Week 4 in the CFL kicks off on Thursday night with the BC Lions heading to the nation's capital to face off against the Ottawa Redblacks. The Lions have opened their season with a pair of blowout victories while the Redblacks are still looking for their first win.
CFL betting lines hit the board with Ottawa as a 4.5-point home underdog but that number soon slimmed to under a field goal at several books. Here are our best free Lions vs. Redblacks picks and predictions for June 30, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Lions vs Redblacks odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The line hit the board with the Lions installed as 4.5-point road favourites with the Over/Under at 46.5. Early money has come in on the home side, with the line slimming to just -2.5 at some books although a few are still offering the Redblacks at +3 or +3,5. The total has ticked up to as high as 47.5 at some books.
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.
Lions vs Redblacks Week 4 predictions
Predictions made on 6/28/2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
Lions vs Redblacks game info
• Location: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, ON
• Date: Thursday, June 30, 2022
• Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TSN
Lions at Redblacks betting preview
Weather
Key injuries
Lions: Bryan Burnham WR (Questionable), Woody Baron DL (Out), Steven Richardson DT (Out), David Knevel OG (Out).
Redblacks: Abdul Kanneh DB (Questionable), Jackson Bennett RB (Questionable), Hunter Steward OL (Questionable), Kwaku Boateng DE (Out), Ryan Davis WR (Out).
Find our latest CFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 7-1 in the Lions' last eight games overall. Find more CFL betting trends for Lions vs. Redblacks.
Lions vs Redblacks 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 Lions opened their season with a 59-15 beatdown against the Elks at home and after a bye in Week 2, they proved that their opener was no fluke by destroying the Argos 44-3 last Saturday.
This BC team has been phenomenal on both sides of the ball but the biggest story has been the play of first-year starter and rare Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke. The 24-year-old has completed 88% of his passes for 718 yards and seven touchdowns while adding another 93 yards and two scores on the ground.
The Redblacks have also gotten excellent play at QB from new starter Jeremiah Masoli, but are still 0-2 on the year. The 2018 East All-Star has completed 71% of his passes for 711 yards but couldn't lead his team to victory in either Week 1 or 2 against the Blue Bombers.
However, there's no shame in losing to the defending champion (and current Grey Cup favourite) Bombers in back-to-back contests, especially with how close those games were. In the Redblacks' season opener in Winnipeg, they lost on a last-second field goal, and in Week 2, wet weather contributed to a costly Ottawa turnover in the fourth quarter.
As terrific as the Lions have looked so far, scheduling is so important in the CFL and everything about this matchup screams letdown spot. The Lions are coming off a pair of lopsided wins at home but are playing their first road game and are traveling halfway across the country on just four days of rest.
Grab the Redblacks with the points, especially if you can still get it above that key number of 3.
Prediction: Redblacks +3.5 (-120 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
These teams had the two worst defenses in the league last year and look to have made improvements in that area. That said, they have made even bigger strides on offense.
Rourke looks like an early MOP candidate and has a bevy of talented receiving targets surrounding him, led by Lucky Whitehead and Dominique Rhymes. The Lions' offensive line has also been doing a good job of protecting the young passer while running back James Butler gives balance to the offense.
Masoli has also been lights out, and his adjustment to a new team has been eased by the presence of center Darius Ciraco and leading receiver Jaelon Acklin, who were both with him in Hamilton last year.
Running back William Powell should also make his season debut for Ottawa. Powell was an All-Star with Ottawa in 2017 and 2018 and spent the last few years starting in Saskatchewan. He rejoined the Redblacks this offseason while recovering from an Achilles injury but has been a full participant in practice this week.
Although the Redblacks had a tough time punching it into the end zone against a terrific Bombers defense, they were still able to move the ball rolling up 433 yards of offense per game. That should result in more red-zone success against the Lions and push this game Over the total.
Prediction: Over 47 (-110 at bet365)
Best bet
We saw just last week how tough it can be for even a good team to travel on a short week when the Roughriders got hammered by the Alouettes. Now, the Redblacks will get a chance to do the same fresh off a bye and motivated by two tight losses.
There's definitely value in taking the home side on the moneyline at anywhere close to +140.
Pick: Redblacks moneyline (+146 at FanDuel)
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