CFL semi-final picks: Toronto favored over Winnipeg, BC Lions favored over Saskatchewan
Ten analysts projected the outcomes of the East and West semi-final games, with most favoring the Toronto Argonauts and the BC Lions to win their respective matchups.
The Canadian Football League’s playoff semi-finals feature the Winnipeg Blue Bombers visiting the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders traveling to the BC Lions. Ten contributors offered straight-up and against-the-spread predictions based on the consensus point spreads as of 10:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 29.
In the East semi-final, Toronto entered as a -4.5 favorite. The Argonauts will start Chad Kelly, who recently signed a five-year extension worth over $1 million per season, while Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros remains on the one-game injured list and Dru Brown makes his first playoff start. Most analysts backed Toronto to win straight-up and cover the spread, giving the Argonauts eight of ten straight-up votes and eight of ten spread votes.
"Chad Kelly is about to light up like his bank account balance," one contributor wrote.
The West semi-final pits the BC Lions, a -6.5 favorite, against the Roughriders. BC’s front seven has dealt with injuries, but quarterback Nathan Rourke, who led the league with 11 games of 300+ passing yards, is expected to spearhead the Lions’ attack at home. Analysts were split, with five favoring BC to win straight-up and four picking the Lions to cover the spread, while the remaining votes leaned toward Saskatchewan.
"The Lions are the better team, but the line feels a little too wide," another contributor noted.
Overall, the contributors’ records for the 2026 season show a mix of success in both straight-up and spread betting, with the top straight-up predictor holding a 60-21 record and the top spread predictor a 45-36 record.