards and 4 touchdowns in his last two games with Edmonton last year.
History in the making for Tre Ford and Nathan Rourke!
For the first time ever, #CFL opening week features head-to-head Canadian starting QBs.
The last time two 🇨🇦 QBs started the same game? Aug. 20, 1968: Pete Ohler (BC) vs Frank Cosentino (EDM). pic.twitter.com/AjFZpTywnn
— CFL Stats (@CFLStats) June 5, 2025
This Edmonton team is improved. However, they are facing a stacked BC roster that should have little problem handling the defensive weakness of the Elks.
