Best CFL Betting Sites: Top Sportsbooks & How to Bet

The Canadian Football League is Canada's biggest professional football league and the second biggest in the world. It is beloved across the nation and a big part of the Canadian sporting world.

The CFL is a football league played exclusively in Canada, with nine teams that face off, vying for the chance to compete for the Grey Cup. Naturally, it is incredibly popular in Canada, as it is our nation’s only professional football league, and it features incredible players from around the world. Betting on the CFL is wildly popular, as bettors flock to their favorite betting apps and sites to wager on their favorite teams and players.

This guide will serve as a breakdown of everything you need to know to bet on CFL events. We'll explore how the league works, the markets that are popular, the sportsbooks that offer this league, and more. By the end, you'll have the entire lowdown on CFL betting sites. Are you ready to begin?

While there are many different sports betting sites that offer CFL bets, there can only be a few top options. To help narrow it down for you, we’re providing a look at five operators that we believe to be the best CFL sportsbooks, offering users an excellent platform for gambling on their favorite league.

Betting on CFL events is legal in Canada thanks to the passing of Bill C-218, legalizing single game sports betting. The laws behind sports betting prior to 2021 were somewhat of a grey area. You could only legally place parlay bets through provincially regulated sportsbooks, but many bettors still wagered with offshore betting sites that were regulated outside of the country. The industry as a whole was not technically “legal” as it was not endorsed by the government, but legal action would not be taken against anyone who chose to place sports bets.

Bill C-218 being passed officially opened the floodgates to the sports betting industry in Canada, allowing provinces to hand out their own sports betting licenses. Ontario is the only province to fully take advantage of this, as they now have 33 fully legal betting sites. You can still wager with offshore brands if you are not located in Ontario without the risk of criminal action being pursued against you, as long as the sportsbook that you are using is regulated by another governing body. Every sports betting site that we recommend is legal and safe for you to use.

Our sportsbook rankings are something we take very seriously, evaluating them based on several key factors to ensure we recommend the best options available. Here is a breakdown of our ranking methodology and the most important factors we used to rank the best CFL betting sites.

• User Experience: One of the first things we look at is how a sportsbook looks and functions. If the design is sleek, the colors pleasant, and the layout easy to navigate, this all contributes to bettors enjoying themselves more.
• CFL Promotions: Sports betting bonuses are a big thing bettors look for on a gambling site. Betting offers can provide bettors with extra cash and increased winnings, so we look if a sportsbook has offers that are geared toward CFL bettors.
• CFL Coverage: While the CFL is a popular sport, not every sportsbook has odds available for this great league. So, we check to make sure that not only do they have CFL odds and CFL lines, but they have fun markets and interesting ways to gamble on Canada’s biggest football league.
• Payment Options: Every bettor likes to pay for their bets differently. We think it is important sportsbooks have many different offers for bettors to pay with and that their banking process is smooth and easy.
• Reputation and Security: The most important thing for a sportsbook is that they are safe for bettors to use. This is something we try to ensure by looking at their cybersecurity policies. We also check what their users are saying about them online.

Before you can start betting on the CFL, you will need to sign up for a sportsbook. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of what the registration process will look like.

1. Pick Your Betting Site. Find the betting site that has all the features and sports coverage you are looking for. Consider all your options and select the one that is best for your individual needs.
   
   
2. Go Through the Registration Process. Now, you’ll need to go through the registration process to create an account. You’ll have to create login information, then provide personal details. These include your age, address, and other identifying facts. Some operators require passport or license pictures to verify your identity.
   
   
3. Deposit with the Sportsbook. You’ll then need to fill your account to start betting. You will have to select a deposit method, input your payment information, and put in how much you want to deposit. Don’t deposit more than you can afford to lose!
   
   
4. Start Your Betting. Once your account has money, you can then start your betting journey. With money in your account, you can bet on the CFL.
   
   

Expert Tip by the Editorial Desk: Jake Brannen’s Advice for Choosing a Sportsbook

“Before signing up and depositing money with a new sportsbook, make sure to do your research and ensure that this site is the best option for you. Make sure they have all the top betting features, competitive odds, and solid promotions. Don’t be afraid to sign up for multiple sportsbooks to see what suits you best. Make sure to check the license to ensure the sportsbook is legal and safe. If a sportsbook is asking for strange info or making you feel uncomfortable, don’t use it.” 

