Sure it’s only preseason football. But it’s football and that means NFL betting! The opening kickoff of the 2022 NFL season is Thursday as the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars face off in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio. Each team has high expectations to improve upon last year. 

The Jaguars went 3-14 last season, mostly under Urban Mayer in a disaster of a year. Jacksonville ranked dead-last in the NFL in scoring and bottom-five in yards and turnovers allowed. 

Former Eagles head coach and QB guru Doug Pederson was brought to town to help develop No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and build a lineup around him that can compete. He passed for 12 TDs and 17 INTs with a 6.0 yards per attempt average in 2021. 

RELATED: 2022 NFL Preseason Odds For Week 1 And Beyond

The offensive line should be improved with two key acquisitions at the guard and center spots. The offense is potential-laden. RB James Robinson averaged nearly 5.0 yards per rush but he ranked 30th in carries. He’ll be joined by Travis Etienne, a 2021 first-rounder who missed the entire season (foot) last year. 

The Jaguars inked WRs Zay Jones (47 receptions, 546 yards) and Christian Kirk (77, 982 yards) in the offseason, and they will join Marvin Jones (73, 832 yards) and Laviska Shenault (63, 619 yards) to give Lawrence a strong base of options in the pass game. 

How many of those players will see action on Thursday? It remains to be seen, so take that into consideration before wagering on betting apps. Jacksonville’s 29th-ranked defense of a year ago also hopes to see improvement, especially in the backfield. They added No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker to the defensive line.

The Raiders went 10-7 last year and made the playoffs. The offense ranked 18th in points per game but is expected to take a next-level jump in 2022. 

Davante Adams (123 receptions, 1,553 yards, 11 TDs) is arguably the top receiver in the game, and now he’s in Vegas after another All-Pro year in Green Bay. Adams joins WR Hunter Renfrow (103, 1,038 yards, 9 TDs) and TE Darren Waller (55, 665 yards) to form one of the premier pass-catching trios in the game. QB Derek Carr passed for 4,800 yards last year but with a modest 23 TD/14 INT ratio. Many believe if Carr, 31, doesn’t take that step into the realm of “elite QB” in 2022, he may not ever. 

One caveat with that offense full of weapons is an O-line that last year was full of holes. The Raiders front five was considered a bottom-five unit. All five starters are back. Is that good or bad? To be determined. 

The Raiders defense ranked 14th in yards allowed but 26th in points allowed. Maxx Crosby, who led the NFL in QB pressures last year, returns to a unit that paced the NFL in that category and added Chandler Jones from Arizona. 

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2022 NFL Hall of Game Fame Prediction

Those expecting to see a Week 1-worthy opener are going to be disappointed. For the Jaguars and Raiders, this is a bonus preseason game they’d likely prefer not to have just a week into training camp. As a result, we like the Under.

2022 NFL Hall of Fame Game Odds

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Expect virtually no starters, and those that do play may only get one series, especially on the offensive side. The defense has the edge here, and always does in these games. That’s why the Over/Under for Thursday is a laughable 32 points, according to the latest NFL line. 

It’s not low enough. The last nine HoF Games have averaged 28.3 ppg. Offenses take longer to get going, and both teams have new head coaches and entirely new systems to install.

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There is much to be excited about in Vegas on the offensive side, but we may not see any key pieces for more than a single series here – if that. 

Certainly avoid the point spread in a game that could feature 100-plus reserves on the field at some point. For those hangry for some NFL betting action, a play on the Under is the wiser choice in Canton.