CFL Betting Picks

The Canadian Football League returns in June for another summer of three-down football, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders attempting to defend the Grey Cup and eight challengers looking to take their crown.

The regular season begins on Thursday, June 4, when the Montreal Alouettes visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a rematch of the 2025 Eastern Final.

Winnipeg travels to Calgary the following evening before Edmonton visits Ottawa on Saturday, June 6. Defending champion Saskatchewan has an opening-week bye and begins its title defence at home against the BC Lions on June 13.

The schedule contains several interesting innovations.

BC will take regular-season football to Kelowna, hosting Calgary on June 27 and Edmonton on July 4 at the expanded Save-On-Foods Field at the Apple Bowl.

Toronto also faces an unusual start to the campaign because of the FIFA World Cup. With BMO Field required for the tournament, three Argonauts "home" games will be played in opponents' stadiums during June and July.

The regular season concludes on October 24, with the Division Semi-Finals following on October 31 and the Division Finals on November 7.

Everything ultimately leads to Calgary on November 15, when the 113th Grey Cup is contested at McMahon Stadium.

Saskatchewan begins 2026 as defending champion after defeating Montreal 25-17 in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.

The victory delivered the Roughriders their fifth Grey Cup championship and their first since 2013, and completed a superb campaign for Saskatchewan and ensured the Riders enter the new season with a target firmly attached to them.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS owned the first selection in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft and used it to strengthen their offensive line.

Ottawa selected Giordano Vaccaro first overall, adding a Winnipeg-born lineman who finished his college career at Purdue after previously starring for the University of Manitoba. Vaccaro was a two-time U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian and won the 2024 J.P. Metras Trophy as Canada's outstanding university lineman before moving to the NCAA.

Toronto followed by selecting Queen's offensive lineman Niklas Henning second overall, while Edmonton used the third pick on Rutgers linebacker Dariel Djabome.

Winnipeg selected Wake Forest defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth fourth, and Hamilton completed the top five by choosing Louisiana Tech offensive lineman Jonathan Denis.

The first round demonstrated the importance CFL teams continue to place on Canadian talent in the trenches. Three of the opening five selections were offensive linemen, while Winnipeg added a defensive lineman with the fourth pick.

Ottawa will hope Vaccaro can become a long-term fixture as the REDBLACKS attempt to build their way back towards contention.

Several dates immediately stand out on the schedule: