The Canadian Football League (CFL) has provided bettors with plenty of exciting action over the last three years. In this article, we’ll analyze the performance of CFL teams when playing as home favorites, focusing on against the spread (ATS), straight up (SU), and over/under (O/U) records.
Eh, CFL Home Favorites – Where's the Beef?
Among all teams, the overall ATS record for home favorites in the last three years was 69-85-2, suggesting that home favorites have not always covered the spread. However, the SU record of 105-51 indicates that home favorites usually win their games outright. As for the O/U, the 74-82-0 record suggests that most games have leaned towards the under.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger Cats have performed remarkably well as home favorites. The Blue Bombers led the pack with an impressive ATS record of 17-9 and an almost flawless SU record of 23-3. Similarly, the Tiger Cats also excelled with a 16-9 ATS and a 20-5 SU record, making these teams reliable bets when playing as home favorites.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions have also been decent performers as home favorites, with ATS records of 11-10-2 and 10-9 respectively, and strong SU records. The Toronto Argonauts, with an 8-7 ATS and 11-4 SU record, have been another promising team in this category.
On the flip side, the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks have struggled as home favorites over the past three years. The Stampeders have had a particularly tough time covering the spread, with an ATS record of 3-18. Similarly, the Elks' ATS record of 2-8 suggests they have had difficulties as well.
The Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Redblacks also had poor performances as home favorites, with ATS records of 2-10 and 0-5 respectively. These teams have been less reliable when favored at home, suggesting bettors should exercise caution.
In a nutsheel, while home favorites in the CFL have a strong tendency to win outright, they often struggle to cover the spread. Teams like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger Cats have shown consistent performance as home favorites, while the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks have had a challenging time in this role. As always, it's important for bettors to consider these historical trends alongside other factors like player injuries and recent team form when placing their bets.
