CFL Betting: CFL Bets and Parlays for Week 5
This week, I'm honing in on two weekend clashes that will feature the return of game-changing quarterbacks from multi-game absences.
Read on for a look at which Week 5 CFL betting scenarios catch my eye on DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbook.
B.C. Lions at Montreal Alouettes (Saturday, July 5, 7:00 p.m. ET)
Following a two-game absence due to an oblique injury, Nathan Rourke will return for the Lions Saturday, which is one of the reasons I have elevated offensive expectations for this matchup. Meanwhile, while Davis Alexander (hamstring) won't be able to make it back for Montreal, veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson should be appreciably better than in his Week 4 start after another week of practice.
Rourke is a true dual threat under center that is capable of clearing 300 total yards and scoring multiple touchdowns any time he steps on the field. He'll return to a full complement of pass-catching weapons, as Keon Hatcher, who'd dealt with an ankle injury early in the week, is off the injury report and ready to contribute in his usual capacity. Additionally, Stanley Berryhill III, who's missed the last two games due to a thigh injury, will also be back in action.
Bethel-Thompson completed just 58.5 percent of his passes and threw a pair of interceptions while taking two sacks in a loss to the Tiger-Cats in Week 4. However, the grizzled veteran and two-time Grey Cup champion has no shortage of experience or success at the CFL level, including during a 2024 campaign with the Elks where he threw for 3,748 yards and 24 touchdowns across 16 regular-season games (13 starts).
Bethel-Thompson won't have access to Austin Mack (hamstring) for the second straight game, but otherwise, Montreal will have a full cast of skill-position weapons, including shifty running back Travis Theis, who missed Week 4. The two-headed ground attack of Theis and Sean Thomas-Erlington could do plenty of damage against a B.C. defense that went into Week 5 allowing a league-high 140.5 rushing yards per game at 5.4 yards per carry.
Considering the offensive assets on either sideline, I'm going to bank on the Over hitting here in what should be a close game.
CFL Picks for Lions at Alouettes
- Over 49.5 points (-105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Ottawa Redblacks at Edmonton Elks (Sunday, July 6, 7:00 p.m. ET)
Another game where the scoreboard should be kept busy is this Week 5 finale, which features what are arguably the two most vulnerable defenses in the league through the first month of play. This game will also feature the return to action of a talented, versatile quarterback in the Redblacks' Dru Brown, who's missed the last three games because of a hip injury.
The Redblacks and Elks have surrendered 111 and 105 points, respectively, which rank as the second- and third-most points in the CFL heading into Week 5. Brown had gotten his season off to a fantastic start in a Week 1, 31-26 loss to the Roughriders, throwing for 413 yards and two touchdowns. This week, he returns to face an Elks team that's given up a CFL-high 431.3 total yards of net offense per game, including a league-high 329.7 passing yards per contest and nine passing TDs.
On the other side, Edmonton's Tre Ford is averaging 246 passing yards per game and has completed a solid 68.5 percent of his throws, while also adding 91 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Ford has a dynamic mix of explosive weapons that included the running back tandem of Justin Rankin and Javon Leake, as well as receivers Steven Dunbar Jr., Zach Mathis and Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
Ford will be poised for success through the air, considering the Redblacks have surrendered 277 passing yards per contest and a league-high 10 completions of 30+ yards. Ottawa has been better against the run but is still conceding 5.0 yards per carry, and both Rankin and Leake are capable of taking it to the house any time they touch the ball.
The Redblacks' offense in particular should look much different with Brown back at the controls this week, enough to put me on an SGP that combines a solid day for Ford with the Over on a slightly lower total than the conventional one of 52.5.
CFL Picks for Redblacks at Elks
- SGP: Tre Ford 225+ passing yards and Over Alt total 49.5 points (+105 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
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CFL Week 5 Best Bets Recap
- Lions-Alouettes Over 49.5 points (-105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- SGP: Tre Ford 225+ passing yards and Over Alt total 49.5 points (+105 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
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