This article is part of our CFL Picks series.
CFL Betting: CFL Bets and Props for Week 3
We have another pair of exciting weekend games on the CFL Week 3 slate, and given the offensive talent on all four clubs, we should be in store for some exciting football. We'll break down each contest and look to identify a pair of potentially profitable betting opportunities.
Elks vs Argonauts Best Bets (Saturday, June 22, 7:00 p.m. ET)
The Elks have opened the McLeod Bethel-Thompson era with a pair of losses but some decent offensive success, scoring a combined 41 points and 298.5 passing yards per game. Bethel-Thompson, as he's prone to do, has turned the ball over on occasion, but he also has plenty of offensive talent surrounding him, including an explosive back in Kevin Brown that hasn't really taken off yet in the new season.
However, Edmonton's defense, one of the league's worst last season, has been somewhat vulnerable early in the new campaign as well. The Elks have given up 26.0 points per game in the first two weeks despite allowing the third-fewest total yards (709).
On the other side, the Argonauts have played just one game since they had a Week 2 bye, which means they'll enter this matchup with plenty of rest and having had time to game plan against Edmonton's defense. Cameron Dukes, standing in for the suspended Chad Kelly under center, got his second CFL season off to an impressive start back in Week 1, scoring four total touchdowns and posting 291 total yards.
Dukes has the benefit of his above-average mobility and an impressive supporting cast of skill-position assets that includes versatile veteran running back Ka'Deem Carey, as well as a robust array of capable pass catchers. One of the most experienced, DaVaris Daniels, will sit out Saturday's game with a groin injury, but that absence should be offset by the season debut of the speedy Damonte Coxie, who missed the opener with a hamstring injury but practiced in full all week and has no injury designation.
When factoring in Toronto also gave up 371 total yards to the Lions in that high-scoring (35-27) season-opening victory, I like the chances of the Over on a manageable total hitting.
CFL Picks for Elks vs Argonauts
- Over 49.5 points (-110 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Tiger-Cats vs Roughriders Best Bets (Sunday, June 23, 7:00 p.m. ET)
This second installment of this early-season home-and-home series has the potential to be another barn burner the likes of the Week 2 clash in Hamilton. That matchup concluded with 63 total points, 810 yards of net offense and a wild 33-30 Saskatchewan victory.
Roughriders lead back A.J. Ouellette, who actually has gotten off to a slow start over his first two games after coming over from the Argos in a heralded offseason move, looked like he was trending in the wrong direction for this contest, but he was able to return to practice Friday after missing the first two days of the week with a leg injury.
Both the Ti-Cats' Bo Levi Mitchell and the Riders' Trevor Harris, a pair of grizzled CFL veterans, have gotten the season off to stellar starts, throwing for 680 and 695 yards, respectively, along with a combined nine passing touchdowns.
Those types of numbers, not to mention the talented pass catchers on either side and last week's result, certainly make the Over a tempting proposition. However, I'm also taken by the Ti-Cats' status as slight underdogs. Hamilton has played enough to win its first two games and were truly snake-bitten by an unfortunate late interception versus the Riders in Week 2.
With the Ti-Cats increasingly healthy and the difficulty involved in defeating a team on back-to-back weeks, I like Hamilton to at least slide in under the number. For those with a bit more risk tolerance, combining that cover with the Over is also a consideration.
CFL Picks for Tiger-Cats vs Roughriders
- Tiger-Cats +2.5 (-105 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Lean: SGP- Tiger-Cats +2.5 and Over 50 points (+256 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
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CFL Week 3 Best Bets Recap
- Elks-Argonauts Over 49.5 points (-110 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Tiger-Cats +2.5 (-105 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Lean: SGP -Tiger-Cats +2.5 and Over 50 points (+256 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
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