CFL odds, picks, predictions: Montreal vs. Ottawa a part of expert's best bets for Week 9
The Montreal Alouettes will be putting a four-game win streak on the line when they face the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 9 of the 2026 CFL season. The Alouettes have won all of their home games but have prevailed just once on the road. Meanwhile, Ottawa has not found a win this season and will be looking to make its first triumph a big one. If you're looking to wager on Montreal vs. Ottawa and more Week 9 CFL action, check out what SportsLine expert Emory Hunt is wagering on this week's games.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Hunt played running back at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and coached high school football before starting Football Gameplan, an in-depth analysis site. Over the past three seasons, Hunt is 132-111-2 on NFL bets. Here's a look at his picks for Week 9.
Due to ineffective play, Lions QB Chase Brice was benched in the fourth quarter of last week's game. Rookie QB Kaidon Salter stepped in and showed some flashes and more life than the offense had shown all game. This week, he gets the start against the Blue Bombers on the road. That's a tall ask for a rookie making his first start against one of the CFL's better clubs. While I expect the unknown factor to lead to some big plays for the Lions, the rookie's inexperience ultimately gives me confidence in the Bombers covering at home.
A total of 61 points in this game featuring one of the league's best teams, Montreal, says more about the Alouettes' defense than the potential for a breakout Ottawa offense. If they plan to make a return trip to the Grey Cup, I would like to see the Alouettes be more consistent in getting off the field. Ottawa still has to figure out its offense, particularly its QB position. Coming off a bye week we'll see if they can start the game with a good rhythm, which could help them create a back-and-forth contest vs Montreal. Look for the Alouettes to begin tightening up their inconsistent defense.
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Vernon Adams Jr. hasn't thrown an interception all season long. When you pair that with over 20 touchdown passes, he is playing elite level football at this juncture of the season. It's hard to find an offense firing on all cylinders like the Stamps are, and when you look at the Ti-cats, you don't see the same thing since Bo Levi Mitchell's injury. Every series looks like a chore for Hamilton. Because of their offense's helter-skelter nature, they could dig themselves into too deep of a hole against the red-hot Stamps to climb out.
This should be one of the more entertaining games of the weekend and a battle for supremacy in the West Division. A major key to victory for both teams will be stopping the run. Both the Riders and Elks have tremendous tailbacks and the run game is usually the engine of the offense. Defensively, it'll be about getting home to the quarterback. Right now, I like the savvy of the wily vet Trevor Harris, and I expect him to come up big in the crucial moments when the game hangs in the balance.
Tail Hunt's Week 9 CFL picks at FanDuel, where new users can get up to $1,000 in bet reset tokens when they wager $5+ for five days: