Betting Tips for NFL Hall of Fame Game
The NFL’s first preseason game of the 2022 season is Thursday and not a moment too soon. We show you strategies on how to bet the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
Ah, preseason NFL games, the most unpredictable and hardest contests in sports to handicap and the Hall of Fame game kicks off the 2022 season on Thursday. This year it features the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Both the Raiders and Jaguars have new coaches, and each has been on Super Bowl winning teams. Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels came from the New England Patriots, where he was the offensive coordinator on several teams that won the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Super Bowl in 2017.
Hall of Fame Game Odds
Spread Moneyline Total
• Las Vegas Raiders -2 -120 Over 32.5 (-110)
• Jacksonville Jaguars +2 +100 Under 32.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
McDaniels and Pederson both have plenty of questions to be answered for their new team. McDaniels has to live up to some pretty lofty expectations. Fans are hoping this is a playoff team, but they’re in the most competitive division in the NFL. The AFC West has the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos, all of whom have better odds than the Raiders to win the division.
Pederson has to try and clean up the mess left by Urban Meyer. The team has 2021 No. 1 draft pick in Trevor Lawrence. It will be up to Pederson to coax greatness out of the 22-year-old.
We take a look at the game, and try to answer some questions that will hopefully give bettors more information when they put a wager on the Thursday match up.
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Starters Take a Seat
The first preseason game is not a real indication of the players that will be on the field for Week 1. This game is used to see what kind of back-ups teams have so they’ll play a majority of the game.
Pederson said Tuesday that starting quarterback Lawrence won’t play in the game.
“Trevor’s been getting a lot of great looks here in practice,” Pederson said, “and (we) feel he’s in a good spot.”
Expect Raiders signal caller Derek Carr to follow suit and sit Thursday’s game out.
To get any indication of how this contest might go, we have to look at the reserve quarterbacks. That should be the biggest indication of how this game will turn out.
Back-up QBs Time to Shine
The Jaguars have presumptive back-up C.J. Brethard nursing a groin injury and won’t play. That means third-stringer Jake Luton will start and get a majority of the snaps.
Luton last played in 2020, starting in three games. He had 60 completions on 110 attempts for 526 yards for a completion percentage of 54.5%. He threw for two touchdowns, six interceptions, and was sacked seven times.
The Raiders quarterback situation is a lot more appealing. Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens will be trying to position themselves as the back-up to Carr and will be using this game to try and impress McDaniels.
Stidham has the advantage because he was with McDaniels in New England. The Raiders traded for him, so chances are he’s not going to be a third-stringer.
Still Mullens has impressive career numbers as a back-up. In four seasons, he has played in 20 games and has 26 touchdowns, as well as 4,861 yards.
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Look for Betting Opportunities
This game could also be a window into possible future bets. The Raiders are +650 to win the AFC West, the highest odds of any of the four teams. This game might show if taking a flyer on the Raiders to win the division is worth the cash.
The Raiders win total for the season is 8.5, with the over at -120 and the under at +100. Maybe after seeing this game you’ll think Las Vegas will struggle this season and you’ll bet the under.
The win total for the Jaguars is 6.5. Do you think Pederson and Lawrence will be able to steer Jacksonville to the over at +110 or will they hit the under at -130?
Take this game as an opportunity to cash not only on Thursday’s contest, but future bets as well.
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