Each year, the NFL’s preseason begins with the Hall of Fame Game, which is part of a week’s worth of enshrinement activities for the current HoF inductees. Because the game is an extra preseason contest for both teams involved, it gives them an additional week to get a look at their respective rosters.
As the country’s most viewed and wagered-upon sport, anticipation is always high for the first televised game of the season. What stinks is that hardly any starters ever participate in the Hall of Fame game, instantly squashing the built-up enthusiasm leading up to kickoff.
Still, the allure of pads popping in the hot summer sun is more than enough to inspire loads of fanatics to gather in front of television screens to watch. In turn, gamblers will flock to 18+ online sportsbooks to lay some action on the game.
We’ve already mentioned the mishmash of unknowns that will take to the field tonight, so what exactly are we betting on?
The preseason NFL odds are mostly based on the current makeup of the rosters, previous preseason performances by the coaches and franchise, and any hints dropped by either team regarding strategies leading up to the game.
Here is the betting line offered at Bovada for this evening’s contest.
Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears Betting Line
- Point Spread: Texans -1.5, Bears +1.5
- Moneyline: Texans -130, Bears +110
- Over/Under: 31.0
Our staff is leaning toward the Bears covering. The reason is that there are several new faces in Chicago, and even though most of the starters will be on the sidelines, the rest will be battling for a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding who will be on the field and for how long, prop bets for the game are hard to come by. There are quarter and halftime lines offered, but absent are the dozens of player and team performance props that usually accompany NFL odds.
We advise treating any over/under totals, moneylines, or spread betting opportunities for tonight as pure entertainment because reliance on “insight” will surely result in frustration.
The Hall of Fame Game is such an outlier that there won’t be another preseason contest until August 8th at 7 PM, when there will be a Thursday Night Football doubleheader. By Sunday, August 11th, all NFL teams will have a preseason game in the books.
The 2024-25 NFL officially begins on September 5th, when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game. Lines are already posted for KC vs. BAL at the sites included in our online sportsbook reviews, and 30+ props are taking action now.