OTTAWA, ON – JULY 15: Ottawa Redblacks wide receiver Justin Hardy (2) runs with the ball during Canadian Football League action between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Ottawa Redblacks on July 15, 2023, at TD Place at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Canadian Football League has been providing die-hard pigskin enthusiasts with an early fix for their football yearnings each summer for decades.
Accordingly, the “three-down league” will kick off its 68th season on Thursday night with a Montreal Alouettes-Hamilton Tiger-Cats clash at Hamilton Stadium.
Week 1 consists of a three-game slate since the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions will open the season on a bye, and we’re honing in on a player prop bet apiece for each of the season-opening contests.
Travis Theis, Montreal Alouettes (at Hamilton Tiger-Cats), Thurs. 6/4, 7:30 p.m. ET
Bet: 60+ Rushing Yards (-138 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Theis put together an impressive rookie season in 2025 following a successful four-year run at South Dakota, rushing for 365 yards at 5.2 yards per carry and adding 162 receiving yards on 19 catches.
The shifty back even accumulated 539 total return yards and a punt-return TD, underscoring his considerable versatility. Theis is now teed up to start his sophomore pro campaign with top billing, as the Alouettes’ Stevie Scott III, who’s set to work as the No. 1 back this season, is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
That development will afford Theis what should be a robust role for Thursday night’s season-opening clash against a Tiger-Cats team that finished the 2025 season allowing a league-high 111.0 rushing yards per game at a league-high 5.7 yards per carry.
Theis mostly worked in a complementary role last season, never topping 12 carries in any one game. However, he gained 75 rushing yards in that Week 2 matchup against the Redblacks, and he posted 70 yards on the ground with his second-highest carry total of the season – nine totes – in Week 14 against this same Hamilton squad.
With an expanded role expected and Theis having taken 10 of his 70 carries last season for 10+ yards, the 60-yard threshold is certainly within reach versus a Ti-Cats defense that will be dealing with injuries to its linebacker corps.
Zach Collaros, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (at Calgary Stampders), Fri. 6/5, 9:00 p.m. ET
Bet: Over 1.5 Passing TDs (+110 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Collaros is back for another run with the Blue Bombers after an injury-shortened 2025 in which he still managed to lead Winnipeg into the postseason. Collaros did toss a career-high 16 interceptions over 13 games last season, but the veteran signal-caller is back to full health and has an impressive array of weapons to work with.
One of the new additions to Winnipeg’s offense this offseason is Tim White, who arrives fresh off having put together four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Hamilton that also featured 31 touchdown receptions. He’s joined by a healthy Ontaria Wilson, a standout as a rookie in 2024 (71-1,026-3 over 18 games) that played in only six games last season due to injury.
Collaros also has an outstanding pass-catching back in Brady Oliveira and the ever-reliable Nic Demski, who’s made 29 trips to the end zone as a receiver over the last four seasons while typically working with the veteran signal-caller.
The opposing Stampeders were vulnerable to the pass last season, surrendering 283.3 passing yards per contest and a league-high 448 completions. Calgary also conceded 25 touchdown passes, and Collaros tossed three TDs against them in two-plus games.
Given the addition of another significant red-zone threat in White and the health of Wilson, Collaros has enough explosive weapons to warrant taking a shot at him throwing for at least two scores in a game that should be very competitive.
Justin Hardy, Ottawa Redblacks (vs. Edmonton Elks), Sat. 6/6, 7:00 p.m. ET
Bet: Longest Reception Over 22.5 Yards (-118 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Hardy had a solid career as a complementary receiver in the NFL following his selection by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2015 NFL Draft, but he’s realized his full potential as a pro since coming north of the border in 2022.
Following an encouraging first CFL season where he posted a 44-416-0 line in just seven games, Hardy has gone on to post three straight 1,000-yard seasons during which he’s recorded 78 receptions or better. Although not particularly renowned for speed, Hardy is an excellent mid-range target that has run-after-catch skills and can therefore frequently contribute chunk gains.
The veteran wideout will open the season working with a new quarterback in Jake Maier, who won the starting job over incumbent Dru Brown after coming over from the Roughriders during the offseason. Maier has plenty of experience and has averaged a solid 7.8 yards per attempt and 11.4 yards per completion during his CFL career.
Hardy posted a solid 67.2% catch rate last season and saw a robust 116 targets overall. He also brought in an impressive 50% of the 18 passes of 20 yards or more in target depth, and he’s opening the season against an Elks team that surrendered a league-high 296.4 passing yards per game, a 71.5% completion rate and 29 receptions of 30+ yards a season ago.
Hardy’s savvy route-running skills, ability to gain yards after catch and reliable hands should make him a frequent target of Maier in his Redblacks debut, giving the former a chance to record a catch of at least 23 yards.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
