The wait for the 2025 NFL season is over, even though the calendar has not quite flipped from July to August.

Correction: The wait for the 2025 NFL preseason is over.

Football fans will be “treated” to live, nationally televised action on Thursday, July 31, with the NFL‘s annual Hall of Fame Game set to kick off at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

While neither of this year’s HOF Game participants — the Chargers and Lions — lack stars, the biggest name we’ll see Thursday night is probably reserve Chargers quarterback Trey Lance.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is currently third on the depth chart behind Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinicke, but Jim Harbaugh announced this week that he’ll not only start Thursday’s game, but play into the the third quarter of Chargers vs. Lions.

How To Watch NFL Hall Of Fame Game: Chargers vs. LionsTV: NBC/PeacockKickoff: 8 p.m. ETNFL Hall Of Fame Game Betting OddsDKFDbet365LAC spread+1.5 (-110)+1.5 (-105)+2 (-110)DET spread-1.5 (-110)-1.5 (-115)-2 (-110)LAC ML+114+110+115DET ML-135-135-135Total32.5 (o-125; u+105)32.5 (o-115; u-105)33 (o-110; u-110)How To Bet NFL Hall of Fame Game

With the NFL down to a three-game preseason for all but the two teams that compete in the HOF game, the first exhibition contest usually features a glimpse of the starters.

But because both the Chargers and Lions have three more preseason games after this one, it will be virtually all reserves in this one, from start to finish.

For better or worse, the lack of starters (or top backups) in action tonight won’t prevent us from trying to come up with a sound strategy for our first bet on live NFL action since Super Bowl 59.

One trend that has emerged in recent years is the Hall of Fame Game being a bit higher-scoring than you might expect.

The current total of 32.5 (or 33, depending on your preferred sportsbook) for Chargers vs. Lions is a number that the Hall of Fame Game’s final score reached or exceeded four of the last six times that the game was completed, as you can see below.

Recent NFL Hall of Fame Game History

Below are the results of the last seven NFL Hall of Fame Games:

Note: the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2017: Dallas Cowboys 20, Arizona Cardinals 18 (total: 38)2018: Baltimore Ravens 17, Chicago Bears 16 (total: 33)2019: Denver Broncos 14, Atlanta Falcons 10 (total: 24)2021: Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Dallas Cowboys 3 (total: 19)2022: Las Vegas Raiders 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 11 (total: 38)2023: Cleveland Browns 21, New York Jets 16 (total: 37)2024: Chicago Bears 21, Houston Texans 17* (total: 38)

Last year’s Bears-Texans game finished with a total of 38 points despite ending with over three minutes remaining in the third quarter due to inclement weather.

NFL Hall of Fame Game Lineup News

Long story short, if you’re looking for a big name to make a splash in this game, you’re probably out of luck.

While rookies sometimes see action in their team’s Hall of Fame Game, the Lions are not expected to play either first-round pick Tyleik Williams or second-rounder Tate Ratledge on Thursday.

The Chargers, on other hand, are expected to give both first-round RB Omarion Hampton and second-round WR Tre Harris reps against the Lions, and fifth-round WR Keandre Lambert-Smith will also see the field.

NFL Hall Of Fame Game Best Bet

Lance has (obviously) not had the career he envisioned when the Niners made him a top-five pick four years ago, but he’s talented enough to put some points on the board for LA in this game, especially if he gets five or six full possessions.

With that in mind, the decision to take the over or the under probably comes down to what you expect from a Lions team that will not be playing any of its starters, as coach Dan Campbell confirmed earlier this week.

We should see heavy doses of Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen under center for the Lions. Hooker was solid in the preseason last year, and his ability to run the football makes him all the more dangerous, especially against reserve defenders.

As backups go, the 29-year-old Allen is also a solid passer with 19 NFL regular-season starts under his belt. Between Hooker and Allen, I like the Lions’ chances of scoring around 20 points, which makes the over the smart play tonight.

Best bet:

Over 32.5 points (-115 at DraftKings) — 0.5 units

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