The Montreal Alouttes squeaked into the 2021 CFL playoffs with a 7-7 record, but quickly bowed out to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the opening round. That put an end to a season that saw them put up excellent offensive numbers, but they were unable to convert it into a stronger record.
Ontario sports betting oddsmakers see them as a threat to win the Grey Cup this year, but not as one of the biggest favorites.
The current +900 betting odds at DraftKings Sportsbook Ontario puts the Alouettes sixth in the league on the odds board.
This will be the first CFL season where there is a regulated and competitive sports betting market in the province. The market launched on April 4. Montreal opens the season on June 9 on the road against the Calgary Stampeders.
🏆 Follow for Grey Cup Odds in 2024
Grey Cup Futures Odds
| ⭐ Winnipeg Blue Bombers | +250 |
| ⭐ Hamilton Tiger-Cats | +500 |
| ⭐ Saskatchewan Roughriders | +550 |
| ⭐ Calgary Stampeders | +600 |
| ⭐ Toronto Argonauts | +600 |
| ⭐ Montreal Alouettes | +900 |
| ⭐ Ottawa Redblacks | +1200 |
| ⭐ British Columbia Lions | +1600 |
| ⭐ Edmonton Elks | +1600 |
Offense Returns for Alouettes
Montreal enters 2022 with much of its offense from last year intact. Perhaps most important, running back William Stanback, the only CFL rusher to surpass 1,000 yards in the shortened 2021 season, returns.
Stanback was the focal point of the league’s top rushing attack as the Alouttes put up 144.5 rushing yards a game, 25 more than the second-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 119.5. Montreal starting QB Vernon Adams also contributed on the ground, putting up just under 300 yards in his eight starts.
Adams has also been strong in the passing game over his limited starts in the past couple of seasons and has a knack for finding the end zone, throwing a TD on a league-leading 5.9% of his pass attempts.
Eugene Lewis and Jake Wieneke were the beneficiaries, with Wieneke leading the league with 11 touchdowns in 14 games. Lewis was right behind him with nine. Wieneke was the biggest surprise, and his breakout season gives Montreal two elite options in the passing game for Adams.
Quan Bray and Hergy Mayala should also contribute in the passing game, but the offense will primarily run through Lewis, Wieneke, Adams and Stanback.
QB Trevor Harris was acquired from Edmonton last season after Adams went down with injury and is one of the best backup options in the league, giving Montreal depth at the most important position in football. Harris threw for 703 yards and eight touchdowns in his four regular season games with the Alouttes.
The CFL season gets underway on June 9 after players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the league on May 27.
Montreal plays the league's first regular-season game on June 9 against the host Calgary Stampeders.
Can Defense Continue to Improve?
Defensively, Montreal was much stronger in 2021 and the team should be able to keep that momentum going in 2022 by returning much of the defense that led the CFL in sacks last year.
The Alouttes were middle of the pack with 21.8 points allowed so they could use some improvement, but it was not a weak unit. There are no real standouts on the roster. It’s just a strong squad all around that gets helped by the offense sustaining drives and staying on the field.
Montreal actually had a 5-3 record against teams in the East last year. It was when it had to jump over and play the West Division that the team struggled. With the offense looking as strong as ever, the Alouettes could well jump past division betting favorite Hamilton and wind up in the Grey Cup.
