Are you ready for some football? I mean, it’s preseason football. But it’s still football! That means NFL betting lines are out. The opening kickoff of the 2023 NFL season is Thursday, Aug. 3 when the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns meet in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

The Jets made the biggest off-season splash when they acquired all-timer QB Aaron Rodgers from the Packers. They’ve built a team around Rodgers to win a championship now – a big leap for a team that hasn’t even been to the playoffs since 2010. 

The Browns had big expectations last year with the addition of QB Deshaun Watson. But Watson missed much of the season while serving a suspension for his many off-the-field issues, then the team went just 3-3 with him under center en route to a 7-10 mark. 

Bookies.com NFL handicapper Adam Thompson, who has hit on a whopping 64-62% of his NFL picks on betting apps the last three seasons, reveals his best bets for the first action of the 2023 season. 

RELATED: NFL Week 1 2023 Picks, Predictions + Best Bets

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 15 Times Today

OH only. 21+. New users and first wager only. Must register with eligible promo code. Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss. Maximum bet credit $1,000; must be used within 14 days of receipt. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Void where prohibited. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game Odds

Odds via BetMGM and accurate as of publication. Check out our BetMGM Ohio Bonus Code Review for more information and the latest promos.

2023 NFL Hall of Game Fame Preview & Trends

The Jets were just 7-10 in 2022. While the defense finished second in the NFL in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed, the offense ranked 25th in yards and 29th in scoring. 

So they went out and got Rodgers, one of the best to ever throw a football. With that, the Jets became contenders, and they spent the remainder of the offseason trying to make Rodgers happy, adding Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard from Green Bay and Mecole Hardman from Kansas City. 

While the defense didn’t need much tweaking, they did bring in safety Chuck Clark, who had 101 tackles for the Ravens last season. They also inked next-superstar DT Quinnen Williams to a massive four-year extension.

Rodgers had one of his worst seasons in 2022, but he appeared mentally checked out of Green Bay. If he can find the form that led him to consecutive NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, the Jets are going to be a force. 

Speaking of raised expectations, the Browns last season finished an average 14th in total offense total defense last year, but there were glaring strengths and weaknesses with both units. 

While the run game flourished with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the pass game ranked 23rd. With Watson under center for the final six games, the team averaged a brutal 183.7 pass yards per game. Defensively, the team was fourth vs. the pass but 25th vs. the run. 

Cleveland attacked its issues head-on this offseason. The Browns signed DE Obo Okoronkwo and DT Dalvin Tomlinson to sizeable deals, and added starters to the other levels of the defense. WRs Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman should help boost the passing game.

So now it’s all about Watson, who had seven TDs and five INTs in his six games. His QB rating of 79.1 would have ranked him 29th over a full season. 

The Browns have the pieces in place to make a run. That will happen if Watson can find the form that helped him lead the NFL in passing in 2020 and guide the Texans to 21 wins in a two-season span (2018-2019).

2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game Best Bets

Looking for a precursor to what we can expect once the 2023 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 33.5 points is laughable on the surface, but teams have combined to average 29.3 ppg over the last 10 games in Canton. Teams at the Hall of Fame Game don’t usually have much homefield advantage, but the Browns should buck that trend this year. 

But the first key of preseason picking is to study the backup QBs. Rodgers and Watson are highly unlikely to play. So who gets the ball?  Joshua Dobbs started two games for the Titans last season; they went 0-2 in those games, scoring 13 and 16 points. The Browns’ No. 3 QB, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, is a rookie. 

For the Jets, Zach Wilson clearly wants to prove he’s worthy of snaps in the NFL. Third-string QB Tim Boyle was Rodgers’ backup in GB for two seasons. Boyle was Mr. Preseason in 2019 (6/0 TD/INT ratio).

If we’re going to take a side just to make the game more interesting, we’ll side with the Jets at +1.5.  However, 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.

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 55 Times Today

OH only. 21+. New users and first wager only. Must register with eligible promo code. Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss. Maximum bet credit $1,000; must be used within 14 days of receipt. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Void where prohibited. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER