The Lions are coming off a lacklustre 5-9-0 campaign in 2021, which also marked the third time they have generated a losing record over the past four seasons. The Elks struggled to generate offence while compiling a 3-11-0 record last season, and open the new season aiming to snap a shaky 1-4-0 run on the road.

Home field advantage is a factor in the Lions’ emergence as 3.5-point home favourites. BC is also pegged as -175 chalk to earn their first straight up win of the season, while the Elks lag as intriguing +145 moneyline underdogs. The total in Saturday’s contest is pegged at a conservative 48.0.

CFL Week 1 Odds and Betting

Saturday night’s matchup at BC Place Stadium marks the first of three regular season meetings between these clubs. These teams split last year’s two-game season series, with both of those contests taking place at BC Place. The Lions romped to a 43-10 victory over Edmonton to close out last year’s regular season schedule, ending a four-game straight up and against the spread losing streak in head-to-head action. With BC averaging just 9.3 points per game in their three dates with Edmonton prior to their season-ending win over the Elks, the UNDER holds a 3-1-0 edge over their past four matchups. The Elks have also been far from a dominant offensive force when facing BC, averaging just 16.7 points per game over their past three dates.

Edmonton Elks

The player to watch in Edmonton’s season debut is Nick Arbuckle. Limited to just seven appearances with Toronto last season, Arbuckle is poised to take over the starting quarterback role for an Elks squad that has nowhere to go but up. Arbuckle held his own in limited action with the Argos, but still has work to do after racking up just five TD passes against six picks. The arrival of Kenny Lawler should give Arbuckle a lift. In addition to winning back-to-back Grey Cups with Winnipeg, Lawler also closed out the 2021 season with a CFL-leading 1014 receiving yards.

BC Lions

With veteran pivot Mike Reilly calling it a career after last season, the Lions offence will now be in the hands of Nathan Rourke. The 24-year-old native of Victoria, BC saw limited action in his rookie campaign in 2021, going 52-for-82 and tossing for three scores against five picks in 13 appearances. Rourke enjoys the benefit of having Bryan Burnham and Lucky Whitehead as targets. The duo racked up a combined 1897 receiving yards and nine scoring catches last season.

CFL Prediction: Who Will Win Elks vs. Lions?