Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Montreal Alouettes Preview
The 2024 CFL season is upon us, and we can’t think of a better way to kick things off than with a Grey Cup rematch between two of the league’s best: the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. For those who like betting on the CFL, this is your chance to start the season on the right foot!
Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at Princess Auto Stadium. If the stadium does not sound familiar, it was formerly known as IG Field, in Winnipeg, MB. It’s the Blue Bombers’ first home game since renaming the stadium in January. The rebrand includes a new 10-year partnership with tools and equipment retailer Princess Auto.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Montreal Alouettes Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Blue Bombers and Alouettes have played 75 games against one another since the 1996 season. This was a significant year as the new owners of the Alouettes re-established the team following a nine-year hiatus from the league.
In that time, the Alouettes hold a 42-33 advantage over the Blue Bombers, including a 2-1 advantage in the postseason, but don’t let that fool you. Winnipeg is 17-9 against Montreal since the 2012 season.
As for the recent history between the two, the Blue Bombers went 2-1 against the Alouettes in 2023. However, they lost the most important game of the season against the Alouettes in the 2023 Grey Cup. Here’s a reminder of how those three games went:
Game 1: Winnipeg defeated Montreal 17-3 on July 1, 2023
The Montreal Alouettes never really had a shot in this game. They were six minutes away from getting shut out at home. Thankfully, a 27-yard field goal by David Côté saved the team from embarrassment.
Zach Collaros, who had 177 yards and two touchdowns, and Brady Oliveira, who finished with 120 yards on the ground led Winnipeg. Both Dalton Schoen and Drew Wolitarsky each had a touchdown.
Cody Fajardo threw for 270 yards against a stiff Winnipeg defence, but couldn’t find the end zone and threw an interception late in the third quarter. Julien-Grant led the team with six catches for 129 yards.
the stage is set. #ForTheW pic.twitter.com/TWbadYHnf1
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) June 6, 2024
Game 2: Winnipeg defeated Montreal 47-17 on August 24, 2023
Looking at the final score, you might not believe us when we say this was a tightly contested game through the first half, but it was. The Blue Bombers held just a 20-17 lead at halftime. But then the Bombers took over, outscoring the Alouettes 27-0 in the second half.
Collaros finished with 240 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions, while Oliveira had 119 yards on the ground and one touchdown. Demski led the way with 87 yards receiving and Schoen had two touchdowns.
As for the Alouettes, Fajardo only made 137 yards passing and zero touchdowns, and William Stanback had 32 yards rushing. Marc-Antoine Dequoy had an excellent day with two interceptions on defence.
Game 3 (Grey Cup): Montreal defeated Winnipeg 28-24 on November 19, 2023
The Blue Bombers were the clear favourite heading into this one, not just because it was their fourth consecutive Grey Cup appearance. They had the better team, and it showed in the first half.
They held a 17-7 at halftime but failed to score in the third quarter. The Alouettes inched closer with a TD just two minutes into the third quarter and were down 17-14 entering the fourth. They led with 11 minutes left, but Winnipeg responded with a TD of their own on the following possession.
The Alouettes were down 21-24 with two minutes remaining. They had the ball with a chance to win it, and they did. Fajardo completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot with just 15 seconds left in the game. It was the perfect way to end the season, giving the 110th Grey Cup a movie-like finish.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Montreal Alouettes Predictions
Prediction: We have the Blue Bombers opening the season with a 31-21 victory over Montreal.
Winnipeg and Montreal were two of the best teams in the CFL last year, but that campaign is behind us and we’re turning the page to an entirely new season. With a new season comes new opportunities. The question is, Which team will make the most of the opportunity in front of them on Thursday?
On one hand, you have the Alouettes, who are looking to prove that last season’s finale wasn’t a fluke and that they are ready to defend their championship. On the other, you have the Blue Bombers, who want their revenge for what would’ve been their third Grey Cup victory in the past four seasons.
Betting on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers seems like the right choice here. They have a two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player under centre, one of the best running backs in CFL history to help open things up, and their top four receivers have returned for the 2024 season, all of which translates to points on the board. And let’s not forget about the defence, which led the CFL in points and yards allowed per game in 2023.
The Alouettes are going to have their hands full on Thursday. They still have a proven quarterback that will keep them in it, but it won’t be enough to overcome what the Blue Bombers have coming for them.
