Sean Barnard breaks down his favorite pick and prediction for the Chargers vs. Lions matchup in the NFL Hall of Fame Game to open up the 2025 season.

Football is finally back. While we still have over a month until the games that matter take place, the NFL Hall of Fame Game will be played on Thursday, marking the first game action of the season.

The exhibition is part of the festivities surrounding the NFL’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and has been an annual tradition since 1962. In this year’s matchup, the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions will face off to fully launch the 2025 NFL season into action.

DraftKings Sportsbook is offering odds for the preseason opener. The Lions enter as narrow -1.5 favorites on the spread and -135 on the moneyline. The Chargers hold +114 odds on the moneyline with the game total set at just 32.5.

While there is some inherent variance brought on by the uncertainty of preseason and how each team views the exhibition repetitions, let’s dive into a prediction for the first live action of the 2025 NFL season.

Chargers vs. Lions Preview

Justin Herbert will get the day off for this matchup, with Trey Lance set to serve as the Chargers’ starting quarterback. Head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters the plan is for him to play the first and second quarters as well as the first drive of the third quarter. It has been a strange career for Lance since he was drafted with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The North Dakota State product has played in just 12 total games with five starts to this point, spending time with the 49ers and Cowboys. At 25 years old, there is still time for Lance to find some footing in the NFL, but this will be an important showcase for him. Rookies Omarion Hampton, Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith will each make their NFL debuts in the matchup.

Detroit is taking a cautious approach to the preseason with no starters expected to play in the Hall of Fame Game. There has been plenty of turnover for the Lions with changes to both the offensive and defensive coordinators this offseason. Dan Campbell said there is a chance the starters play later on in the preseason, but it is dependent on how the team looks during the upcoming joint practices. Rookies Tate Ratledge and Tyleik Williams have also joined the veterans in sitting out this game, which is a pretty strong statement in the franchise’s belief in its young talents.

Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen are the other quarterbacks on the depth chart who will split the snaps. Hooker’s ACL tear late in his college career at Tennessee changed his draft stock quite a bit, and he ended up being selected with the 68th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He took just nine pass attempts as a rookie, and this will be an interesting showcase for him.

While it will be nice to see some football action on the field, both sides are approaching this matchup with caution. There will not be too many takeaways from the on-field product outside of the players competing to clinch roster spots, with the process mattering more than the results in the preseason battle.

Chargers vs. Lions Pick

Nonetheless, the action will still count in the bet slips all the same. I am backing the Chargers on the moneyline for the outright upset in the first live game of the 2025 NFL season.

The clock is ticking for Trey Lance’s future, and this is an important opportunity to prove he belongs at the NFL level. His raw skillset is evident, and the flashes have been there, but organizations only allow so many opportunities before the door fully shuts. Lance is on his third team, and a convincing performance would go a long way in cementing his professional future. This is also something the Chargers will be interested in. Building up his trade value and having other teams believe he could be a starting-caliber quarterback would open them up for a trade opportunity. With Justin Herbert still just 27 years old, this likely would be the best outcome for the organization.

With no starters on Detroit and a pair of new coordinators introducing their systems on both sides of the ball, expect there to be some ugly stretches for the Lions. Don’t bank on this being a very polished football game, but I am backing Lance and the Chargers to be a bit more invested in the results and get a victory.

Best Bet: Chargers +114