CFL Betting: They Do It a Little Differently Up North

Rouges, running starts and Roughriders - yep, CFL season is back and ready to be wagered on

July 10, 2008

By Mike Halford
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

There's a great bit from the Simpsons episode "Lisa the Greek" where, in an effort to learn more about professional football betting, little Lisa heads to the library:

Oddball Canadian rules. Ha! And how apropos for this article, given that the 2008 Canadian Football League season is now in full swing. But has anybody south of the 49th parallel even noticed?

Even though the rules are weird (you get a single point for missing a field goal) and the players are obscure (turns out Buck Pierce, the B.C. Lions QB, is not actually a porn star), the Canadian game actually has a lot more similarities to its American counterpart than most assume.

First, the player issue. While your average CFLer is generally unrecognizable, there are some familiar faces up North:

• David Boston - former Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler plays for Toronto. In keeping with the NFL similarities theme, he's currently on IR.
  
  
• Bethel Johnson - two-time Super Bowl champ with New England also plays in Toronto alongside Boston.
  
  
• Mike Vanderjagt - best known as the Colts' ex-idiot kicker, Vanderjagt returned home to - you guessed it, Toronto - for 2008.
  

As for the game itself, the rules are only tweaked slightly. Touchdowns are still six points, field goals three and extra points one. Sure, the field and balls are bigger. There's three downs instead of four and receivers can get a running start at opposing DBs, but aside from those, it's still football. And if you're like me (read: desperate enough to watch the NFL Draft Combine), then you'll take any kind of real pigskin action you can get.

It's Friday Night - You Ready For Some Football?

Taking a page from American high schools (and, quite possibly, Buzz Bissinger's most famous novel), the CFL's marquee night also kicks off the weekend. Friday Night Football is the league's main weekly broadcast, a sort of MNF-meets-Northern Exposure where Chris Cuthbert and Glen Suitor replace Al Michaels and John Madden.

This week, FNF provides fans with an engaging battle as the winless Lions take on the winless Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Bombers - defending East Division champions - come into the contest as slim one-point home favorites (-115).

The Lions are hoping to honor their late team president with a win over Winnipeg this week. (AP Images)

It's a game of the utmost importance to British Columbia. Widely expected to be a contender in the West this year, the Leos have looked like pussycats in losses against division rivals Calgary and Saskatchewan.

Former Notre Dame standout Jarious Jackson - pegged as the starter over Pierce - hasn't found the consistency that saw him throw for 2,553 yards and 18 TDs in 2007.

B.C. will also be playing with a sense of passion for former team president Bob Ackles, who passed away earlier this week. Ackles, who had extensive NFL experience with the Phoenix Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, was a beloved figure in B.C., and the team has responded with a series of memoriams.

But to a man, the team has vowed to make Friday night's game against Winnipeg the ultimate sendoff to a franchise legend.

Winnipeg, meanwhile, has looked shaky offensively with WR Milt Stegall on the shelf. The CFL's all-time TD receptions leader, Stegall is still recovering from off-season knee surgery and the offense has struggled.

While Derick Armstrong, formerly of the Houston Texans, has looked good thus far having hauled in 13 catches for 208 yards, the weakened passing game has allowed teams to stack against the Blue Bombers' run.

The Bombers have missed Stegall's production. (AP Images)

Charles Roberts, a perennial MVP candidate, has just 87 rushing yards through two games and seems frustrated by teams stacking against him. Roberts lashed out this week in response to those questioning if Hamilton's Jesse Lumsden - who has 225 yards through two games - would out-rush him this year.

"I don't intend to let anybody out-rush me, whether they're Canadian [Lumsden is Canadian] or not," said the three-time rushing champ. "I really don't know who's leading right now and I really don't care until my name is at the top."

Well OK then. With the passion, frustration and winless records on the line, Friday Night Football in the CFL could be an explosive affair this week. If you're a football wagering fanatic, feel free to throw down and add gasoline to the fire.

TOP PHOTO: B.C. Lions QB Jarious Jackson will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this week. (AP Images)