The Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 1 of CFL action on Friday night. The Bombers were derailed in their quest for a third-straight Grey Cup title last year but they enter the 2023 season as favorites to win it all again.
That journey begins against the Ti-Cats who added Bo Levi Mitchell in the offseason in the hopes of ending the league’s longest championship drought. CFL odds opened with Winnipeg installed as a 5-point chalk with the Over/Under at 47. Here are my best free Tiger-Cats vs. Blue Bombers CFL picks for June 9.
Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers best odds
Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers picks and predictions
All eyes will be on Bo Levi Mitchell as he makes his debut for the Tiger-Cats, but don't forget about reigning two-time MOP winner Zach Collaros.
Collaros threw for 4.183 yards during the 18-game regular season even though he sat out essentially two of those contests after Winnipeg Blue Bombers had clinched the No. 1 seed. In the 16 regular season contests where Collaros was on the field for more than a quarter, he threw for more than 250 yards on nine occasions, with several of the games where he went below that number were hindered by messy weather.
The clear skies on Friday won't affect either QBs ability to air out the ball, and the Bombers likely won't be able to take their foot off the pedal against a much-improved Hamilton squad.
The Ti-Cats had the league's top run defense last season and could be even better in that area after signing away defensive tackle Casey Sayles from Winnipeg, along with middle linebacker Jameer Thurman.
If they can fill the running lanes, the Bombers will be forced to throw the ball more than usual. Thankfully for Collaros, Hamilton has gotten worse in the secondary where it lost All-Stars Ciante Evans, Jumal Rolle, and Cariel Brooks.
Collaros' receiver corps returns intact and while All-Star center Michael Couture departed in free agency, the rest of Winnipeg's dominant line is back as well. Collaros threw for more than 300 yards in both meetings against Hamilton last year and should be able to eclipse the Over 254.5 yards on his passing total in Week 1.
My best bet: Zach Collaros Over 254.5 passing yards (-110 at FanDuel)
Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers same-game parlay
Tiger-Cats +5.5 (-115)
Collaros Over 254.5 passing yards (-110)
Oliveira Under 71.5 rushing yards (-110)
With the exception of their previously mentioned secondary, the Ti-Cats have improved across the board with virtually all their departing starters being replaced by better options.
Mitchell will be more consistent than former QB Dane Evans, with Thurman replacing Jovan Santos-Knox at linebacker, and end Ja'Gared Davis rejoining the team after a year with Toronto. Meanwhile, James Butler and Duke Williams are upgrades over Don Jackson and Steven Dunbar at RB and WR. In addition, Joel Figueroa was also signed to bolster the line, but the left tackle is questionable for Friday due to a knee injury.
All those offseason additions should help Hamilton keep this contest relatively close. With a competitive contest, the Bombers won't be able to lean on their run game which should result in Collaros airing it out
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Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers spread and Over/Under analysis
Winnipeg opened as a 4.5-point favorite for this showdown before that spread ticked up to 5.5. That number makes sense given the Bombers' status as the Grey Cup faves and their recent dominance at IG Field. However, don't count out the Tiger-Cats who are the favorites to win the CFL East Division (+170) and upset Winnipeg 48-31 when the two sides clashed last September.
The Bombers looked like the top team in the league for most of the year before getting upset in the Grey Cup. However, in a league with a ridiculous amount of turnover, they managed to retain almost their entire squad and even regained star wideout Kenny Lawler, who left for the Elks in free agency last year (although he's serving a suspension to start the year).
After losing to Winnipeg in the 2019 and 2021 Grey Cups, Hamilton went 8-10 last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The inability of Evans to hold on to the ball was a big reason for the Ti-Cats' lack of success and they traded for Mitchell in the offseason to fix that problem. Mitchell is a former two-time MOP and Grey Cup winner with Calgary, and while he's been banged up the last few years, he looked excellent in his brief preseason appearance.
The total opened at 47.5 and hasn't seen much movement. While the Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams they combined for 79 points in last September's clash.
The Bombers have been one of the best defensive teams in the league over the last few years and are even tougher to score against at home. Even with Mitchell, Butler, and Williams ramping up their offense, Hamilton could have a tough time moving the ball.
Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers trend to know
In 16 games Collaros was on the field for more than a quarter last year, he threw Over 250 yards on nine occasions. Find more CFL betting trends for Tiger-Cats vs. Blue Bombers.
Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers game info
| Location: | IG Field, Winnipeg, MB |
| Date: | Friday, June 9, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Tiger-Cats vs Blue Bombers key injuries
Tiger-Cats: Joel Figueroa LT (Questionable), Ja'Gared Davis DE (Questionable), Chris Van Zeyl OT (Questionable), Mason Bennett DE (Questionable), Alex Fontana OL (Questionable).
Blue Bombers: Kenny Lawler WR (Out), Winston Rose CB (Questionable), Jamal Parker DB (Questionable), Cam Lawson DT (Questionable), Mike Miller FB (Questionable).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
