The first snap of the 2024 NFL season is finally upon us, as the Houston Texans take on the Chicago Bears at the annual Hall of Fame Game Thursday night in Canton, Ohio. Texans second-year standout QB C.J. Stround won't play, and neither will No. 1 overall pick and Bears starting Caleb Williams. But there are NFL betting lines for the game, so we’re all over it. 

The Texans were a happy surprise last season, jumping from 3-13-1 a season ago to 10-7 behind rookie QB C.J. Stroud to win the AFC South division title. The Bears also moved in the right direction, from 3-14 to 7-10, and hope to take another step with a revamped offense led by No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. 

Bookies.com NFL handicapper Adam Thompson, who has hit on a whopping 64-62% of his NFL picks on the best betting apps the last three seasons, reveals his best bets for the first action of the 2024 season. 

2024 NFL Hall Of Fame Game Odds

Odds via Bet365 Sportsbook and accurate as of publication.

2024 NFL Hall Of Game Fame Preview & Trends

The Texans didn’t win more than four games for three straight seasons until 2023 when coach DeMeco Ryans was hired and Stroud was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Stroud led the NFL in yards per game and fewest INTs in 15 starts, helping Houston rank No. 2 in turnover differential. The team added Stefon Diggs to the passing game and Joe Mixon to run the ball, plus pass-rusher Danielle Hunter from Minnesota, becoming the first team in history to add players with 10 sacks, 1,000 rush yards, and 100 receptions in a single off-season. 

Can Houston take the next step behind their second-year coach and QB? Oddsmakers seem to believe so – the Texans are eighth in most Super Bowl futures odds and are favored to again win the AFC South at +105. 

Meanwhile, the Bears were good at some things (rushing and stopping the run) and not good at others (passing and stopping the pass). It was enough to result in a better season than some expected. They were then gifted the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft in a prior trade with the Carolina Panthers and were able to move on from the inconsistent Justin Fields and acquire Caleb Williams out of USC. 

They then added Keenan Allen in a trade with the Chargers Rome Odunze in another draft Top 10 selection, and 1,000-yard rusher D’Andre Swift in free agency. Suddenly, a team that’s finished in the upper half of the NFL in scoring just once in the last decade has one of the top-looking skill groups in the game. 

The Bears’ defense ranked No. 1 in fewest rush yards allowed but struggled against the pass. Expecting a balancing of sorts out of the 2024 defense for coach Matt Eberflus in his third season.

Looking for a precursor to what we can expect once the 2024 regular season hits? Don’t. The Hall of Fame Game is a bonus fourth preseason game. With teams barely fielding starters for more than a half of any of their three preseason games, don’t expect to see anyone mentioned above to suit up for more than a drive at most. 

It’s why we like the Under to hit. The total of 32 points sounds laughable, but teams have combined to average 30 ppg over the last 11 games in Canton.

With Stroud and Williams highly unlikely to suit up, the first key of preseason picking is to study the backup QBs. 

Houston wins that battle. Davis Mills has 24 starts to his name, with 35 TDs and 25 INTs, and veteran Case Keenum has 66 starts with a 79-to-51 TD/INT ratio. No. 3 QB Tim Boyle is 0-5 as a starter but was known as a preseason juggernaut in Green Bay. 

The Bears’ Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien are each 2-2 as starters, but with a combined seven TDs and 15 INTs. Austin Reed, a rookie out of Western Kentucky, is the No. 3 on the depth chart. 

Both teams have running back depth. Houston’s O-line depth is a major concern, while Chicago’s line should be superior, pushing the sides more even. 

Still, if we’re going to take a side to make the game more interesting, we’re going with the Texans at +1.5. The Under is once again our top play for the NFL Hall of Fame Game. When the offense doesn’t play its stars, defense rules.

NFL Hall Of Fame Game Best Bet: Under 32 with Bet365 Sportsbook