Whichever team wins Sunday’s Grey Cup crowning the champions of the Canadian Football League, a title drought will come to an end. It has been almost three decades since the Winnipeg Blue Bombers brought home a title, and for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, it has been two decades. So the 107th Grey Cup will bring solace to one long-suffering fan base. Hamilton won the East Division at 15-3, posting the best record in the CFL for the regular season, while Winnipeg finished third in a crowded West Division, with an 11-7 record.
Hamilton routed Edmonton in the East Division final on Sunday, 36-16, ending a stunning run for the Eskimos, who made the playoff thanks to the “crossover” rule that lets a division’s fourth-place team make the playoffs if its record is better than the third-place team from the other division.
Winnipeg had started the season 8-2 before losing five of eight. However, they righted the ship in the playoffs, routing Calgary, 35-14, and then beating Saskatchewan by seven in the West Division final. Can Winnipeg complete their turnaround with a Grey Cup? Or will Hamilton finish off a dominant season? Don’t miss our sports betting preview of the showcase game of the CFL.
Hamilton vs Winnipeg 2019 Grey Cup Odds & Preview
The officials for the 107th #GreyCup pres. by @Shaw_CFL have been announced. See who they are | https://t.co/trZ7DerQJW pic.twitter.com/8pH1C5givp
— CFL (@CFL) November 22, 2019
- When: Sunday, November 24, 2019, 6:00 pm ET
- Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, Alberta
- TV: ESPN2
- Radio: CKOC 1150 AM Hamilton / CFRW 1290 AM Winnipeg
- Live Stream: ESPN+
- CFL Odds: Hamilton -3.5 / O/U 52
Why should you bet on the Tiger-Cats?
Hamilton set a franchise record with 15 wins on the regular season, including a perfect 9-0 record at home. Ten teams have made it into the playoffs after winning 15 or more games in the regular season, and seven of those ten advanced to the Grey Cup. Five of the last six teams to win at least 15 games advanced to the Grey Cup and won it (Baltimore in 1995, Toronto in 1996 and 1997, Montreal in 2009 and Calgary in 2014). The only exception was Calgary back in 1995. Of the seven teams before Hamilton to post perfect records at home, only three won the Grey Cup.
It is a bit of a concern that Hamilton will not have Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback. Dane Evans took over for him, and he played well, particularly down the stretch. He went 6 for 11 on the day for 204 yards and a score (along with a pick) in throws of 20 yards or longer, but in the fourth quarter he went 6 for 7 for 88 yards in a key drive. If you like the Tiger-Cats, you see their dominant defense limiting Winnipeg and their offense getting enough points for the win.
Why should you put your money on the Blue Bombers?
Winnipeg had a tough second half of the season and entered the playoffs as a third-place team. They won a pair of road games to make it to the Grey Cup, the first time a third-place team has won twice away from home to qualify for the championship in 14 years, since 2005 when the Edmonton Eskimos did it. Since 1953, nine teams have finished third in their division but still advanced to the Grey Cup, and those teams have gone 5-4 in championship games. Edmonton completed a title run with a win in the 2005 Grey Cup; in fact, the last time a third-place team made it to the Grey Cup and lost was back in 1997 when Saskatchewan failed to complete the title run.
Winnipeg also has a backup quarterback starting this game in Zach Collaros. His wins brought his playoff record to 3-1. He has Grey Cup experience from 2014, when he went 25 for 33 for 342 yards in a losing effort for his opponent this weekend. He was particularly solid in the second half last week, going 8 for 12 for 119 yards after the intermission. Darvin Adams has been a top target, as Collaros has found him for catches of 34, 71 and 63 yards in these playoffs.
Final Score Prediction
Winnipeg is a sexy pick as they appear to have a lot of momentum, but Hamilton’s system is solid, and the Tiger-Cats won both matchups between the teams this year, edging the Blue Bombers by eight at home on July 26 and then rolling by 20 up in Winnipeg on September 27. Collaros may put up better numbers than Evans, but Hamilton’s defense should carry the day. I predict a final score of Hamilton 30, Winnipeg 23.