One of the things a lot of bettors love most about using sportsbooks is promotions and bonuses. These are offers that can reward bettors for taking specific actions, whether through cash incentives or boosted winnings.

Bonuses are a popular part of CFL betting. Every operator has different promotions; some will offer promos specific to CFL events. Particularly for large events like the playoffs or Grey Cup, you'll find bonus offerings centered around the exciting game. Let’s look at some of the ones that CFL bettors can benefit from the most. 

• Welcome Offer: The Welcome Offer is something sportsbooks give new users as a reward for signing up and depositing with them. Typically, these come in the form of a matched deposit, where bettors will receive matched amounts of betting funds depending on how much they deposit.
• Free Bet: A Free Bet offer is a bonus that gives bettors a risk-free bet. Having one of these on a CFL event allows bettors to wager on a game, with the bettor receiving the winnings if the bet hits but not losing any money if it doesn’t.
• Boosted Odds: Boosted Odds are when a sportsbook takes the odds for a game and tweaks them to be more favorable to bettors. For example, an operator could take the Toronto Argonauts’ odds of winning a game and boost them from -120 to +110.
• Parlay Boosts: Parlay Boosts are when a sportsbook gives bettors additional winnings on parlays, with a scale increasing on percentage points. The more legs your parlay has, the more it will be boosted by this bonus.
• Reload Bonuses: A Reload bonus is when sportsbooks have a certain day when they reward bettors for depositing. This can come in a matched deposit or free bet offer.

Before you start betting on the CFL, there are some things to understand about how the league works. A CFL game is played in four quarters. There is a half-time after the second quarter is completed. The league consists of nine different teams, divided into the East and West divisions. The East Division has four teams, and the West Division has five. Here is a breakdown of the teams.

Each team plays in a 21-week regular season. There are 18 games a year, with three bye weeks. At the end of the regular season, the top three teams from each division make the playoffs. The top team in each division gets a bye to the Division Finals and plays the winner of the game in their division. Finally, the top two teams play each other in the Grey Cup, the final championship game to dictate who will have their piece of CFL history.  

When it comes to the CFL, sports betting apps will let you bet on every game with all kinds of different options including player props and futures. Here is a list of the main events that you can bet on.

• Pre-Season – The preseason begins 28 days prior to the regular season and lasts for two weeks. Each team plays two exhibition games as a warmup for the season.
• Regular Season - Each team plays 18 regular season games with three bye weeks.
• Playoffs – The top three teams in each of the two divisions qualify for the playoffs. Top teams get a bye to the division finals, and the remaining teams square off in the division semifinals. Division finals winners qualify for the Grey Cup.
• Grey Cup - This is Canada’s version of the Super Bowl. Two teams qualify through the playoffs for the final one game matchup of the season, and a chance to become a CFL champion.

Let’s look at some of the most popular markets and betting types that you can find CFL betting odds for with a typical sportsbook. 

• Moneyline: Moneyline betting is when bettors wager on the direct outcome of a game, essentially picking a team to win. For example, if you’ve bet the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the Moneyline, you’ve picked them to win.
• Double Chance: Double Chance betting is when bettors take two of the three possible outcomes in a game. Those three outcomes are Team A wins; Team B wins, or ties. Ties are exceedingly rare in the CFL, but this is still a market offered by some sportsbooks.
• Point Spread: Point Spread betting is when bettors wager on the score differential in a game in favor of one team. For example, if the Montreal Alouettes are playing the B.C Lions, the spread might be -7.5 Alouettes. That means the Alouettes are favored by 7.5 points. Bettors can wager for the spread, meaning the Alouettes win by eight or more points, or against it, meaning they will either lose or win by seven or less.
• Total: The Total is a line that represents the total combined points in a game between both teams. Bettors can bet the over, meaning the teams exceed the line, or the under, meaning they don’t.
• Futures: Futures are long-term bets within the league. For the CFL, bettors can wager on which team will represent the East/West in the Grey Cup, which team will win the Grey Cup, or who will win the Most Outstanding Player.
• Game Props: Game Props are outcomes within a game that don't necessarily dictate the final score. These can be things like which team scores first, who will score more in the third quarter, and how many penalties a team will have.
• Player Props: Player Props are also outcomes within a game, but they are tied to a player's performance. They can be things like which player scores the first touchdown, how many yards Zach Collaros will throw for, and more.
• Live Betting: Live betting is when bettors wager on a game as it is being played. The odds shift and change according to what is happening on the field.
• Parlays: Parlays are when bettors tie several different bets into a single bet. The odds multiply according to how many bets are within them, so the more bets, the higher the payout. But each bet within a parlay has to hit for them to cash.

