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The Hamilton Tigercats

Off-season activity at the Hamilton Tigercats has been intriguing to say the least. The side has been boosted by the arrival of several big names including Dan Goodspeed and there's a real sense that this team is on the verge of becoming a force to be reckoned with.

This season will probably be too soon for the Ticats, a side which has failed to reach the playoffs in four years now, to prove themselves but a succession of balanced performances and a greater sense of leadership should result from the arrival of Goodspeed, Kevin Glenn, and Otis Floyd, to name just a few.

The Ticats are available to back at odds of [16.5] in the CFL 2009 Winner's Market.

The Montreal Alouettes

The Als should do well again this year with the general consensus remaining that this side is the top pick from a relatively poor crop. The team has lost T.J. Hill amongst several others but Anthony Calvillo remains at quarter-back.

Fans of the Als will be hoping that Calvillo, who certainly isn't getting any younger, can remain fully fit for the duration of the season and maintain a productive bond with Ben Cahoon. Calvillo was rewarded for a fantastic season in 2008 with the CFL's outstanding player accolade after he recorded a career high of 43 touchdown passes.

The Als are currently available to back at odds of [7.0] in the CFL 2009 Winner's Market.

The Toronto Argonauts

The Argos suffered a terrible run of form towards the end of last season, losing the last eight games of the campaign and whilst they'll surely start this year determined to give their fans a belated reason to be proud, Bart Andrus' men are unlikely to make any substantial, long-term impression in the division.

The departure of Dominique Dorsey to the NFL has left a void which will not be filled easily and it looks likely that a crucial transitional period is about to start in earnest for the Argos, who will be under the leadership of a head coach completely lacking in CFL experience.

Marc Trestman's fortunes at Montreal last season provide reason enough to remain optimistic despite Andrus' lack of CFL experience and Steve Buratto, the Argos' special teams coach, will be an invaluable asset for the new coaching set-up.

The Argos can be backed at odds of [11.5] in the CFL 2009 Winner's Market.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Coach Mike Kelly has radically altered the look of this team, with big name arrivals including Stefan LeFors, Brock Ralph, and Kelly Bates. The team is likely to prove too strong for the Hamilton Tigercats and the Toronto Argonauts but it would be something of a shock if they managed to overhaul Montreal at the top of the division.

All eyes are likely to be scrutinizing the early-season performances of LeFors, who will need to perform consistently if the Bombers are to provide a sustained challenge to Montreal. Kelly hasn't been shy of singing LeFors' praises thus far but doubts remain outside of Winnipeg that he may not be quite as good as the coach believes.

The Bombers are availble to back at odds of [14.0] in the CFL 2009 Winner's Market.