The onset of the National Football League’s preseason shifts the focus of online sportsbooks toward NFL betting until next February’s Super Bowl LIX. Thursday night at 8 PM on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes, the first preseason game of 2024-25 between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears will kickoff.
The Texans and Bears possess the number one overall draft picks from 2023 and 2024, respectively. Since the HOF game represents an additional preseason contest for both teams, it is highly unlikely that quarterbacks CJ Stroud and Caleb Williams will see any playing time.
Still, when there are pro football games, there’ll be odds for NFL betting taking action on them. Here’s the line on the NFL Hall of Fame Game as of the Monday morning before kickoff.
Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears
- Spread: Texans +2.0, Bears -2.0
- Over/Under: 32.0
- Moneyline: Offline
- Offered At BetOnline
This contest is always the debut game of the preseason and is held at the Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Honored during the telecast are the current inductees to the NFL HoF.
2024 NFL Hall Of Fame Inductees
- Dwight Freeney – Defensive End – Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks
- Randy Gradishar – Linebacker – Denver Broncos
- Devin Hester – Kick Returner – Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks
- Andre Johnson – Wide Receiver – Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans
- Steve McMichael – Defensive Tackle – Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers
- Julius Peppers – Defensive End – Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers
- Patrick Willis – Linebacker – San Francisco 49ers
The top two teams in the preseason NFL futures are the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, implying a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl. The odds for both teams are listed at north of +400 for anyone brave enough to bet now.
Here are a few franchises worthy of considering now to maximize potential profits.
Super Bowl 59 Sleepers
- The Miami Dolphins – Even though Miami finished one win away from the #2 overall seed in the AFC last year, many prognosticators are predicting a third-place finish in their division. We don’t see anything keeping the Dolphins from taking that next step this season, which could mean a number-one seed. Their Super Bowl odds can be found at +2500 right now.
- The Los Angeles Rams – Quietly operating under the radar since their SB LVI win against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 are the LA Rams. Their preseason NFL futures are set at +2800, which seems a bit low for a team that won 10 games last year and narrowly lost to the Detroit Lions in the opening round. QB Matt Stafford returns after a season where he started 15 games and is ready to throw for over 4,000 yards to his outstanding duo of wide receivers, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.
- The Los Angeles Chargers – We’re intrigued by the Chargers this year due to the hiring of new head coach Jim Harbaugh. LA finished 5-12 last year and has cleaned house on the roster since his arrival. Quarterback Justin Herbert is a better talent than Harbaugh requires at the position, which we believe will spark the turnaround sooner rather than later. The Chargers moneyline odds of winning a Lombardi are set at +4500.