The Edmonton Elks travel to Vancouver to face the BC Lions in Week 2 of CFL action on Saturday night. The Leos are coming off an impressive victory against the Stampeders, while the Elks are looking for their first win of the year.
Oddsmakers don't expect them to get it, as CFL betting lines opened with Edmonton as a six-point underdog before growing to +7. Here are my best free Elks vs Lions CFL picks and predictions for June 17.
Elks vs Lions best odds
Elks vs Lions picks and predictions
The Lions looked terrific on both sides of the ball in last week's victory against the Stampeders. That said, I think this spread might be a bit too wide, especially now that it has hit the key number of 7.
The Elks lost to the Roughriders on Sunday, but it was a back-and-forth battle that they could have won if they didn't get stuffed three times at the goal line late in the fourth quarter.
Edmonton should be much improved this season now that head coach Chris Jones has his own guys in place and won't be swapping players in and out of the lineup every game. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius had a rough opening week, but he made strides over the course of last season, and he's a guy that can pick up yards with his feet or attack downfield.
The Elks have also surrounded him with weapons including new wideout Geno Lewis, who was named the East Division MOP last year. He hauled in five catches for 148 yards in Week 1.
Edmonton's defense played well against the pass last week, limiting Trevor Harris to 179 yards on 33 pass attempts. The Elks have a much tougher task in front of them this week with Vernon Adams Jr. airing it out to a dynamic group of receivers, but this is a stop-unit that shouldn't be anywhere near as leaky as it was last year. Adding established CFL veterans like A.C. Leonard and Louchiez Purefoy was an instant upgrade, but continuity and healthy players will be the biggest factors in a defensive turnaround.
The Leos will likely take this game, but the Elks won't be the pushovers they were last year and should be competitive enough to cover this spread.
My best bet: Elks +7.5 (-115 at FanDuel)
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Elks vs Lions spread and Over/Under analysis
The Lions went to McMahon Stadium as 2.5-point underdogs in the CFL season opener last Thursday and dominated in a 25-15 victory. Although 10 points isn't a big scoring gap, the Leos had a 423-257 edge in total yards while having an advantage of more than seven minutes in time of possession.
The Leos fell to the Blue Bombers in the West Final last year but lost superstar quarterback Nathan Rourke, left tackle Joel Figueroa, and 1,000-yard rusher James Butler in the offseason. Their offense might not regress that much if Adams and new running back Taquan Mizzell can be as productive as they were in Week 1.
They are now 7-point chalk against an Elks team that lost 19-13 to the Riders as 2.5-point faves in Week 1. Edmonton was the worst team in the CFL last year, going 4-14 straight up with an average scoring margin of minus-13.6 points per game. That said, they played better toward the end of the season, and are expected to take another step this year thanks to an influx of talent.
The total opened at 45.5. It has ticked up as high as 46.5 at some books, but is still available at that opening number at others.
Elks vs Lions trend to know
The Elks are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games on the road. Find more CFL betting trends for Elks vs. Lions.
Elks vs Lions game info
| Location: | BC Place, Vancouver, BC |
| Date: | Saturday, June 17, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Elks vs Lions key injuries
Elks: Enock Makonzo SAM (Probable), Loucheiz Purifoy DB (Probable), J-Min Pelley DT (Questionable), Aaron Grymes DB (Out).
Lions: Lucky Whitehead WR (Questionable), Ben Hladik LB (Questionable), Phil Norman G (Questionable), Keon Hatcher WR (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
