Week 2 in the CFL kicks off Thursday in the nation's capital with a clash between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Ottawa Redblacks.
Winnipeg lost its season opener last week, but my Blue Bombers vs. Redblacks predictions expect them to bounce back with a win against an Ottawa side once again expected to struggle. Here are my best CFL picks for this June 13 affair.
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks prediction
My best bet
Blue Bombers -6.5 (-110 at Betway)
My analysis
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are coming off a rare home defeat, losing 27-12 to the Alouettes as 7.5-point faves in Week 1.
The Bombers were sloppy in that contest, missing tackles, taking poor penalties, and failing to execute on offense. That may have been partially due to rust since they chose to rest many of their starters in the preseason, but they'll be highly motivated in a revenge spot here.
There's a reason Winnipeg entered this season as the Grey Cup favorite, while most expect the Ottawa Redblacks to be one of the worst teams in the CFL. The Redblacks went just 4-14 SU and 6-12 ATS last year, which was their fourth straight last-place finish in the East.
Ottawa has a new quarterback in Dru Brown, who played well as Zach Collaros' backup the last two years in Winnipeg. However, things won't come as easy now since he's surrounded by subpar weapons and protected by an awful offensive line.
On the other side of the ball, Ottawa has one of the worst secondaries in the league, which is bad news against a Bombers aerial attack led by two-time MOP Zach Collaros. Winnipeg lost wideout Kenny Lawler and reigning CFL leading rusher Brady Oliveira to injuries in Week 1 but Collaros still has weapons like All-Star receivers Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski.
Considering the Bombers were favored by 7.5 points against the defending champs last week, it's a bit wild to see them available under that key number of 7.0 against a far worse team here. Granted, not playing at home is factored into that, but it's still too much of a swing given they're better than Ottawa in every facet. Take the Bombers at a buy-low price.
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks same-game parlay (SGP)
Blue Bombers -6.5
Dru Brown Under 260.5 passing yards
Johnny Augustine Over 58.5 rushing yards
Brown comes into Ottawa with high expectations, but this is a much tougher spot to be in than Winnipeg where he was surrounded by talent. After three years with the Bombers, Winnipeg's coaching staff will have insight into Brown's strengths and weaknesses and will be able to effectively gameplan against him.
The Bombers love to run the ball, especially when they have a lead, and with Oliveira sidelined by a knee injury, that should mean plenty of work for Augustine. Augustine has been a reliable backup RB in Winnipeg since 2018, rushing for 1,150 yards on just 197 carries for 5.8 yards per attempt.
Augustine has made just one career CFL start, back in 2021 when he steamrolled the Stampeders for 148 yards. While he hasn't started since, he took the majority of snaps in last year's regular season finale and rushed for 87 yards on 15 carries.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks odds
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks live odds
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks opening odds
- Spread: Winnipeg -7.5 (-110) | Ottawa +7.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Winnipeg -355 | Ottawa +280
- Over/Under: Over 46.5 (-110) | Under 46.5 (-110)
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks spread and Over/Under analysis
- The lookahead line for this game had the Bombers at -8.5, but after their Week 1 loss, it dropped to -7.5 and is as low as -6.5 as of Tuesday.
- The Bombers have made the last four Grey Cups and went 13-5 SU and 11-7 ATS in the regular season last year.
- The Redblacks went 4-14 SU and 6-12 ATS last year, marking the fourth consecutive season they've finished with four or fewer wins.
- The Bombers are 8-2 SU and ATS in the last 10 meetings between these teams, although they lost in overtime as 10-point favorites in Ottawa last year.
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks trend
The Redblacks haven't benefited from the home-field advantage in recent years, going 9-25 ATS at TD Place since the 2019 season. Find more CFL betting trends for Blue Bombers vs. Redblacks.
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks game info
| Location: | TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, ON |
| Date: | Thursday, 6-13-2024 |
| Kick-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks key injuries
Blue Bombers: Brady Oliveira RB (Out), Kenny Lawler WR (Out), Cam Lawson DT (Out).
Redblacks: Brandin Dandridge DB (Out), Justin Howell DB (Out), Kene Onyeka DE (Out), Devonte Williams RB (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Blue Bombers vs Redblacks weather
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