Saskatchewan’s Tre Mason challenged by Edmonton’s Monshadrik Hunter, during the Edmonton Eskimos vs Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL game, at Brick Field in Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton. On Thursday, August 2, 2018 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto) (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto/NurPhoto via AFP)
The balance of power is trending west and there is a new No. 1 team heading into week three of the CFL season.
The change at the top of the CFL Power Rankings isn’t a dramatic shift, just an indication that the value for teams is relatively close.
There is still a lot of balance throughout the CFL at this point in the season. The top teams don’t pull away, and apart from Edmonton, even the teams that lose early were still quite competitive.
Here are the latest CFL Power Rankings with Gray Cup odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM.
Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted sports betting reviews from SBR here.
CFL Power Rankings
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-0)
It’s hard to say how much to give a win in Edmonton because the Elks could be in for a tough season. But the drivers came 151 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 21 touches from RB Jamal Morrow, a breakthrough game for the sophomore CFLer en route to a 26-16 win.
Big time @champdean_ ❗️#CFLGameday | @sskroughriders pic.twitter.com/vNPZH6tjOG
— CFL (@CFL) June 19, 2022
2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-0)
The Bombers fell back from the top spot despite a 19-12 win in Ottawa, although it wasn’t a bad performance. A team built around top-notch defense and allowing just 12 points on the road is full-fledged, but offense is a work in progress and the Bombers gave Ottawa 425 yards on offense.
3. Calgary Stampeders (2-0)
The Stampeders were 24-3 down at halftime, roared back and won 33-30 in overtime at Hamilton and they deserve credit for the win, but it was a fight for the win. QB Bo Levi Mitchell passed for 313 yards and WR Kamar Jorden had seven catches for 109 yards to lead the way for Calgary. Running backs Ka’Deem Carey and Peyton Logan were both injured in the game, leaving some uncertainties in the backfield for the Stamps.
4. Toronto Argonauts (1-0)
Another team to walk away with a win in week 2. The Argos played their first game of the season and started well but were on course to take the lead late on when the Montreal Alouettes missed a 21-yard field goal that would have won the game. Good for the Argonauts that they won, but they didn’t exactly earn much credibility for how they achieved victory.
5. Hamilton Tiger Cats (0-2)
It’s a tough loss for the TiCats to build a big lead and let it fade. On the plus side, QB Dane Evans has thrown for 425 yards and three touchdowns — with a few interceptions — so there’s at least some evidence Hamilton can move the ball. The good news is that in the east it looks like they have a little more room for error.
Squad 💪#Ticats | #CFL pic.twitter.com/UsA0qTko5x
— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) June 20, 2022
6. BC Lions (1-0)
The Lions enjoyed their Week 1 win over Edmonton and will rest for a Week 3 home game against Toronto. That should be a good test, and if the Lions rise to the challenge, it could really change expectations for a team that started the 2022 season with a relatively low bar.
7. Ottawa RED BLACK (0-2)
Ottawa lost the first two games to Gray Cup favorites Blue Bombers by an aggregate score of 38-29. The REDBLACKS would of course like to have more points on the board, but QB Jeremiah Masoli completed 71.1% of his passes for 331 yards in Week 2 to allow them to move the chains. The next step is to convert those yards into points.
8. Montreal Alouettes (0-2)
It’s probably a bad deal for the Alouettes to still be in eighth place after a game where they were just one chip-shot field goal from victory. But it’s tough getting the Alouettes up, especially with star RB William Stanback sidelined and the QB situation in flux with Vernon Adams being pulled early against the Argos.
9. Edmonton Moose (0-2)
Week 2 was much better for Edmonton than Week 1, and the Elks had a fourth-quarter lead against Saskatchewan. Still, early returns leave Edmonton at the bottom of the rankings. Star WR Kenny Lawler had 12 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown against the Roughriders, and he’ll see plenty of goals as Edmonton tries to climb out of their 0-2 hole.
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Scott Cullen
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Scott Cullen is a sports betting analyst for SportsbookReview.com and one of the best known sports betting writers on the web. He wrote about fantasy sports for TSN for many years and has also written for The Athletic, NHL.com, The Hockey News, Monkey Knife Fight and McKeen’s Hockey. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Cullen studied economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and played for the Laurier Golden Hawks ice hockey team.