Hall of Fame Game: Panthers vs. Cardinals
Let us all revel in the glory of the NFL Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, OH! While this Panthers vs. Cardinals matchup may seem like just the kickoff to the NFL Preseason and a throwaway game that won’t see very much star power, it is the start of 21 straight Thursday nights with football. That stretch includes the NFL, Conference USA, Sun Belt, ACC, Pac-12, and American Conference action, plus TCU vs. Texas Tech on Thanksgiving and some bowl games in late December.
So, yes, while we’re not expecting the prettiest football on Thursday night, it is a beautiful thing that we have so much to look forward to on that day of the week going forward.
Note: Line is current at time of publish (Sunday, 8/2, 8:45 p.m. ET) and pick is based on information known at that time.
Be sure to check out our NFL Betting Splits throughout the preseason to see where the action is!
NFL Hall of Fame Game: Panthers vs. Cardinals Odds
Spread: Cardinals +1.5 (-112) // Panthers -1.5 (-108)
Moneyline: Cardinals +105 // Panthers -125
Total: 36.5 (-110/-110)
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of August 2, 5:45 p.m. PT
How to Watch the NFL Hall of Fame Game: Panthers vs. Cardinals
When: Thursday, August 2 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, OH
Network: NBC
Panthers vs. Cardinals Preview
This is quite the trek for the desert-dwelling Cardinals, who are part of this game because Larry Fitzgerald is getting his gold jacket as a member of the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Panthers are on hand because Luke Kuechly is also getting enshrined in the hallowed halls of Canton. After his speech and a weekend to celebrate his on-field achievements, he’ll start to prepare for the season as Netflix’s top NFL analyst for the five games that they will broadcast, including Rams vs. 49ers in Australia.
It was a long trip for the Chargers last season and they flew into CAK to stand on bizness, as they blew out the Lions 34-7. Similarly, the Raiders came from Sin City in 2022 and worked over the Jaguars in a 27-11 decision. So, while some will look at the travel for the Cardinals and dismiss their chances in this game, that may be an oversimplification. The Cardinals did fall 20-18 to the Cowboys back in 2017 the last time they played in this game.
Furthermore, Arizona has a new head coach in Mike LaFleur, as the 39-year-old stayed in the NFC West, but left the side of Sean McVay, whom he served under as offensive coordinator for the last three seasons with the Rams. This is actually LaFleur’s third NFC West employer. We’ll see if he ever gets a gig with the Seahawks.
On the Carolina side, it is Year 3 for Dave Canales, as he orchestrated a three-win improvement last season and one that was good enough to win the NFC South by virtue of tiebreakers. The Panthers only went 8-9, but they beat out the Buccaneers and Falcons due to a regular-season sweep of Atlanta to have a 3-1 combined record in the head-to-head series.
Canales may be a bit gunshy in the preseason, as his team has already suffered some significant losses. Linebacker Nic Scourton, who tied for the team lead in sacks with five, is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL. Wide receiver Chris Brazzell tore his LCL and his season is over, plus tight end Mitchell Evans was carted off last week with an ankle injury, though that isn’t thought to be serious.
Based on what we’ve seen early from Cardinals camp, which has been relatively injury-free, there are some major position battles on the offensive line and at running back. Tyler Allgeier and No. 3 pick Jeremiyah Love have been sharing reps and carries, while seventh-round pick Jayden Williams might be able to edge out another player to make the 53-man roster as a reserve tackle. LaFleur is focusing heavily on the run early on, as Jacoby Brissett is entrenched as the starting QB, with Gardner Minshew as the backup and Carson Beck is dueling Kedon Slovis for the third-string spot. With veterans in Brissett and Minshew, expect a steady diet of Beck and Slovis here.
For the Panthers, this will be the Haynes King Variety Hour, as the Georgia Tech signal-caller is at the bottom of the totem pole, with Kenny Pickett stacked on top of him and Bryce Young over both of them. It would definitely benefit Pickett to get some game reps with his new team and he’ll get those over the course of the next few weeks, but King, who threw for 2,951 yards and ran for 953 more, should be the focal point here.
Personally, I’m very fond of mobile QBs in the preseason. Offensive line play is lackluster in general, but especially when you get to the third and fourth-stringers. A guy like King, who ran for almost 2,300 yards in three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, can improvise, move the chains a bit with his legs, and avoid negative plays. On the other side, Beck averaged just 1.5 yards per carry in college over 189 attempts and Slovis was basically immobile in college.
In six preseason games, Slovis has thrown for 382 yards while completing 43 of his 65 passes. He has one touchdown against one pick with four sacks. Slovis threw two regular-season passes for Arizona last season. He completed one for -2 yards.
Panthers vs. Cardinals Hall of Fame Game Prediction
Even though King is a rookie and he’ll be tasked with some on-the-job learning, his legs have a good chance of being the difference in this game. While I do expect LaFleur to have his team physically ready for this game, especially with a heavy focus on running the football, you do wonder what impact that has on the defense being ready for what is likely to be a more balanced approach out of Canales. Even though the injuries put a damper on the start to camp, they also motivate players who will get opportunities as a result.
Pick: Panthers -1.5
