Pick the CFL champion at betED.com
The 2009 Canadian Football League season kicks off July 1 and betED.com has odds to win the Grey Cup championship.
The defending champion Calgary Stampeders are +175 favorites to repeat in CFL Betting Odds.
The Edmonton Eskimos, who lost to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final last season, are not far back at +200, while Montreal is at +375.
Six decades after winning their first Grey Cup, the 2008 Stampeders finally picked up another CFL championship when they defeated the Alouettes 22-14 last November.
Head coach and general manager John Hufnagel, who was offensive coordinator with the NFL’s New York Giants before joining the Stampeders in 2007, will once again rely heavily on 2008 Grey Cup MVP in Henry Burris.
A product of Temple University more than a decade ago, Burris started every game for Calgary in 2008 and set personal highs for pass attempts (591), completions (381), passing yards (5,094) and touchdowns (39).
The Eskimos, who finished 10-8 last season, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the division semifinals before losing to Montreal.
There are some significant changes in Edmonton, as Richie Hall takes over the head coaching reigns for Danny Maciocia, who moved into the role of General Manager and Director of Football Operations.
But it’s status quo at the most important on-field position as quarterback Ricky Ray, who many consider the best overall pivot in the CFL, will again be running the offense.
In 2008, Ray completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts with 26 touchdowns and 17 picks. He also added five scores on the ground in what was a highly successful season
Even though they lost the Grey Cup game, the Alouettes have been the most successful CFL team in recent years; Since 2000, they’ve made six appearances in the Grey Cup game.
Last season, the club finished 11-7 during the regular season, the only Eastern Division team to post a winning record.
Some Grey Cup longshots at betED.com include the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at +1600 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders at +1300.
