The 2022 CFL season kicks off on Thursday night at McMahon Stadium with the Calgary Stampeders hosting the Montreal Alouettes. Both teams will be looking for better results this season after early postseason exits in their respective division semifinals last year.
CFL betting odds for this matchup opened with the Stamps installed as 3.5-point home favourites, and while that line has stayed steady, the total has ticked up from 43.5 to 47.5.
Here are our best free Alouettes vs. Stampeders picks and predictions for Week 1 of the CFL on Thursday, June 9, with kickoff at 9 p.m. ET.
Alouettes vs Stampeders odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until kickoff and be sure to check out the full CFL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Alouettes vs Stampeders predictions
Predictions made on 6/08/2022 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
Alouettes vs Stampeders game info
• Location: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, AB
• Date: Thursday, Jun 9, 2022
• Kick-off: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN
Alouettes at Stampeders betting preview
Weather
Key injuries
Alouettes: Najee Murray DB (Out).
Stampeders: Elie Bouka DB (Out), Branden Dozier DB (Doubtful), Charlie Power FB (Doubtful), Jalen Philpot WR (Doubtful).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Stampeders are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games while the Alouettes are 18-7 ATS in their previous 25 contests on the road. Find more CFL betting trends for Alouettes vs. Stampeders.
Alouettes vs Stampeders picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favourite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
How good both of these teams will be this season rests on how good the starting quarterbacks will be. Sure, you could say that about virtually every football team in existence ever, but in this particular case, both passers look nearly as capable of winning MOP as they are of getting benched.
Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell is a two-time MOP winner but is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2021 season, where he was recovering from shoulder surgery and also missed a month with a fractured fibula.
He still looked effective at times but finished with just 10 passing touchdowns and 15 interceptions during the regular season and playoffs. While he should be healthy and ready to cook this season, he was awful in his lone preseason appearance, completing three of 10 passes for 37 yards and a pair of picks.
Montreal signal caller Vernon Adams Jr. is in a similar spot. He was one of the best QBs in the league in 2019 but struggled with his accuracy last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 10. He was also rusty in the preseason, throwing three interceptions versus the Redblacks last weekend.
Regardless, both quarterbacks have the luxury of leaning on terrific ground games. Calgary has running back Ka'Deem Carey, who rushed for 869 yards on 5.3 yards per rush attempt last season. The Als are even better at running the ball, thanks to 233-pound William Stanback, who rumbled for 1,176 yards and 6.1 yards per attempt last year despite missing two games.
On defense, the Stamps didn't make many flashy offseason moves but they should be solid across the board. One problem on Thursday will be the absence of Eli Bouka and Branden Dozier in the secondary, especially with the Als boasting wideouts like Eugene Lewis Jr., who can stretch the field.
Montreal also has question marks in its secondary after losing multiple starters from last year. However, an improved defensive line should be able to push the interior of the pocket against Mitchell and force him into some bad throws.
The Als finished last season with the most yards per game in the league and they have the potential to be the most explosive offense in the league again, especially when you factor in dangerous returner Mario Alford. We'll take them with the points against a Stamps franchise that doesn't have the aura of invincibility that it did for most of the last decade.
Prediction: Alouettes +3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
If you read our How to bet on the CFL page, you'd know that Unders typically hit at a high rate during the first few weeks of the CFL season. However, this year might be a bit different, since rule changes will give teams better field position, and increased severity in no-yards penalties will help return games.
The Als had one of the most explosive offenses in the league last season but were vulnerable on defense and that should be a similar theme this year.
Although we are a bit wary of both of these quarterbacks, we know the running games will churn out yards and the holes in each team's secondary should make Adams and Mitchell's jobs easier.
We'll ever-so-slightly lean towards the Over but will mostly steer clear of betting totals until we have a better idea of how these rule changes will affect scoring.
Prediction: Over 47.5 (-110 at bet365)
Best bet
Adams may have looked awful last Friday but it's important not to overreact to a preseason game. He's still a proven passer and when he's clicking, the Als can hang points on anyone.
Montreal also has a track record of playing well on the road over the last few seasons, going 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games as a road dog. Meanwhile, the Stamps have been a tad overrated at home, covering the spread just seven times in their previous 27 contests as faves at McMahon Stadium.
Pick: Alouettes +3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Did you know that if you parlayed this week’s CFL Alouettes vs. Stampeders picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our CFL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
