Sportsbooks Favor NFL To Host A Game In Canada In 2022

• Odds for an NFL Game to be played in Canada in 2022 is set at -160.
• Toronto is the current favorite to host an NFL game in 2022 at -120 odds.

TORONTO – With the NFL Offseason comes time for the NFL to work on logistical factors like scheduling. With that in mind and with COVID-19 restrictions beginning to ease, some are speculating on the possibility for the league to host a game in Canada in the near future.

Betting odds of ‘Will the NFL Play A Regular Season Game in Canada in 2022’ are set at Yes (-160) and No (+120). This may not be surprising since the NFL has revealed intentions of having up to four neutral-site, international games per year moving forward.

Per the NFL’s statement , these games “will focus initially on Canada, Europe, Mexico, South America and the United Kingdom.”

Recently, London has been the go-to spot for international games, hosting at least three games each year from 2014 to 2019 and each NFL team aside from the Packers.

The NFL has also traveled to Mexico City in 2016, 2017 as well as in 2019. Given the establishment in London and Mexico, Canada seems to be the next stop on the global tour.

Canada and the NFL are no strangers. The first professional football game held outside of the country was in Toronto back in 1926 where the AFL’s New York Yankees and Los Angeles Wildcats played each other.

There was a long drought which contained a handful of exhibition games, but the next regular season NFL game didn’t take place in Canada until 2008 when the Miami Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills 16-3 in Toronto. The Rogers Centre in Toronto hosted that game as well a game each year from 2009-2013. However, that was the last time that Canada has seen a regular season NFL game on its turf.

Where in Canada?

The current odds via Bovada show Toronto to be the most likely destination. NFL betting fans looking to put action on a city might be wondering why Toronto would make sense.

Which Canadian City Will Host The Next Regular Season NFL Game?

• Toronto -120
• Montreal +225
• Vancouver +200
• Ottawa +800
• Edmonton +1600
• Calgary +1800

The logistics of having a game in Toronto seem to match up with the odds. Toronto already has a team in the NBA and MLB, Toronto has hosted all the NFL Regular season games in Canada and has previously been listed by NFL owners as a likely spot for relocation or expansion.

Although Toronto is the favorite, it’s not the only viable option. Vancouver hosted a 1998 American Bowl game, Montreal has hosted a variety of exhibitions and Winnipeg even hosted a preseason game in 2019 between the Raiders and Packers, albeit on an 80-yard field.

How ‘NO’ Might Cash

There have been some questions amongst the powerful figures in the NFL of whether or not a Canadian city has a stadium viable for NFL play, but considering the track record of the NFL playing games in Canada that seems like an unlikely reason to prevent a game.

The true deterrent and honestly, only thing that could prevent this from happening, is COVID-19. The Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays were forced to abandon their home country and reside in Florida to compete in their respective leagues, while Canadian hockey teams are only playing other teams in Canada for the time being.

The 2020 NFL season was the first season since 2006 that didn’t have a single regular season game take place outside of the United States. It’s still up in the air as to if the NFL will travel to London in the 2021 season, but a couple of teams have said they expect to make the trip over the pond.

Predicting COVID-19 has been nearly impossible, but as more people become vaccinated and things slowly get back to normal, it seems that in 2022 it’s more likely than not that there will be an NFL regular season game played in Canada.