Week 6 in the CFL kicks off on Thursday with a battle between struggling squads as the Montreal Alouettes host the Edmonton Elks. Montreal recently dismissed its head coach after a 1-3 start while Edmonton is 1-4.
Oddsmakers expect the Als to pick up their second win of the year, with CFL betting lines opening with them as 8-point favorites. Here are our best free Elks vs Alouettes picks and predictions for July 14.
Elks vs Alouettes odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line opened with the Als at -8 and the Over/Under at 48. As of Thursday afternoon, both numbers have shifted with the Als now at -9 at most books with the total ticking up to 49.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until kickoff and be sure to check out the full CFL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Elks vs Alouettes Week 6 predictions
Predictions made on 7/14/2022 at 9 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
Elks vs Alouettes game info
• Location: Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal, QC
• Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022
• Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN
Elks at Alouettes betting preview
Weather
Key injuries
Elks: Chris Ackie LB (Out), Adarius Pickett DB (Questionable), Avery Ellis DE (Questionable), William Stanback RB (Out), Sean Jamieson C (Out), Greg Reid DB (Out).
Alouettes: Tre Ford QB (Out), Duron Carter DB (Questionable), Tony Washington OL (Questionable), Christian Rector DT (Out), Nyles Morgan LB (Questionable), Nafees Lyon DB (Out), Jake Ceresna DT (Out), Aaron Grymes DB (Out), James Wilder Jr. RB (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Elks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven trips to Montreal. Find more CFL betting trends for Elks vs. Alouettes.
Elks vs Alouettes picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Elks are fresh off a 49-6 beatdown at the hands of the Stampeders last Thursday, which dropped their record to 1-4. It's been a tough rebuilding season for Edmonton, who lost rookie starting QB Tre Ford to a shoulder injury in the first quarter and then proceeded to get blown out in a wet and windy evening at Commonwealth Stadium.
For their first three games of the year, the Elks started Nick Arbuckle at QB but the turnover-prone passer was benched in Week 4 and subsequently traded away on Monday.
With Ford sidelined, Edmonton will start Taylor Cornelius, who completed 57.9% of his passes for 1,795 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions as a CFL rookie in 2021. A former star at Oklahoma State, Cornelius made strides towards the end of last season, which included a pair of strong performances against the Roughriders in back-to-back weeks.
The Alouettes are coming off their bye week and made some major shakeups after a 1-3 start to the year. Head coach Khari Jones and defensive coordinator Barron Miles were fired with general manager Danny Maciocia stepping in as interim head coach and Noel Thorpe taking over the defense.
Trevor Harris will start at QB with Vernon Adams Jr. backing him up but both veterans have been inconsistent and the offense has really missed All-Star running back William Stanback and center Sean Jamieson.
The Als are more talented than the Elks and have been more competitive, especially on defense, but it's tough to trust them as almost double-digit favorites here.
Montreal is a franchise in turmoil and before their setback last week, Edmonton had shown improvement week-to-week. I'll take the dogs with points.
Prediction: Elks +9.5 (-110 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
Both of these teams have struggled on defense, especially the Elks who are surrendering 421.8 yards and 37.8 points per game. That said, there's reason to think that the offenses will have a tougher time in this contest.
Coaching changes midseason are always tough and while defensive systems are usually fairly straightforward and easy to adjust to, the same isn't true for the other side of the ball. With a new play-caller calling the shots and perhaps some new schemes and alignments there could be a bit of a learning curve for this Montreal offense.
We also don't have that much faith in Cornelius who showed improvements over the course of last season but still struggled with decision-making and inaccuracy.
There's a reason that the 26-year-old entered this season buried on the Elks depth chart with a rookie ahead of him. I'm going against the line movement and taking the Under here.
Prediction: Under 49 (-105 at BetRegal)
Best bet
The Alouettes look to be getting far too much respect in this spot. The Stampeders opened at just -3.5 (albeit on the road) against the Elks last week and are a better team than the Als who will now have new play-callers on both sides of the ball.
The Elks played the Stampeders very tough on the road in Week 3 and edged the Ti-Cats in Hamilton in Week 4. Look for them to keep things within eight points against an Als team that is just 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home.
Pick: Elks +9.5 (-110 bet365)
Did you know that if you parlayed this week’s CFL Elks vs. Alouettes picks, you could win $27.27 on a $10 bet?
Use our CFL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
