Football ‘north of the border' gets underway later in June with the start of the CFL regular season. To get you ready for all the betting action at 5Dimes sportsbook, the following is a closer look at the recently updated betting odds to win this year's Grey Cup title.

For the third-straight season, the Calgary Stampeders out of the West Division of the CFL have been opened as favorites to win a Grey Cup title. They have come up just short on their bid the last two years, and a few teams are in good position to keep the Stamps from getting it done this season. Here is a brief look at the best value in the CFL futures betting odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook

2018 CFL Favorite to Win the Grey Cup

Calgary posted the best record in the CFL last season at 13-4-1 straight-up a year after it won 15 of its 18 games the year before. Both of those seasons ended in bitter disappointment with losses to Ottawa in 2016 and Toronto in 2017 in the Grey Cup Championship Game. While the Stampeders have clearly been the top team in the CFL over this same span, there has to be some concern with their chances to put those two bitter setbacks in the rearview mirror to win it all this year. See 2017 Grey Cup Odds

The Stampeders’ betting odds to win the 2018 CFL title are set at +225 as the clear favorite on the board. Bo Levi Mitchell is back at quarterback as the third leading passer in the league in total yards. However, the Stampeders’ running game took a hit with Jerome Messam signing with Saskatchewan in the offseason as a free agent. He was the CFL's third-leading rusher with 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns on 215 carries.

Overall, the Stamps are still loaded on both sides of the ball as the team to beat in the West this season. Making the playoffs is probably a given. Winning the 2018 Grey Cup could be a whole other story.

2018 Top Contenders to Win the Grey Cup

Next on the list at 5Dimes is the Edmonton Eskimos at +675. They went from winning ten games in 2016 to a 12-6 record in 2017 to earn the third seed in the West behind Calgary and Winnipeg. The Eskimos knocked off the Blue Bombers 39-32 in the playoffs as three-point favorites before losing to the Stampeders 32-28 as five-point road underdogs in the West Division title game. Behind Matt Nichols at quarterback and Andrew Harris as the CFL’s leading rusher in 2017, Edmonton was able to average 28.3 points per game. With some better depth on the other side of the ball, there is quite a bit of value in the Eskimos’ betting odds to win it all this year.

A trio of teams made up of Saskatchewan, Hamilton and Toronto are listed at +800 odds to win this season’s CFL title. The Argonauts are defending champs, but I think the Tiger-Cats have the best value of the three. Ottawa made an unexpected run to the 2016 title, and Toronto pulled off the upset last season, so it could be Hamilton's turn to emerge as champs out of the easier path in the East. Jeremiah Masoli should be Hamilton’s starting quarterback, and Alex Green should lead the ground game after gaining 447 yards on just 79 rushes in 2017. Hamilton will have to tighten things up on defense, but overall it should be much better than its six-win campaign last year.

2018 Top Longshot to Win the Grey Cup

Worst to first runs in the CFL are not all that uncommon to add some substantial value to the British Columbia Lions’ +1200 betting odds to win the 2018 Grey Cup. Working against them is the division they play in as the fifth team in the West last year at 7-11. However, there are some pieces in place that could make them a bit more competitive in 2018. Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux is back as a big target for Travis Lulay and Jeremiah Johnson should anchor the running game after gaining 913 yards and scoring nine touchdowns on 158 carries last season.