The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals meet on Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game. The HOF Game is set to start at 8:00 p.m. ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and will broadcast live on NBC/Peacock and can be traded on Polymarket.
The Panthers are favored by -1.5 on the spread, with the over/under set at 35.5. The Panthers are the preferred trading option, while the Cardinals will be looking to pull off an upset.
Let's get into my Panthers vs Cardinals predictions for the Hall of Fame Game.
Cardinals vs Panthers Predictions
- Cardinals vs Panthers Over 35.5 Points — NO (53%)
Cardinals vs Panthers Odds (Polymarket)
Cardinals vs Panthers Preview
The Panthers under head coach Dave Canales have not shown a concerted effort to achieve victory in preseason games over the last two seasons.
In fact, his 1-5 record since he took over in 2024 becomes an even harsher evaluation of the team's performance when you notice that four of those losses came by more than one possession. In 2025, Carolina was outscored 69 to 23 across three games, failing to score more than 10 points in any of those outings.
The offensive coaching staff is intact in Carolina, but this will be the first test for offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.
Idzik has been with Canales during his time with the Panthers, but now Idzik will officially be taking over play-calling duties. The mechanics of a new offensive coordinator is always a process no matter the level of football, with the main point of emphasis being a seamless operation.
Canales said you can expect to see a Panthers team on Thursday without most of their starters. However, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett does bring a veteran presence at quarterback for the offense. The issue in terms of play-calling and play design for Idzik is that he will be managing a very thin offensive line in front of Pickett.
An achilles injury to Ikem Ekwonu in their Wild Card Round loss to the Rams last year — combined with an ongoing health issue with Taylor Moton — means the Panthers are going to enter the regular season without their two offensive tackles.
Neither would have been likely to play in the Hall of Fame Game, but it does thrust first-round pick Monroe Freeling into the starting lineup, meaning the coaching staff may have to limit his reps or have him sit out entirely to avoid an injury they can't afford. This same thought process may also be applied to other key depth pieces that otherwise would have gotten an extended evaluation in this game.
After Pickett relinquishes duties under center, rookie Haynes King will take over the offense.
King will make his living in the NFL by keeping the offense on schedule and making plays with his legs, like he did at Georgia Tech. A heavy dose of the ground game should be expected when King enters the game.
The quick passing game will be utilized to assist in keeping King comfortable and a few designed rushes for the athletic quarterback will be deployed. Either way, this will ultimately keep the clock churning in the second half.
King isn’t the only rookie signal caller college football fans will recognize in this game as the Cardinals will start former Miami QB Carson Beck.
The Cardinals have one of the deepest running back rooms in the NFL — featuring electric rookie Jeremiyah Love and veteran Tyler Allgeier, with Trey Benson and James Conner still working their way back from injury — but none of them will aid Beck in this game.
Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur will be calling plays from the sideline as offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett operates from the booth. When asked about what he wants to see from Beck at quarterback on Thursday night, Lafleur was quoted as saying, “I want to see a clean operation and make the right play for the Cardinals in that time.”
LaFleur went on to mention that the 2nd and 3rd teams on the offensive depth chart recently had their best day “in terms of just getting set and going.” Reading between the lines, it’s fair to say Lafleur will have to manage this contest by calling a rather vanilla game.
LaFleur has not mentioned the exact rotation of playing time for the Hall of Fame Game, but after Beck exits we should see Kedon Slovis at quarterback for Arizona.
In 2025 with the Texans, Slovis did get an extended look in the preseason, attempting 43 passes in total. He averaged just 5.4 yards per pass attempt with a touchdown and interception, while also taking two sacks.
Cardinals vs Panthers Picks, Betting Analysis
It may be tempting to back the Cardinals as an underdog, but there is plenty of uncertainty regarding their offense with a rookie starting in his first NFL game.
Rather, I believe the under presents the best value. Leaning into the fact that both Beck and King will be adjusting to the speed of the game, in addition to fifth-round rookie center Sam Hecht for the Panthers and multiple offensive line contributors for Arizona.
The coachspeak from LaFleur points to keeping things extremely simple on offense. The history of Canales in the exhibition season has proven he does not like to put very much on tape as Carolina has averaged just 11.5 points per game over his two years at the helm for the Panthers.
Focusing specifically at the offerings at Polymarket, under 35.5 points is currently sitting at 53%. That is how I will be playing the opening game of the NFL season.
Cardinals vs Panthers Trade: Over 35.5 points – NO 53%
