Montreal’s Grey Cup defence is off to a great start after a pair of wins in the West Division against the Blue Bombers and Elks in Weeks 1 and 2. The RedBlacks have only played one game, but they impressed in a 23-19 win over Winnipeg last week. Which team will keep rolling in Week 3?

The Als opened as 6.5-point favourites to win on the CFL odds, with the total set at 47.5.

CFL Odds and Betting

Montreal won all four meetings between the teams last season, outscoring Ottawa by an average of almost 13 points per game. Those results aren’t surprising considering the Alouettes went on to win the Grey Cup and the RedBlacks finished tied for the worst record in the regular season at 4-14.

For the first time this season, Montreal is favoured on the CFL futures board to win the Grey Cup at +375. They were also +375 last week, but trailed the Bombers, who were +220. Ottawa’s Grey Cup odds have jumped higher than any team in the league. They began the year at +2000 and enter Week 3 at +1200, ahead of the Stamps (+1800), Ti-Cats (+2000) and Elks (+2000).

Ottawa RedBlacks

It was a stormy night in Ottawa last week, but the RedBlacks fought through a one-hour weather delay to hand the four-time defending West champion Blue Bombers their second loss of the season. Dru Brown completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for 238 yards and a touchdown, while backup QB Dustin Crum ran in a score on the ground. Ryquell Armstead impressed with 95 rushing yards and Justin Hardy led all receivers with 111 yards in the air and a touchdown.

One area that needs to be cleaned up for Ottawa is penalties. The RedBlacks were flagged nine times for 105 yards in the win, more than double Winnipeg’s total of 48 yards lost on penalties.

“You’re going to get a pass interference call here and there, we know that, but you gotta stop the illegal procedures, stop the holdings, the offsides where it seems almost like a conscious decision or a lack of discipline,” said Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce after the game.

You can expect Brown to start at quarterback again in Week 3 as Jeremiah Masoli works his way back from a ruptured Achilles he suffered last season. Tyrie Adams is also expected to be activated ahead of Week 3. Adams missed most of last season with a torn ACL, but he has the potential to be a starter for the RedBlacks if Brown gets bit by the injury bug.

Montreal Alouettes

Anyone who thought the Alouettes late season run to the Grey Cup last year was an anomaly (me) has been proven wrong after two impressive wins to start the season. Montreal continued to roll in Week 2, downing the Elks 23-20 in Edmonton. Cody Fajardo completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 269 yards and two TDs and added 27 yards on the ground. Walter Fletcher was all over the field, scoring a rushing and receiving touchdown each. Fletcher led the team with 82 rushing yards and added 61 receiving yards.

The Alouettes escaped Week 2 relatively unscathed, but the team is still dealing with some significant injury issues. Receiver Tyler Snead (ankle), linebacker Tyrell Richards (leg) and Reggie Stubblefield (ACL) were all injured in Week 1 against Winnipeg. Stubblefield is done for the season, while Snead and Richards are on the six-game injured list. All three players were important part of Montreal’s Grey Cup team last season.

CFL Prediction: Who Will Win RedBlacks vs. Alouettes?