RBD kicks off NFL season with a Hall of Fame Game play on the Arizona Cardinals as road dogs against the Carolina Panthers, backed by Dave Canales’ 1-5 preseason record.
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
Hall of Fame Game Pick
Copied from last year’s Hall of Fame article:
“Earlier this week, I read an ongoing conversation about the Hall of Fame game. Bettors were discussing sides and totals, teams and trends, etc, when a troll dropped into the conversation and uttered an oft repeated slur – “You people who bet on the Hall of Fame game and preseason games are degenerate gamblers.”
I don’t personally know the condescending, morally superior, ant-at-a-picnic, party pooper who felt the need to impose his values on others, but I’d be willing to bet that he’s your typical, miserable misanthrope, the kind of loser who can’t stand to see other people having fun and enjoying life.
There is NOTHING wrong with betting on ANY event if you’re doing so for fun and entertainment value. And the possibility of a little financial reward at the end of it is just butter on the biscuit.
Gambling (within your means) is just like any other form of entertainment, like going to a movie or going out to dinner at a fine restaurant. It’s the same as spending money on hobbies like golfing, fishing or whatever you’re into. It’s a leisure time activity people participate in to have a little fun.
The Hall of Fame game is Thursday night.
If after a hard day at work (and/or life in general) you’d like to put a couple bucks on a game, kick back on the couch, hoist a cold one and yell at your TV while rooting for your money, then feel free to do so.
It’s been about seven months since we could bet on and watch an NFL game. The Hall of Fame game is like the first drink of water for a guy who was stranded in the desert for a few days. If you want to bet it, then go for it.
It’s your money, don’t let anyone tell you how to spend it.
It’s your life, don’t let anyone tell you how to live it.
And if any son of a bitch who falsely believes he’s morally superior says you’re a degenerate gambler, tell him to kiss your ass and mind his own f’ing business.”
Now let’s get into a look at the 2026 Hall of Fame game.
This year’s game features Carolina and Arizona.
The Panthers opened as Favs of -1′ and that’s where the number is today.
The total opened at 35′ and has been bet up to 36′. Four of the last five HoF games have gone over this year’s number.
Arizona has a new head coach, Mike LaFluer, former offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. It’s his first season as an NFL head coach so there’s no preseason data to look at on him.
Carolina’s Dave Canales enters his third season so we have two years of data to look at for him.
In 2024 Carolina was 1-2 SU in the preseason, losing their first two games before finally getting a win in their preseason finale.
Last year, 2025, Carolina went 0-3 in the preseason, losing by 20, 17, and 9 points, for an average of 15 PPG.
So under Canales, Carolina has lost five of six preseason games. It might be safe to say he doesn’t put a lot of emphasis on winning in the preseason.
Looking at totals, Carolina’s three preseason games in 2024 saw combined scores of 20, 27, and 57. Last year the games came in at 40, 23, and 29. So four of six were lower than this year’s number.
It’s sports betting so it’s a crapshoot in even the best of situations, more so when it’s preseason and even more so when you have a coach with no history to look at. But it’s been 7 months since I’ve had an NFL bet, so I’m definitely having some action on this one.
I’m going to take a shot with new coach Mike LaFluer, hoping that he’s going to play to win in his head coaching debut, and not just use the game to evaluate talent and keep the starters healthy. It’s also a play AGAINST Canales, based on his two year history in the preseason.
To check one more angle in a game where I don’t have a lot of stats to use, I decided to do a survey of the first five touts that popped up on my search screen.
The verdict – four of five picked Carolina.
That’s enough to make me feel better about taking a chance with the new head coach and his Arizona Cardinals.
My play:
Az +1′