One of the important components of CFL betting is the odds. CFL odds are different on every website bettors use. What this does is create a situation where bettors can shop for odds. Shopping for odds means bettors compare the different odds on different sportsbooks that they are considering wagering with. 

It is impossible to say which website has the best CFL betting odds because it is dependent on what you are hoping to wager on. Let’s look at an example. 

Say the Calgary Stampeders are facing off against the Edmonton Elk. On Betway, the Stampeders are -120 to win, while the Elk are +110. On PowerPlay, the Stampeders are -140, and the Elk are +130. 

If you wanted to bet on the Stampeders, Betway would be the place to do it, as their odds of -120 are more favorable to you. If you wanted to bet on the Elk, PowerPlay would be better for you, as their odds of +130 are better for you. This is why it is always crucial to compare odds.

Features are the embedded parts of a sportsbook that define what bettors can do on their website. Let’s look at some of the essential features that all great CFL betting sites need to provide.

• Live Betting: Live betting is a feature that every sportsbook absolutely needs to have. It enables users to bet on games while they are being played, meaning the action doesn’t stop when the game kicks off.
• Live Streaming: Live streaming is a less common feature but one many bettors prioritize. Live streaming is when a sportsbook allows users to watch games directly from the website. This is rare, but you can watch CFL games as you bet on them.
• Cash Out: Cash Out is a feature that corresponds with live betting. Bettors can exit bets before they’ve finished. Depending on how the bet was performing, they can cash out at a win, getting more money than they staked, or at a loss, recouping at least a portion of their initial investment.
• Bet Builder: The Bet Builder feature is one that is great for CFL betting. Bettors can make customized, same-game parlays within a single event. That means bettors can pick the Moneyline, total, and player props and parlay them together- all in the same game!
• Cryptocurrency Transactions: Many bettors love cryptocurrency and find that using it for gambling is a blast. Some sportsbooks will enable bettors to deposit their cryptocurrency into a sportsbook and use it to bet.
• Stats Page: The Stats Page is part of a sportsbook where bettors can view different stats and updates that can help them build their betting strategy. This is helpful in getting insight into how players and teams are performing. 

Like with every other sport, when betting on CFL events, you need a comprehensive strategy. The CFL is its own league that stands apart from any other, so developing a strategy specific to the CFL is an important step necessary to succeed when wagering on this sport. Here are some of our best CFL betting tips and strategies.

• Road Underdogs Off a Loss are Profitable Against the Spread: One interesting tidbit of information is that teams that are coming off of losses in the CFL are on the road, and underdogs in the game, have actually been profitable if you collect all the data dating back to 2005. While that goes against conventional wisdom, it is true!
• Examine Matchups: It is always important to examine the matchups when betting on the CFL. Certain teams have passing-based offenses or shutdown defenses. See which teams have the best quarterbacks, how the passing defense or rushing defense fares, and you'll have some important insights into the game.
• Monitor the Weather: All CFL games are played in Canada, and while they are mostly played in warmer months, the weather is a factor. Always check the weather report for a game to be sure there will be no disruptive weather on the forecast.

Every sport, and every betting site, has different rules. The CFL is its own unique league, so every operator will have different rules that govern CFL gambling. Let’s look at some of the most important CFL betting rules to be aware of that represent the industry standard.

• If a game is postponed more than 60 hours, all bets are void
• If a game is postponed or canceled midway through, bets are void unless they have already finished (i.e., the game is canceled in the third quarter, and bettors wagered on the first-quarter points total)
• Overtime counts toward the spread, total, and moneyline
• If a score ends in the same differential as the spread or total, the bet is void and returned
• Season-long bets only factor in stats from the regular season
• For touchdown scorer markets, passing touchdowns don’t count

If you love betting on the CFL, then having a dedicated sports betting app is the way to go. Betting apps allow you to easily sign in and quickly deposit money on your phone so you can place wagers live and on the go. Here is a breakdown of the top CFL betting apps on the market right now.

Below, we’d like to give bettors the answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions about CFL betting.