NFL Betting’s Back! Who Public Likes In Hall Of Fame Game
Hint: It's not Kellen Mond
The NFL took a 172-day hiatus, but the wait for football to return is finally over.
The 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, with the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets scheduled to put an end to our long national nightmare at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Though the matchup will mean absolutely nothing in the long run, watching a bunch of rookies and former USFL standouts will give folks an opportunity to dip their feet in the betting water for 2023.
The early trend is betting on the underdog, as the Jets (+1.5) have received 52% of the tickets and 77% of the handle on the spread entering Thursday, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. New York is also +100 to win the game outright, prompting bettors to place 64% of their funds on Aaron Rodgers’ new squad to take home the victory.
No, Rodgers will not play.
Zach Wilson will, however, which might have influenced the way people spent their money. Wilson was an abject disaster for New York over his first two seasons, sure, but he has legitimate NFL experience and at least found his way onto the field. The same can’t be said for Cleveland starter Kellen Mond, who was so bad in practice the Minnesota Vikings waived the 2021 third-rounder after one season.
If you’re interested in betting on Mond, though, there is a path for you.
The folks at DraftKings Sportsbook have Cleveland (+2) as the underdog, giving it +110 odds to win the game. That means Mond backers (hello people from San Antonio, TX and Texas A&M fans) could turn $100 into $210 if he pulls off the upset.
The likelihood that anyone has real insight into how this game will turn out is slim, but it’s nice knowing whatever side you lean toward has a plus-money opportunity waiting for you. That’s the (possibly only) beauty in betting on NFL preseason.
