The unbeaten Winnipeg Blue Bombers head to Commonwealth Stadium to face off against the Edmonton Elks on Friday night. Oddsmakers are expecting the defending champs to cruise to victory in this Week 7 matchup with CFL betting lines opening with the Bombers as 7.5-point road favourites. Here are our best free Blue Bombers vs. Elks picks and predictions for July 22.
Blue Bombers vs Elks odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line hit the board with the Bombers at -7 and the Over/Under at 46.5 or 47. Early money has come in on the defending champs with the Bombers sitting at -7.5 at most books with one book (BetVictor) as high as -9.5. The total has ticked up to 47.5 or 48.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until kickoff and be sure to check out the full CFL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Blue Bombers vs Elks Week 7 predictions
Predictions made on 7/21/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
Blue Bombers vs Elks game info
• Location: The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AB
• Date: Friday, July 22, 2022
• Kickoff: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN
Blue Bombers at Elks betting preview
Weather
Key injuries
Blue Bombers: Greg Ellingson WR (Questionable), Patrick Neufeld OL (Questionable), Jackson Jeffcoat DE (Questionable), Brandon Alexander DB (Out), Nic Demski SB (Out), Michael Couture C (Out), Mercy Maston LB (Out), Kyrie Wilson LB (Out).
Elks: Tre Ford QB (Out), Kai Locksley QB/WR (Out), Derel Walker WR (Out), Nafees Lyon DB (Out), Tre Watson LB (Out), Jake Ceresna DT (Out), James Wilder Jr. RB (Out), Christian Rector DT (Out), Aaron Grymes DB (Out), Nick Coe DL (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Blue Bombers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games versus teams with a losing record. Find more CFL betting trends for Blue Bombers vs. Elks.
Blue Bombers vs Elks picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The two-time defending Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers are the only unbeaten team in the CFL after beating previously unbeaten BC and Calgary in back-to-back weeks. Those victories improved their record to 6-0 and proved that questions about their secondary and playmakers on offense may have been exaggerated.
Sure, their defensive backfield was torched by Jeremiah Masoli and McLeod Bethel-Thompson earlier in the year but shutting down Nathan Rourke and Bo Levi Mitchell in Weeks 5 and 6 was very impressive. Those passers are two of the three best quarterbacks in the CFL and they happen to have the other in reigning MOP winner Zach Collaros.
Collaros and the Bombers offense struggled with consistency at the start of the season but he has completed 73.5% of his passes for 603 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions in his last two games.
He should have no problems picking apart an Edmonton D that ranks last in the league in total defense (405 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (36.7 points per game allowed).
The Elks offense hasn't been any better ranking dead-last in the league with 309 yards per game. They currently have the interception-prone Taylor Cornelius starting at pivot, which will get them in trouble against a Blue Bombers stop-unit that excels at forcing turnovers.
The Elks are coming off their second victory of the year, edging the Alouettes 32-31 last Thursday, but both wins came against struggling teams that have just one win apiece. They'll have a much tougher time keeping things close against a Blue Bombers squad that is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against teams with a losing record.
If you expect the home-field venue to give the Elks a boost keep in mind that they haven't won at Commonwealth Stadium since 2019 and are 3-12 ATS in their last 15. Lay the points with the Bombers.
Prediction: Blue Bombers -7.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
The Over/Under is a tough bet to get an angle on because this number makes a lot of sense at around 47 to 48. The Elks are allowing the most points per game in the league but the Bombers are allowing the fewest (17.3 ppg).
That said, while the Bombers are capable of putting up points on the board, they have a tendency to move to a slow, conservative game plan when they build an early lead. That should be the case in this one with the Elks likely to have a tough time keeping things close against a far more talented and experienced squad.
Prediction: Under 48 (-110 at bet365)
Best bet
I had difficulty figuring out my Over/Under lean for the game but it was much easier putting my money on the Under when it comes to Edmonton's team total.
Winnipeg's defense has been terrific in the red zone and seems to be getting better with every week. Now that Bombers stop-unit gets to face off against an Elks offense that might be the worst in the league.
Cornelius opened this season as the No. 3 quarterback on Edmonton's depth chart after a subpar rookie campaign in 2021 and nothing he has done in the league has indicated that he's a capable starter. The Elks are also banged up on offense with starting running back James Wilder Jr. and their third and fourth-leading receivers in Derel Walker and Kai Locksley (a versatile weapon also capable of playing QB) sidelined with injuries.
The Elks may have finished with 31 points last week but they had just 12 points after the first 45 minutes. They benefited from three massive pass interference penalties from Montreal's Wesley Sutton down the stretch, which all led to touchdowns. Don't expect that to happen against this savvy Blue Bombers secondary.
Pick: Elks team total Under 20 (-108 at BetRegal)
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