37-3 since 2018.
let's pack the crib today, folks 👊
🎟️ » https://t.co/Qtvj1imvk8#ForTheW pic.twitter.com/8aSg7dvFKU
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) June 6, 2024
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Montreal Alouettes Betting Picks
The first bet of the season is always the toughest, but it doesn’t have to be when you’ve got an online sportsbook like Novibet willing to give you their CFL predictions – and that’s what we have for you today.
Here’s how we would go about betting on the Alouettes vs Blue Bombers:
Moneyline: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-365)
Spread: Winnipeg Blue Bombers -7.5 (-110)
Total (Over/Under): Over 47.5 (-110)
Don’t forget, you can also try your luck at live betting throughout the game on Thursday!
For those who like to play the prop game, the Blue Bombers have three players with a high chance of scoring a touchdown at any point during the game, Brady Oliveira (-290), Dalton Schoen (-135), and Nic Demski (-105). As for the Alouettes, we like Kaion Julien-Grant (+135) and Caleb Evans (+105) with a TD. You can find more of our free CFL betting tips on our blog.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Team News & Lineup
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are entering their 66th season since joining the CFL and 91st season overall. Mike O’Shea leads the team, entering his 10th season as head coach.
They’re coming off a 2023 campaign that saw them go 14-4 in the regular season with three losses coming on the road. Their last home loss was against the BC Lions (30-6) on June 22, 2023.
Here’s a look at their top performers last season – all of whom have returned to the team in 2024:
- QB Zach Collaros: 4,252 yards, 33 touchdowns, 15 interceptions (2 rushing touchdowns)
- RB Brady Oliviera: 1,534 rushing yards, 482 receiving yards (38 catches), 13 total touchdowns
- WR Dalton Schoen: 71 catches, 1,222 yards, 10 touchdowns
- WR Nic Demski: 67 catches, 1,006 yards, 6 touchdowns
- DE Willie Jefferson: 21 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
The Blue Bombers failed to secure a win in their two preseason games, losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on May 20 and the Calgary Stampeders on May 31. They could not establish themselves, losing 56-22 in those two games, but that was without their starters. On Thursday, those starters are available and ready to play.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Predicted Lineup
- Quarterback: Zach Collaros
- Running Back: Brady Oliveira
- Wide Receiver: Dalton Schoen, Nic Demski, Kenny Lawler
- Fullback: Michael Chris-Ike
Game day, baby! We’re taking on the Bombers in Winnipeg tonight at 8:30 pm ET.
Get all the deets on the lineup and more in our @ParamedicCanada Pregame notes 📝: https://t.co/JGfby1FJzn#Alouettes pic.twitter.com/0D8sj2NuYh
— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) June 6, 2024
Montreal Alouettes Team News & Lineup
The 2024 campaign is the Montreal Alouettes’ 57th season in the CFL and 69th season overall. They’re led by s head coach Jason Maas, who won the Grey Cup last year in his first season with the franchise.
The Alouettes were 6-3 halfway through the 2023 season but lost four straight before ending the year on a five-game winning streak. Their 11-7 record was good enough for second place in the East Division.
Here’s a look at their top players and how they performed last season:
- QB Cody Fajardo: 3,847 yards, 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions (3 rushing touchdowns)
- RB Walter Fletcher: 266 rushing yards, 23 catches, 176 receiving yards
- WR Tyson Philpot: 47 catches, 532 yards, 5 touchdowns
- WR Tyler Snead: 56 catches, 788 yards, 5 touchdowns
- DB Marc-Antoine Dequoy: 57 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, 3 forced fumbles
- LB Tyrice Beverette: 89 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries
While Cody Fajardo – the team’s starting quarterback from a year ago – has returned for another go, Montreal will have to do without their top receiver (Austin Mack, now with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL) and running back (William Stanback, now with the BC Lions of the CFL). They’ll need others to step up.
Montreal went 1-1 in their two preseason games. They opened it up with a 30-13 win against the Toronto Argonauts on May 25 but followed that up with a close 19-13 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks on May 31.
Montreal Alouettes Predicted Lineup:
- Quarterback: Cody Fajardo
- Running Back: Walter Fletcher
- Wide Receiver: Tyson Philpot, Tyler Snead, Charleston Rambo, Cole Spieker
- Fullback: David Dallaire
