The 2025 Canadian Football League season has been full of exciting games, memorable moments, and standout performers and performances. But after 23 weeks of thrills, the curtain is about to close, as only the 112th Grey Cup remains. And if two weeks of postseason drama are any indication of what is in store at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Sunday’s Alouettes vs. Roughriders matchup (6:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network) will be a showstopper.
The Alouettes are back in the Grey Cup for the first time since 2022, having overcome the extended absence of franchise quarterback Davis Alexander and a five-game losing streak to show their class at the business end of the season upon Alexander’s return to action.
After ending Winnipeg’s hopes of a sixth consecutive Grey Cup appearance, Montreal went to Hamilton for the East Final and edged the Tiger-Cats 19-16, with Jose Maltos Diaz breaking home hearts as he booted a 45-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
The Roughriders, who had the league’s best record this season, followed suit with their own thrilling win in the West Final over the BC Lions. Saskatchewan should have been dead and buried multiple times late in the fourth, but head coach Corey Mace’s calculated gamble to trust his defense not once but twice paid off handsomely.
After the second stop, Trevor Harris calmly drove the Riders 76 yards in only 52 seconds, and his three-yard touchdown strike to Tommy Nield with 11 seconds left delivered a 24-21 win and the team’s first Grey Cup berth since 2013.
Which team will lift the trophy in Winnipeg? Read on for our Alouettes vs. Roughriders prediction and picks. Also, get the best Grey Cup betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Alouettes | +3.5 (-118) | +153 | Over 49 (-110) |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | -3.5 (-102) | -175 | Under 49 (-110) |
Alouettes vs. Roughriders Prediction and Picks
Prediction: Roughriders to win
While the Tiger-Cats and Lions would have been quite the compelling catfight, it is perhaps only fitting that Montreal and Saskatchewan meet for all the marbles.
After all, the late-season surge for the Alouettes started with a resounding win vs. the Roughriders in Regina.
The 48-31 Week 15 win at Mosaic Field snapped Montreal’s five-game losing skid and kickstarted a run of five consecutive wins, two with McLeod Bethel-Thompson and three with Alexander, whose season was disrupted by a nagging hamstring injury.
The streak came to an end with a 19-10 loss in Winnipeg in Week 21, and while that was a meaningless game, the Alouettes return to Princess Auto Stadium to do what many thought they could this season with Alexander.
The East Final win over the Tiger-Cats took Alexander to 13-0 as a starter in his CFL career, but to cap this weird and wild season with a 14th consecutive win and a Grey Cup crown may prove to be one of his toughest yet.
In the fourth quarter in Hamilton, Alexander re-aggravated his hamstring, and while he was able to play through it to lead the Alouettes to victory (without missing any plays), could it be a factor vs. the Roughriders?
But if Saskatchewan comes away with the win, it won’t be because Alexander is ailing.
Last Five Grey Cup Results
- 2024: Toronto Argonauts 41, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24
- 2023: Montreal Alouettes 28, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24
- 2022: Toronto Argonauts 24, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23
- 2021: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 25 (OT)
- 2019: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 12
This season, the Riders won just their third West Division title since 1976 and won 12 games for just the fourth time since 1970, and they did it with a quarterback who had one of the best seasons of his career at 39.
Harris’s form tapered off in the second half of the season, but he delivered when it mattered, completing 26 of 38 passes for 305 yards and two scores against BC.
But who will waltz away with the hallowed hardware in Winnipeg?
The Alouettes have overcome a great deal to get to this point, and the recurrence of Alexander’s hamstring injury is just another thing to contend with.
He and they certainly can do that, and Bethel-Thompson is a capable fill-in if he has to be called upon at some point.
But it is telling how good the Roughriders have been and how cohesive they are that, even while resting players in the final two weeks of the season, they nearly beat both Winnipeg and BC in games both teams needed to win.
Given how things have played out thus far in the postseason, it seems only right for the Grey Cup to be a close contest. But in the end, I think the Alouettes will come up just short vs. the Roughriders, who will celebrate a first title since 2013.
Alouettes vs. Roughriders Picks
1) Samuel Emilus (Roughriders) Over 68.5 Receiving Yards (-143 at Lucky Rebel)
Emilus, a Montreal native, will be relishing the chance to face his hometown team for the title.
He played only eight games in the regular season, missing a month with a foot injury and two months with a knee injury. But when he has been healthy, he has made an impact.
He had three 100-yard games and went over this listed total four times in the regular season, and in the West Final win over the Lions, he had nine catches for 100 yards.
Look for him to be a top target once again for Harris, and while he hasn’t found the end zone much this season, he’s also worth a look as an anytime touchdown scorer (-121 at Lucky Rebel).
2) Alouettes/Roughriders First Half Under 24.5 (-115 at BetOnline)
In the last Alouettes vs. Roughriders matchup, Montreal jumped out to a 28-10 halftime lead on the way to a stunning win in Regina.
That, however, has not been the norm for Riders games this season, both because of the result and the number of points overall. It was just one of six times this season that a Riders game featured 25 or more first half points, and it was also the most recent of the six instances.
Both teams can move the ball down the field, but championship games are often cagey, nervy affairs early, and that lends well to a first half under, whether or not it fits the preceding pattern.
Other CFL Betting Information
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