The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals open the NFL preseason Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Kickoff at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET (NBC). Let's analyze NFL odds around the Panthers vs. Cardinals odds and make our expert NFL picks and predictions for the best bets.
The Panthers and Cardinals are 2 weeks into training camp, while the rest of the league is 1 week in as the Hall of Fame Game is an extra preseason exhibition.
Despite finishing 8-9 last season, the Panthers won the NFC South -- in coach Dave Canales' second season at the helm. Winning the division rewarded Carolina with a home playoff game, but a wild fourth quarter ended in a 34-31 loss as the LA Rams scored the winning TD with 38
seconds left to cap a 71-yard drive in the final minutes.
The Cardinals are coming off a disappointing 3-14 campaign, leading to coach Jonathan Gannon getting fired in the offseason and being replaced by Mike LaFleur -- the Rams OC the previous 3 seasons. Arizona lost its final 9 games of the season, 6 by 17 or more points. QB Kyler Murray (now with the Vikings) was released in the offseason and Jacoby Brissett, who started the final 12 games, is the starter after getting a renegotiated $15.5 million contract for 2026.
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Panthers vs. Cardinals odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Panthers -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Cardinals +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Panthers -1.5 (-110) | Cardinals +1.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 35 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Panther vs. Cardinals picks and predictions
Prediction
Panthers 17, Cardinals 13
Moneyline
In general, the only way to reasonably bet the preseason is to bet the plus odds on the moneyline. Preseason results are too volatile to be reliable with any trends because teams have different philosophies for playing time. In the Hall of Fame Game, there will be no first-string players on the field and mostly no key rotational players.
The quarterback matchup is rookie Carson Beck for the Cardinals, drafted in the third round, and Kenny Pickett for the Panthers, a 5-year veteran and 2022 first-round pick by the Steelers. The University of Pitt product is 16-11 as a starter in his NFL career.
Because Pickett will be playing against deep backups for the Cardinals, he should look like the best player on the field. But the second half might be Cardinals QB Kedon Slovis vs. Panthers QB Haynes King. There is no way to reasonably handicap their play.
PASS.
Against the spread
Betting the spread in the preseason is risky in general. Since there are no plus odds for the underdog in this game, you can get just a little bit better value with the Panthers laying 1½ points. Pickett should make the difference early on.
BET PANTHERS -1.5 (-110).
Over/Under
Usually, I like Unders for preseason openers, but each of the last 4 Hall of Fame Games finished above 35 points. Prior to that, 4 of 5 did not reach 35 total points.
With this being first football game after the offseason for both squads, expect inconsistencies.
BET UNDER 35 (-110).
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals odds, picks and predictions
