The Argos hold a two-point lead over second-place Montreal in the East Division after tallying a decisive 31-21 decision in Saskatchewan last week. Conversely, the RedBlacks continue to look for answers after dropping to 0-6-0 with last week’s 40-33 home loss to the Alouettes.

Buoyed by the support of 70 per cent of sports bettors, the Argonauts have improved to 5.5-point favourites to win on the CFL odds. The Redblacks have dipped to +179 road underdogs. The total has held steady since opening at 47.5. However, the OVER has attracted 79 per cent of the betting action.

CFL Odds and Betting

Sunday afternoon’s matchup at BMO Field marks the first of three regular season meetings between these East Division rivals. The Argonauts have dominated in head-to-head action, earning the win in eight of their past nine dates with Ottawa, including five straight victories on home turf. While Toronto managed to eke out a 23-20 win when these teams last met in 2021, the Argos have otherwise outclassed the RedBlacks.

The Argos have claimed victory by double-digit margins in four of their past six tilts. They have also covered the spread in each of their past four home dates with Ottawa, capped by a 35-16 rout as 9.5-point chalk last October. But while Toronto has averaged over 34 points per game while winning the past five versus the RedBlacks, the OVER has gone just 3-2-0 over that stretch.

Ottawa RedBlacks

The RedBlacks have nowhere to go but up after last week’s loss at the hands of the Als. Leading 26-25 entering the fourth quarter, Ottawa allowed the Alouettes to take control with a pair of quick scores to put the affair out of reach. The RedBlacks have lost 17 of their last 19 games overall and they sport a dismal 2-14 straight up record over their past 16 road dates.

While the loss of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to injury has hurt, Caleb Evans was steady in last week’s defeat. Evans went 25-for-40 passing for 297 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a pair of scores. However, duplicating that ground effort could be tough against Toronto, which has surrendered just 84 rushing yards per game and only two scoring runs this season.

Toronto Argonauts

After struggling to generate offence through their first three outings of the season, the Argos found their groove over the past two weeks, averaging 30.5 points while taking both halves of a home-and-home series with Saskatchewan. With those wins, the Boatmen snapped a two-game slide during which they tallied just 25 total points.

However, the team’s tendency to make things tough on themselves continued last week, spotting the Riders a 21-14 lead before rallying to score 17 points in the final quarter to seal the win. McLeod Bethel-Thompson turned in his best performance so far this season, tossing for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Kurleigh Gittens Jr. turned in a breakthrough performance, racking up a career-high 152 receiving yards, along with his first scoring catch of the season. That production filled the void left by new addition Brandon Banks, who struggled two weeks ago versus the Riders, and was limited to just a single punt return in last weekend’s victory.

CFL Prediction: Who Will Win RedBlacks vs. Argonauts?