CFL 2026: ATS picks week 1

I am picking all underdogs against the spread (ATS) to open the 2026 season.

HAMmerville +1.5 over montreal

CALGARY +1.5 over winterpeg

redmonton +3.5 over OTTAWA. 

Godiva toy boy  Archibald points out that western teams are now 290-194-4 or 59.8% straight-up against eastern teams from 2012 through 2025 including Grey Cups and other playoff games. The west was 27-15 straight-up last year in 2025 including Winterpeg's loss to MONTREAL in the eastern semi-final and Sasquatchewan's Grey Cup victory. SASquatchEWAN was 8-1 v. the east.

However, in 2024, east bested west 23-16-2 after winning in 2023 as well. The east won 3 straight Grey Cups from 2022 through 2024. But, the west has won 12 of the past 19 Grey Cups. I am proud, albeit insignificantly statistically proud, to be 11-5 ATS picking the past 16 Grey Cups, although I admit to losing the past 3 before winning 2025. 

I am 51% over 15 years picking Canadian Football League (CFL) winners ATS from 2009 on through 2025. (I do not do well enough to make a profit betting CFL games with real money, but every now and then my picks should be good enough to win a small, just-for-fun CFL season-long pool. I trail behind a simple all-underdogs strategy at 52% from 2009-2025. 2023 was the first year since 2014 for CFL underdogs to record a losing year ATS. 2023 was my worst year ever by far and my 2nd consecutive losing year. 

Arch is too busy with his new hobby to maintain his CFL ATS pool, so my picks are just for fun now. 

Apologies to loyal Godivans for not yet updating my 2024 and 2025 records ATS. Chaos caused by doesn't-deserve-me Godiva toy boy and and fiance-in-perpetuity Archibald preventing me from keeping up during the regular season. And, I have been so caught up helping Godiva toy boy and permanent fiance Arch with his substacking that I still haven't had time to update my CFL picking record for 2024 and 2025. 

Major League Baseball (MLB) interleague 2026: NL dominating

In the 2026 chapter of Major League Baseball's (MLB's) interleague rivalry, National League teams (NL) are schooling American League (AL) teams 155 wins to 122 (56%) as we pass the 1/3 mark of the 2026 season. So far, the NL is on track for its best-ever interleague season surpassing the previous high of 55% in 2019.

Thanks to the AL's collective -34 mark in interleague matches, only 3 of 15 AL squads have winning interleague records so far this year -- Seattle, Texas and Cleveland.  

Even the once-dominant AL East with a 45% record (39-48) is eating humble pie this year in matches against NL squads. 

After 14 consecutive AL triumphs from 2004 through 2017, the NL won the inter-league contest for 5 of 7 seasons starting with 2018 through 2024. The AL got back on top in 2025. The AL owns a slight advantage with a 51% winning record over 30 years since interleague regular season play started in 1997. 

The "brain gap" between AL and NL team managements shrank over the years thanks to: 

• the brain drain of smarty-pants and smarty-skirt executives who started with AL squads before crossing over to manage NL teams;
• the effects of age on AL owners no longer content to hire the best baseball minds and stay out of the way -- e.g., sad decline of the Red Sox as John Henry ages into his dotage taking the BoSox down with him.  

The AL's remaining claim to superiority is winning 10 of the past 12 All-Star contests, 22 of the last 27 to reach a decision and 28 of 36.

After decades of AL superiority in the World Series, the NL has won 5 of the last 7 with Los Dodgers winning 3 of the last 5. Over the last 2 decades from 2006-2025, the NL is ahead 12-8. From 1983 through 2005, the AL won 15 of 22 World Series championships.

None of this information is useful for betting purposes. Gambling odds are almost never fair for gamblers. For the vast majority, it's not possible to earn a long-term profit gambling. Online sports betting is the new House of the Rising Sun: "It's been the ruin of many a poor boy. And, God I know that my ex-toy boy is one."