The 2025 CFL season delivered plenty of excitement, culminating in the Saskatchewan Roughriders hoisting the Grey Cup. Their dominant 12-6 record in the West Division led to a strong playoff run, capped by a 25-17 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in the final.
Here’s a quick recap of the 2025 division leaders and their paths:
West Division Champions: Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-6-0)
Key 2025 Wins: Saskatchewan showed dominance over the East Division. A prime example was their 34-6 rout of the Montreal Alouettes (10-8-0) on the road in early August, a victory that propelled the Roughriders to a 7-1 record and demonstrated their championship potential against a playoff contender. They also had a crucial home-and-home split with Winnipeg (34-30 W, 21-13 W) and decisively beat the eventual East Division champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats 29-9 in Week 11.
East Division Champions: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (11-7-0)
Key 2025 Wins: Had a strong run against Montreal, including a 35-17 win, and defeated Toronto twice in their traditional rivalries.
Other Playoff Teams:
BC Lions (11-7-0): Lost to Saskatchewan in the West Final.
Calgary Stampeders (11-7-0): Lost to BC in the West Semi-Final.
Montreal Alouettes (10-8-0): Lost to Saskatchewan in the Grey Cup.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-8-0): Lost to Calgary in the West Semi-Final (Crossover).
Now, let’s analyze the 2026 schedule for each team, highlighting potential advantages and challenges, paying close attention to dense, physically taxing periods.
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| Many key games, especially rivalries, are well-placed to build momentum. | The Labour Day/Banjo Bowl stretch will test their depth and conditioning. |
| Highlights: Home Opener vs. BC (Week 2, West Final Rematch); Grey Cup Rematch home-and-home vs. Montreal (Week 19 & 20). | Tough Stretches: September Grind (Weeks 13-15): At Toronto (Sat), then the Labour Day home game vs. Winnipeg (Sun), followed by the Banjo Bowl at Winnipeg (Sat). 3 games in 9 days with critical divisional travel. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| A long home stand in the latter half of the season once BC Place becomes fully available. | The prolonged early-season road/displaced schedule could impact their record early on. |
| Highlights: “Touchdown Kelowna” (Week 5) a unique home game; Home-and-Home with Calgary (Weeks 11 & 17). | Tough Stretches: Early Season Road Games/Displacements (Weeks 1-9): Their first official home game in Vancouver is Week 10. They play “home” games in Kelowna (Week 5) and are on the road for the others, leading to significant early travel. Mid-Season Pace (Weeks 8-11): At Edmonton (Fri), host Winnipeg (Thu), at Calgary (Thu). 3 games in 21 days with short rest and tough divisional opponents. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| A relatively favorable and balanced schedule, with a strong finish hosting divisional rivals. | Scattered long travel weeks that could test endurance. |
| Highlights: Labour Day & Banjo Bowl home-and-home vs. Edmonton (Week 14 & 15); Hosting Saskatchewan and BC late (Weeks 18, 20). | Tough Stretches: Early Road Swing (Weeks 6-7): Consecutive road games at Montreal (Sat) and then a quick turnaround to Winnipeg (Fri). Mid-Season Pinch (Weeks 12-14): Host Hamilton (Sat), at Toronto (Thu), then the Labour Day Classic at Edmonton (Mon). 3 games in 17 days, including two long trips. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| Ending the season with three out of four games at home, if they can weather the mid-season storm. | The Labour Day/Banjo Bowl period is exceptionally challenging. |
