It may not seem like it, but autumn is temporarily approaching. Soon, leaves will replace color, days will get shorter, Spirit Halloween outlets will pop up in malls across the country, and most importantly, the NFL will be back.
But before that, we have the NFL preseason, which kicks off Thursday with the Hall of Fame game between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. In addition to marking the start of the preseason, the Hall of Fame game also kicks off the weekend’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
This year’s game pits a team with a lot of interest in this year’s induction ceremonies (Andre Johnson is the Texans’ first Hall of Famer) against a team that has its own Hall of Famer ( Devin Hester), as well as many other scenarios. Not only did the Bears select quarterback Caleb Williams first overall in the NFL Draft in April, but they will also be featured in this year’s edition of Hard Knocks.
While the Hall of Fame game is only an exhibition game, last year’s contest attracted 6. 3 million viewers. After months without football, Americans are eager to get back to their favorite sport.
There are also plenty of markets for the game at all of our favorite NFL sites. Below is a look at some of our favourite markets from the game, as well as a preview of the match.
Game details
Odds Summary
Odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change.
The Bears started as the money line and were favorites for this game, however, they became slight underdogs on Tuesday after it was announced that Williams and the rest of Chicago’s starters would not play on Thursday.
Instead, the Bears will start with second-year quarterback Tyson Bagent, who threw for 859 yards, 3 touchdowns and six interceptions in five games last season (four starts) and added two rushing touchdowns. He’ll take a decent amount of shots, while Brett Rypien and Austin Reed deserve to see him in action as well.
The game will also mark the debut of new Chicago offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. While Waldron may not clear up the playbook, Thursday’s game may offer only a limited view of what his offense will look like with Williams under center.
On the other hand, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said his starters most likely won’t play in the game either, meaning fans will have to wait a little longer to see how C. J. Stroud will maintain his record rookie year.
It reminds us that we have an EXTRA game.
It’s the decision. pic. twitter. com/LT9fLQS5Gy
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) July 31, 2024
The big story going forward with them is how they are going to take care of their unprecedented wide receiver depth. With Tank Dell, Nico Collins and new acquisition Stefon Diggs absent, players like John Metchie III, Xaiver Hutchinson and Ben Skowronek deserve to get upside. of many touches. In addition, it is also imaginable that veterans Noah Brown and Robert Woods will be present.
Money Line Bear (110)
The explanation for this bet is twofold.
A 1-3 point underdog is 158-110 (60%) from the spring training hole since 2015. While this is a cash bet, the Bears are losers by just 1. 5 points, so it’s not hard to believe them. problems and get the victory.
The second component considers the quarterback’s situation. Bagent is better than most spring training quarterbacks and is coming off a promising rookie year. Although he may not play the entire game, he’ll have to prove he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL after leading Chicago to a 2-2 record in his starts last season, so I expect him to come out on top and get off to a fast start.
Over 31. 5 numbers (-110)
Bagent will most likely start in opposition to Davis Mills, who threw for more than 3,000 yards in 2022. Since the Texans need to figure out the intensity of their wide receiver, I expect them to fly early and often, which results in a lot of things. of pieces. cheek.
This, along with Bagent’s cunning when it comes to dual threats, deserves to score a lot of points. Although there is a chance that either group stays in the race to avoid injuries, I expect fireworks.
The Over has reached that line in 3 of the last five Hall of Fame games, so we think that trend will continue.
Betting on the Hall of Fame game is like a general NFL game. Online bookmakers will have popular lines like money line, spread, and total. All of these bets are undeniable and undeniable to perceive for beginners and casual bettors alike.
Beyond that, the books will include a lot of support bets on markets such as which team will score first, who will win the first half, and what the margin of victory will be. These bets are more nuanced and aimed at serious sports enthusiasts and bettors.
Bettors can combine in-game bets into a single game. These bets are riskier and less likely to succeed, but have higher odds and payouts.
Remember, the Hall of Fame Game is an exhibition contest, so there’s not much at stake for players beyond non-public pride. In addition, the game’s high substitution rate and lack of stars make it more volatile and harder to expect than a normal seasonal game. .
Therefore, we restrict your bets to smaller units.
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