Ottawa had a Week 1 bye, so this will be the first regular season action for the RedBlacks. Winnipeg faced Montreal last week in a Grey Cup rematch, but the Bombers looked sloppy in a 27-12 loss. Can Ottawa start their season off on a winning note, or will Winnipeg find the form that helped them reach four straight Grey Cup games?

The Blue Bombers opened as 6.5-point favourites to win on the CFL odds, with the total set at 46.5.

CFL Odds and Betting

These teams only met once last year, with the RedBlacks coming out on top in a 31-28 home overtime victory in Week 6. The victory snapped Ottawa’s five-game losing skid against the Bombers and was one of just four wins they had all season.

These teams have been on opposite trajectories in recent years, with Winnipeg reaching the Grey Cup game in each of the last four seasons, while the RedBlacks have finished last in the East Division every year since 2019.

The CFL futures board continues to list the Blue Bombers as +220 favourites to win the Grey Cup. Ottawa is tied with Edmonton for the longest Grey Cup odds at +2000.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

It wasn’t the start to the season Winnipeg wanted in Week 1 at home. The Blue Bombers struggled on both sides of the ball while looking uncharacteristically sloppy. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 20 of 33 pass attempts, finishing with 209 yards in the air while throwing no touchdowns and one interception. Reigning Most Outstanding Canadian Brady Oliveira finished with 38 rushing yards. Dalton Schoen had a team-high 62 receiving yards.

The injury bug has already taken a bite out of Winnipeg as receiver Kenny Lawler is headed to the six-game injured list after suffering a fractured arm against Montreal. The 29-year-old had three catches for 26 yards against the Als. It’s a big loss for the Blue Bombers as Lawler was a key contributor on offence last season, finishing the year with 901 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Ottawa RedBlacks

Ottawa was terrible last season, finishing dead last in the CFL with a 4-14 record, including 0-10 in divisional games. There’s hope for optimism in 2024, however, as the RedBlacks bolstered their roster in the off-season with the additions of quarterback Dru Brown, All-Star receiver Dominique Rhymes and Adarius Pickett, who was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the East Division last season.

It looks like Brown has the starting job at QB to start the year, but he’ll likely be on a short leash with Jeremiah Masoli and Dustin Crum waiting in the wings. Brown didn’t see much action last season backing up Collaros in Winnipeg, but he was sharp when he took the field. He completed 69.7 per cent of his passes for 983 yards last season and he set a new CFL record for most passing touchdowns (nine) without throwing an interception.

CFL Prediction: Who Will Win Blue Bombers vs. RedBlacks?