Special to Sports News Highlights

(SNH) – The 2024 CFL season and the 111th Grey Cup are approaching.

The league, consisting of nine teams, still has a draft coming up, as well as the preseason, regular season, postseason and the Grey Cup championship game.

Below, we’ll provide a complete 2024 CFL season preview, including important dates to know, a quick draft preview, current CFL Grey Cup odds and predictions for who will win it all.

2024 CFL Schedule: Important Dates

 

April 30: CFL Draft

May 20: Preseason begins

May 31: Preseason concludes

June 6: The regular season begins

October 26: The regular season ends

November 2: Postseason begins

November 17: 111th Grey Cup Championship

2024 CFL Draft Preview

 

The Edmonton Elks hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

The first-round draft order includes the following:

  • Edmonton Elks
  • Ottawa Redblacks
  • Saskatchewan Roughriders
  • Calgary Stampeders
  • Toronto Argonauts
  • BC Lions
  • Hamilton Tiger-Cats
  • Winnipeg Blue Bombers
  • Montreal Alouettes

The consensus No. 1 overall pick seemingly points toward Auburn wide receiver Nick Mardner.

Standing six-feet-six and 190 pounds, Mardner began his college career in 2019 with Hawaii, playing there for three seasons before transferring to Cincinnati in 2022 and again in 2023 to Auburn.

Mardner faced injury issues in 2023 and didn’t have a single reception. His best college season came in 2021 with Hawaii, when he had 46 receptions for 913 yards and five touchdowns.

Linebacker Joel Dublanko could be another top draft pick. He played college ball with Cincinnati from 2017 to 2021 before briefly playing in the NFL, XFL, and USFL.

CFL Grey Cup 2024 Odds

 

Below are the odds for each team to win the 111th Grey Cup, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Toronto Argonauts: +225

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: +250

BC Lions: +650

Montreal Alouettes: +700

Calgary Stampeders: +1000

Hamilton Tiger-Cats: +1200

Edmonton Elks: +1500

Saskatchewan Roughriders: +1800

Ottawa Redblacks: +3000

Toronto Argonauts

 

The Argonuats said goodbye to A.J. Ouellette, and now 31-year-old running back Ka’Deem Carey steps in as the projected starter. He was a fourth-round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played there for three seasons before moving on to the Stampeders last season.

At quarterback, they have former Ole Miss signal-caller and Denver Broncos draft pick Chad Kelly. He had 23 passing touchdowns and 4,123 passing yards last season in his first full season starting.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

 

The Blue Bombers have been a staple in the Grey Cup lately. They’ve made every one since 2019.

2019: Beat Hamilton 33-12

2020: Canceled due to COVID-19

2021: Beat Hamilton 33-25

2022: Lost to Toronto 24-23

2023: Lost to Montreal 28-24

Zach Collaros will be back under center. He’s won three Grey Cups, including two with Winnipeg.

Last season, he threw for 4,252 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

 

CFL 2024 Grey Cup Winner Prediction

 

The odds show the Argonauts and Blue Bombers as the favorites to win the 111th Grey Cup, and they’ll likely end up facing off against one another. The quarterback talent in the CFL drops off dramatically after these two teams.

The Argonauts are our pick. Kelly is starting his second season, and he’s 30 years old. Collaros has been a stud for numerous seasons in the CFL, but he’s entering his mid-30s.

The Argonauts also got a former NFL running back to take over their backfield in Carey and all other receiving threats remain intact.

The team may lose defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers to the NFL Draft, but that remains to be seen.

Look for the Argonauts to notch their 19th Grey Cup win this upcoming season.

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