The 2024 regular season opens with a Grey Cup rematch on Thursday, June 6 as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the defending champion Montreal Alouettes.

We’re diving into the futures markets ahead of Week 1 and taking a look at five bets you should have on your radar.

Grey Cup

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have made an impressive four straight appearances in the Grey Cup, but they’ve suffered crushing losses in the last two. Winnipeg’s biggest opposition in the West will come from the B.C. Lions. Vernon Adams Jr. is coming off the best season of his career after leading the league in passing yards (4,679) and the addition of running back William Stanback should really boost the Lions’ offence.

Montreal and Toronto are the top contenders in the East, but the Argos won’t have reigning Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly for at least half the season and the Alouettes took a step back on offence with loss of Stanback and Austin Mack.

Winnipeg is returning virtually the same offence as last year, including two-time MOP winner Zach Collaros, and they’re a deeper team than B.C. on both sides of the ball. It looks like the Bombers’ year to get back on top. Click here for a more detailed Grey Cup preview and prediction.

Grey Cup prediction: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+200)

Most Outstanding Player

With Chad Kelly suspended for at least nine games of the season, there will be a new Most Outstanding Player in 2024. Vernon Adams, Zach Collaros and Brady Oliveira are the top three favourites to win on the CFL futures board and I don’t see anyone else who has a realistic chance of winning.

Adams had a monster year in 2023, but I think his numbers will drop this season with the addition of Stanback and the loss of a couple key receivers in the off-season. Oliveira is tempting to take at +850. He was miles ahead of every other running back last season and he’s a dual threat as a receiving option.

Still, seven of the last eight Most Outstanding Player winners have been quarterbacks and that’s the smart pick again in 2024. Winnipeg’s offence looks like it will terrorize the CFL this season, so give me the leader of that offence for MOP. You can check out a more detailed MOP preview and prediction here.

MOP prediction: Zach Collaros (+650)

East Division

Toronto was the king of the East Division last season with a historic 16-2 record before suffering a shocking loss against eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal in the division final. Nick Arbuckle and Cameron Dukes will take over quarterback duties for the Argos until Kelly returns, if he returns at all, and that’s not a recipe for success.

The Als are the defending Grey Cup champs, but they have their work cut out for them. Montreal’s offence took a big step back with the departure of William Stanback and Austin Mack, so they’ll need to rely on on their top tier defensive unit that was bolstered by the additions of Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Dylan Wynn, and Derek Wiggan.

Injuries disrupted Hamilton’s season last year and health will be the biggest determining factor to their results in 2024. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is a two-time Most Outstanding Player winner, but his passing numbers have declined every year since 2019. The Ti-Cats still have offensive weapons in receiver Tim White and running back James Butler and they have an elite defence that kept them afloat last year.

I’m not even going to talk about the Ottawa RedBlacks. They’ll be terrible again in 2024, that’s all you need to know.

East Division prediction: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+225)

West Division

With all due respect to the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, the West Division will come down to the B.C. Lions or the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I’ve said my piece on both teams in my Grey Cup prediction so I have to take the Bombers here, but I will add that hedging your bet by taking the Lions at +300 to win the West is pretty good value.

West Division prediction: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-130)

Montreal Alouettes Under 10.5 wins

The defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes were big underdogs throughout the playoffs last year after going 11-7 in the regular season, but they came out on top and rewarded loyal bettors handsomely. The Als were 8.5-point underdogs in the 110th Grey Cup and you could have got them at +800 to win the East Division before the start of last season.

Defence was key for Montreal last year and they’re bringing back mostly the same unit in 2024. They were, however, also able to make a major improvement to their defensive line by adding Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Dylan Wynn, and Derek Wiggan.

There were two big losses for the Alouettes on offence. Top receiver Austin Mack is now in the NFL and All-Star running back William Stanback signed with the B.C. Lions. Cody Fajardo is returning, but he doesn’t have a great arm and he’s not a quarterback who will steal a win. If you’re betting on Montreal games, keep in mind they likely will be low scoring.

Montreal Alouettes prediction: Under 10.5 wins (-115)