5 Quick Tips to Bet on the CFL
The Canadian Football League, or the CFL, is one of the most exciting professional football leagues in the world. While much of the game rivals that of the National Football League and other leagues in the United States, there are some slight differences to the Canadian game that make it special.
There's tons of betting opportunities in the CFL today, especially if you live in Canada. Whether you're new to betting on football in general, new to the CFL or an experienced pro, there are plenty of tips you can follow to make your betting a bigger success. You can find out more on our article on CFL betting tips and strategies.
Below, we have provided a CFL betting guide so you can learn how to bet on the CFL and win more often. We've also created a comprehensive guide on how to bet on football for the different football events all throughout North America.
Fade Favorites Early
From season to season, there can be a lot of turnover on CFL teams. As players change teams, go to a different league or leave the sport altogether, new players must step in to fill the gaps.
All of this turnover creates a learning curve at the beginning of each season, as the new players all must gel together and get the kinks ironed out. One betting tip you can take out of all this turnover is to fade the favorites early in the season.
The significant turnover evens the playing field a bit, creating some close games early in the season -- even between two teams with a big difference in talent. You can take advantage of this by backing the underdogs, who have a better chance to keep it close, or pull out an upset, early in the season.
Fade Overs Early
Similarly, the player turnover creates more low-scoring games early in the season. The reason for this is that it takes longer for offensive personnel to get on the same page than it does defensive personnel, most of the time. Offensive plays can sometimes be more complicated than defensive ones, and timing could be off between new players -- a crucial aspect to success on offense.
So, right out of the gate in a new CFL season, you could be able to gain a betting advantage by fading overs and instead going for unders. While you won't win in every case, of course, you'd be right more often than not if you blindly bet all unders.
This isn't something you should do, but you should factor that into your analysis when you're contemplating a point totals bet on the CFL.
Special Teams Are Very Important
Special teams are obviously important in any level of football, but it's especially important in the CFL. A lot of this is due to the structure of the league, how games are played and some of the rules that differ from those in the NFL.
For example, in 2021, each NFL team averaged 2.02 kick returns and 1.62 punt returns each game. In the CFL's 2021 season, each team averaged 3.91 kick returns and 4.95 punt returns per game.
Special team can be more important in the CFL than they are in the NFL for the simple fact that they are asked to be on the field much more in the CFL than they are in the NFL. More chances to return kicks and punts means more chances to return a kick for a touchdown or to pin offenses deep in their own zone.
In addition, the CFL doesn't have the same fair catch rule that the NFL does. While kicking teams have to give returners a cushion of five yards when they are waiting to receive a kick, they are forced to actually try to attempt to return the punt. This could lead to more fumbles, which could then lead to more great chances for offenses.
In the NFL, punt returners can call for a fair catch and simply end the play the moment that they successfully secure the punt in their hands.
Check the Weather
The weather can play a huge role in any outdoor sport, but again, this is especially true in the CFL. Adverse weather conditions are often felt much more in Canada than they are in much of the United States, especially later in the CFL season.
Many Canadian host cities for CFL teams can experience bad weather such as rain, snow, heavy winds and frigid cold on an almost weekly basis. All of these different weather conditions can cause different things to happen on the football field.
Wind is the most problematic weather condition for throwing the football, as it often forces offenses to run the ball much more than throw it. Before you place any bet on the CFL, make sure to check the weather to see how the game might play out based on the conditions.
Always Get a Good Number
A key factor to successful betting on the CFL is getting the best number and odds you possibly can. A half-point one way or the other can make a huge difference in the outcome of your bet -- turning a win into a loss very quickly. Likwise, if you don't jump on the best odds possible, you could be leaving money on the table or losing more money than you have to.
That's why it's vitally important that you search around for the best numbers when you bet on the CFL. Start by learning the teams well and the different numbers and odds that are likely to be placed on them during the season.
Then, check the lines when they are first made available early in the week. If those opening lines look too good to be true, you might want to jump on them immediately before they are bet down in the other direction.
Throughout the week, track where the betting action is going by seeing how the lines and odds are changing. For each bet you want to make, have a target line or odds in mind. If the posted line/odds match up, go ahead and place your bet. If not, hold off unless they move that way.
Always getting the best number you can is crucial to long-term success when betting on the CFL.