With Jeremiah Masoli returning from an ACL injury, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the preseason betting favorites to win the 2020 CFL Grey Cup title.

CFL odds are back on the board, with the most popular futures bets coming on CFL championship odds. The Grey Cup betting favorite shouldn't come as a surprise (hint: it's not the defending Grey Cup champions). While the 2020 CFL season was supposed to kick off in June, the COVID-19 pandemic has created delays.

Much about the CFL's attempted 2020 restart has been shrouded in mystery. Frustrated players have recently taken to Twitter, calling the league out for a lack of progress and information.

Until we get a definitive decision, we can only look at the Grey Cup futures odds, where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, coming off of their first Grey Cup win in 29 years, are tied as the second-best favorites to win the title again.

We turn our attention North, looking ahead to the 2020 CFL season bringing you the Grey Cup favorites (as of June 30).

Who is the favorite to win the 2020 Grey Cup?

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won a league-high 15 games and advanced to the Grey Cup Final last season, mostly doing so without star Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who had suffered a torn ACL. With the potential for a shortened season, more emphasis will be placed on having star players that can single-handedly impact a game. Masoli fits the bill as he was the East Division's Most Outstanding Player in 2018. An already-talented Hamilton roster getting back one of the CFL's premier quarterbacks means they have the best odds to win the Grey Cup at +400.

It’s difficult enough to defend a title – no CFL team was won back-to-back Grey Cups since the Montreal Alouettes did it back in 2008 and '09 – and the Blue Bombers will have to do so without super-utility quarterback Chris Streveler, who was signed by the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals to backup Kyler Murray. The dual-threat QB, while not the starter, threw for 14 touchdowns and rushed for another 12 in the Bombers’ championship campaign. Losing such a key offensive weapon hurts, but Winnipeg is still considered a threat to repeat at +600.

The Blue Bombers share the second spot on the odds board with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who won the West Division regular-season title last year after going 13-5 behind one of the league’s best defenses. They fell to Winnipeg in the West Division finals, but with that defense, plus All-Star QB Cody Fajardo, who led the league in passing last year, they should be a threat once again.

The Calgary Stampeders are perennial contenders and land fourth on the odds board at +650. The Stamps have made the trip to the Grey Cup in four of the past six seasons, and are hoping a healthy season from QB Bo Levi-Mitchell will return them to the title game.

In a league this small, with plenty of player movement, odds can drastically change from week-to-week, so be sure to check back for the latest CFL odds updates.

CFL 2020 Grey Cup Odds

TEAM Odds to win the Grey Cup Hamilton Tiger-Cats +400 Saskatchewan Roughriders +600 Winnipeg Blue Bombers +600 Calgary Stampeders +650 B.C. Lions +750 Edmonton Eskimos +800 Toronto Argonauts +950 Montreal Alouettes +1,100 Ottawa Redblacks +1,500

Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction

Past Grey Cup Winners

As noted above, having such a small league and lots of player movement promotes a lot of parity among the teams. Eight of the nine current CFL clubs have won a Grey Cup over the last 10 years, while every team has made at least one appearance in the Grey Cup Final over that stretch.

The Toronto Argonauts have the most Grey Cup titles in league history with 17, while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lead the CFL with 25 Grey Cup Finals appearances.

Season Grey Cup Champion Runner-up 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2018 Calgary Stampeders Ottawa Redblacks 2017 Toronto Argonauts Calgary Stampeders 2016 Ottawa Redblacks Calgary Stampeders 2015 Edmonton Eskimos Ottawa Redblacks 2014 Calgary Stampeders Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2013 Saskatchewan Roughriders Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2012 Toronto Argonauts Calgary Stampeders 2011 B.C. Lions Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2010 Montreal Alouettes Saskatchewan Roughriders

Understanding CFL Futures

Sportsbooks release CFL futures odds shortly after the end of the previous football season. Picking the outright winner of the Grey Cup is one of the only other ways to wager on CFL futures. During the offseason and preseason, you'll be able to get a nice plus-money price on basically any team in the CFL as there is so much uncertainty around what will happen next year, particularly in a league with only nine teams.

CFL futures odds will usually look like this:

Hamilton Tiger-Cats +285

This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $285 should Jeremiah Masoli and co. capture their first Grey Cup title since 1999. If it's close to the end of the season or one team is simply that dominant, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of their odds.

Saskatchewan Rough Riders -175

This means that you would need to bet $175 to win $100 if Saskatchewan wins the Grey Cup.

Of course, futures odds are a fluid market. They can change every day based on news, injuries, suspensions, etc. And they will certainly change based around big CFL events, such as free agency or the draft.

All the odds seen above are in American format. If you find decimal format or fractional format easier to read, simply convert the odds using our simple odds converter tool.

Where can I Bet on CFL Futures Odds?

Despite being one of the smaller professional leagues in North America, many online oddsmakers at the very least offer CFL futures on who will win the Grey Cup. However, when choosing an online sportsbook, it's important to choose one that can be trusted, so check out our list of the top online sportsbooks in your region. You'll also want to shop around a bit before placing a futures bet. It's not uncommon to find odds that could profit you a few extra dollars (or hundreds of dollars, depending on your wager size) when comparing futures odds.

Find more great betting strategies in our How to Bet section and join the conversation with thousands of serious football bettors in our CFL Betting Forum.