Sports Betting
Hall of Fame Game Betting Preview: 2 Ugly Best Bets for the Ugliest Game on the NFL Calendar
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sports7 in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sports7 with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
Get to know Jack Dougherty betterUpdated09 Dec 2022
Football is back, baby!
Well... sort of.
The Las Vegas Raiders will face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday night in the 2022 NFL Hall of Fame Game. Although we won't see most of the big names on either side suit up for the preseason matchup, we'll still be able to watch NFL football for the first time in five months.
And you know what that means. That's right, we finally get to bet on NFL football again! So, without further ado, let's get to my two ugly best bets for the ugliest (yet, still glorious) game on the NFL calendar.
Hall of Fame Game betting odds
Spread: Raiders -2.5 (-115), Jaguars +2.5 (+105)
Moneyline: Raiders -142, Jaguars +120
Total: 30.5
Boy, what a beautiful sight. We haven't been able to bet on a spread or a total in the NFL since the Super Bowl in February. And while this isn't nearly as appetizing, it's still football nonetheless.
For the 2022 Hall of Fame Game, the Raiders currently sit as 2.5-point favorites over the Jaguars, while the total sits at a minuscule 30.5. There's a reason for that.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has already announced that starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence won't play Thursday night. Neither will backup CJ Beathard, so it will be the Jake Luton and Kyle Sloter show under center for Jacksonville.
As for the Raiders, Jarrett Stidham figures to be the starter for the game, with Nick Mullens and Chase Garbers set to see some action in relief.
The most we could ask for is to see Davante Adams and Christian Kirk play at least one series in the game. Even that may be asking too much, but we'll take what we can get.
Hall of Fame Game best bets: Hold your nose and take the under
Raiders -2.5 (-115)
Look, I'm not going to pretend I have some sort of genius edge in a meaningless preseason game. I don't. But I do know that Luton has started three NFL games and thrown six interceptions to just two touchdowns. I also know that Sloter, who will take most of the snaps in the second half, doesn't have a single game of NFL experience.
On the other side, Stidham has been coached by Bill Belichick for the last two years, and Mullens has the most NFL experience of any QB in this game with his 17 career starts. I'll ride with the better platoon of QBs to win by at least a field goal.
Under 30.5 (-110)
That brings us to my best bet of the night — the under 30.5. It may seem low, but the Hall of Fame Game under has gone 5-1 over the past six matchups. Because the first preseason game is typically so early on in training camp, teams are hesitant to play any of their starters in a full-contact setting. That means tons and tons of third- and fourth-stringers on the field for most of the night.
This lack of talent clearly benefits the defenses. All we have to do is avoid any pick-sixes or careless fumbles from these unproven quarterbacks, and this bet should cash with relative ease.
All betting odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 8/4.
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