Calgary Stampeders Rocking the CFL

CFL’s preseason Grey Cup favorite, the Calgary Stampeders, have so far done nothing wrong. If Calgary keeps this up, they could roll to an easy Grey Cup victory, right? Maybe, not. Let’s take a look at what could derail Calgary’s stampeding march to a Grey Cup win.

Calgary Stampeders Rocking the CFL

hey @charliepower, how’s the 🍏? 📷: @johanyjutras pic.twitter.com/YCRhsoSn8q

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) July 19, 2018

What Can Derail Calgary’s March to a Grey Cup?

The Stampeders are an awesome 4 and 0 straight up. What’s really fantastic for sports bettors is that not only are the Stampeders 4 and 0 straight up, they’re also 4 and 0 against the spread. That makes Calgary a winner in every way imaginable. But, like all football teams, it doesn’t matter whether it’s NFL, college, or CFL, there are pitfalls to the Stampeders march to a Grey Cup this season. Check out some of those pitfalls.

Injuries Can Kill Any Team’s Championship Chances

Injuries can kill any team’s championship chances. There are key injuries that could happen to the Calgary Stampeders that would end their reign atop the Canadian Football League. First, let’s look at what might happen to the offense. Calgary’s offense ranks second in yards per game at 433. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell averages 289.2 passing yards per. That ranks third in CFL. The Stampeders average 143.8 rushing yards per. That ranks second in CFL. The Stampeders average 30 points per game. That ranks second. Calgary’s offensive excellence starts with QB Bo Levi Mitchell. There’s no doubt about that. An injury to Mitchell would devastate the offense. However, an injury to RB Don Jackson would also devastate the offense. In only 4 games, Jackson has rushed for 396 yards. That’s almost 100 yards per game. Either an injury to Mitchell or Jackson could send Calgary’s chances of winning the Grey Cup out the window. Now, let’s check out Calgary’s defense. The Stampeders rank first in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and, most importantly, points allowed. Opponents average 9.5 points per game versus Calgary’s D. Calgary’s D has helped the Stampeders provide 4 straight blowout wins to start the season, including a 27 to 3 win over Ottawa in Ottawa. It’s more difficult to pinpoint a specific injury on the defense that could send the Stampeders into a shock. One thing is for sure, though, it’s only been a month in the CFL Season. That means offenses, like Ottawa’s, should adjust to Calgary’s excellent defense as the season continues.

We’ve Been Here Before…and It Wasn’t Good for Calgary

Last season, Calgary went 13 and 2 in their first 15 games. They rode an 11 game winning streak into Week 18. Then, they lost 3 straight games before beating Edmonton 32 to 28 in the Divisional Finals. Calgary entered last season’s Grey Cup game as a -7 favorite over Toronto. What happened? The Argonauts upset Calgary straight up 27 to 24. It was a huge upset. Who’s to say the same thing doesn’t happen this season? The Stampeders have 14 games left. A lot can happen in 14 games. Right now, Calgary is around 8/5 to win the Grey Cup. Are they worth a wager at 8/5? They might be because it’s hard to see where their defense fails. They might not be a great wager because Calgary was a big favorite to win the Grey Cup last season and they didn’t deliver.