Week 5 of the CFL season is here and it brings some fun matchups with plenty of parlay options.
The pregame narrative: The BC Lions have been great on both sides of the ball and I like them against the 0-4 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Elsewhere, I like the under this week in both Winnipeg and Montreal for a +403 ticket.
Check out our CFL Week 5 parlay picks below.
CFL Week 5 parlay picks
Go to full CFL betting markets.
Parlay: Lions moneyline + Alouettes/Stampeders under 50.5 points + Redblacks/Blue Bombers under 46.5 points (+403)
Lions moneyline (-265): The Lions are on a three-game winning streak and I like them to make it four against the Tiger-Cats.
These teams are on opposite trajectories while having similar numbers. BC is on a three-game heater, averaging the most offensive yards per game (408.3) and allowing the second fewest yards per game (343.0).
Their quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr., has been one of the CFL's best to start the year. The 31-year-old has thrown for 1,369 yards (first in the CFL) and seven touchdowns (second) while posting a 115.8 efficiency rating (third).
Hamilton has been right with BC statistically, but there's a stark difference in the win column. The winless Tiger-Cats are right behind the Lions in both average offensive yards per game (390.5) and yards allowed per game (353.5), placing second and third in the CFL, respectively.
Bo Levi Mitchell has been stride-for-stride with Adams Jr. as well, throwing for 1,297 yards (second) and eight touchdowns (first).
The numbers may be similar but I'll back BC — the team whose numbers have contributed to winning games.
Other parlay picks
Alouettes/Stampeders under 50.5 (-110): It's easy to argue in favour of the under when the league's most dominant defence is involved.
I don't think people realize just how good the Montreal Alouettes defence truly is. No one has been able to crack Montreal's defence throughout a 12-game win streak dating back to Week 16 of last year.
The Als have held the opposition to an average of 16.3 points during that span, and they haven't allowed more than 24 points since the Toronto Argonauts did in Week 14 of 2023.
The Stampeders have found success defensively in 2024 in their own right. Calgary is allowing the second-fewest points per game (23) while also allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game (271.3).
I'll back the under with both Calgary and Montreal having only gone over this total once in 2024.
Redblacks/Blue Bombers under 46.5 (-110): I like the under in Winnipeg but for completely different reasons than in Montreal.
While I'm backing the under with some tough defence in Montreal, I like taking the under with the CFL's two worst offences going up against each other in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes.
On a per-game basis, Winnipeg is averaging the fewest points (18.5), net yards (307.3) and passing yards (241.5). Yikes.
Also, the highest-paid player in the CFL, Zach Collaros, is the only starting quarterback who hasn't thrown a touchdown pass. Bigger yikes.
Ottawa's offence hasn't been much better, led by first-year starter Dru Brown. The Redblacks are averaging 22.7 points (eighth) and 328 yards (eighth).
Brown, the former understudy to Collaros, has been outperforming his former teammate but that isn't saying much. He's only thrown for 795 yards (eighth) and three touchdowns (eighth), and he has the lowest completion percentage among any starter (60.7%).
These teams played each other back in Week 2 and only combined for 42 points. They've gone over the 46.5-point total just once each this season.
CFL picks made at 1:30 a.m. on 07/02/2024.