| Highlights: Banjo Bowl vs. Saskatchewan (Week 15); Three home games in the final four weeks. | Tough Stretches: Mid-Season Gauntlet (Weeks 13-15): Host Montreal (Fri), then the Labour Day Classic at Saskatchewan (Sun), followed by the Banjo Bowl at home vs. Saskatchewan (Sat). 3 games in 10 days, with one road trip against their biggest rival. This is the tightest window for any team’s regular season. Late Season (Weeks 17-20): At Toronto (Fri), host Calgary (Sat), at Edmonton (Fri). 3 road games in 4 weeks. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| No excessively long road trips back-to-back for most of the season. | The density of games and travel in June and October could be tough. |
| Highlights: Labour Day Classic vs. Calgary (Week 14); Host Winnipeg in Week 20. | Tough Stretches: June Gauntlet (Weeks 3-6): Play 4 games in 18 days with 3 being on the road (at Montreal, at Winnipeg, at BC). Late Season Grind (Weeks 19-21): Play 3 games in 15 days, with two on the road (at Hamilton, at Saskatchewan). This requires two long Eastern swings with short rest. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| A strong finishing schedule with multiple home games late. | The proximity of rivalry games and some road trips in the middle of the season. |
| Highlights: East Final Rematch vs. Montreal (Week 1); Labour Day Classic vs. Toronto (Week 14). | Tough Stretches: Early July Road Trip (Weeks 5-6): Host Winnipeg (Sun), then hit the road to Saskatchewan (Sun). September Stretch (Weeks 12-14): Host Toronto (Sat), at Calgary (Sat), then the Labour Day Classic against Toronto (Mon). 3 games in 17 days with a difficult Western road trip. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| Having the Grey Cup rematch as a home game on Thanksgiving. | The sheer amount of travel and consecutive tough matchups, especially in September and October. |
| Highlights: East Final Rematch at Hamilton (Week 1); Grey Cup Rematch home-and-home vs. Saskatchewan (Week 19 & 20). | Tough Stretches: June Road Trip (Weeks 1-4): Three of their first four games are on the road (at Hamilton, at Edmonton, at Ottawa), plus a home game in Week 4. September Travel (Weeks 13-15): At Winnipeg (Fri), at BC (Fri), at Saskatchewan (Sat). 3 road games in 15 days, with massive cross-country flights. This is arguably the toughest travel stretch in the league. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| If they can survive the first half of the season, their home-heavy back half could be a huge advantage (6 of final 9 games at BMO Field). | The “Road Warrior” start is a monumental challenge that could easily sink their season. |
| Highlights: First official Home Opener vs. Calgary (Week 10); Labour Day Rematch at Hamilton (Week 14). | Tough Stretches: “Road Warrior” Start (Weeks 1-9): Their first NINE weeks feature only road games or “home” games played at opponents’ stadiums. This is unprecedented and means no true home-field advantage for over two months. June Gauntlet (Weeks 2-5): At Montreal, at Ottawa, at Saskatchewan, at Calgary, all within 28 days and all away from BMO Field. |
| Key Strength | Key Weakness |
| Crucial divisional games late in the season could give them a chance to play spoiler or make a late push. | Difficult mid-season road trips combined with tough divisional opponents. |
| Highlights: Thanksgiving Classic vs. BC (Week 19); Home-and-home vs. Hamilton late (Weeks 18 & 21). | Tough Stretches: Mid-Season Grind (Weeks 6-9): At Edmonton (Thu), at Winnipeg (Sun), host BC (Sun), host Hamilton (Sat). 4 games in 23 days with two difficult Western road trips. September Gauntlet (Weeks 12-16): Host Montreal (Thu), at BC (Sun), host Toronto (Sat), at Calgary (Sat). 4 games in 24 days, including two long Western road trips. |
Stats tell you what happened. Situations tell you what’s about to happen. Most bettors handicap…
This betting analysis uses the proprietary Raymond Report Computer Forecast data. The Value Index (V.I.)…
Knicks -4.5 (-192) at Toronto Raptors +4.5 (+165) – Total: 226.5 Date: December 9, 2025…
Miami Heat (-1, ML -114) vs Orlando Magic (+1, ML -101) — Total: 235…
⭐ ATS STATS – Team Grading Report Philadelphia Eagles ($PHI) — Market Grade: A |…
⭐ ATS STATS – Team Grading Report Los Angeles Chargers ($LA) — Market Grade:…