Lamar Jackson of Louisville poses after being picked #32 overall by the Baltimore Ravens during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas.

Ravens Open as the Favorite in Canton for Pro Football Hall of Fame game

You can feel the excitement in the air as training camps are Sportsbook and your favorite NFL team has an unblemished record heading into a new season full of hope. The preseason gets underway Thursday night with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game from Canton, Ohio.

SHARK BITES
  • Baltimore is 8-0 SU and ATS in its last two preseasons.
  • John Harbaugh’s teams are 28-12 SU and 27-13 ATS in the preseason since 2008.
  • The Chicago Bears are 4-0 all-time in the Hall of Fame Game.

Bears vs Ravens Matchup page

The Baltimore Ravens are making their first ever Hall of Fame Game appearance, although the Cleveland Browns played in four, going 1-3, before moving to Baltimore. The Baltimore Colts won the 1964 game 48-17 over the Steelers and lost the 1982 game 30-14 to the Vikings.

Chicago is 4-0 in Hall of Fame games. Its last appearance was in 2005, narrowly defeating the Miami Dolphins 27-24. Prior to 2005, the Bears defeated Cleveland 13-0 in 1990, the New York Jets 20-6 in 1977 and the Dallas Cowboys 30-24 in 1968.

Of course, all of that history means squat to bettors entering Thursday night’s game. So, let’s try to find the betting edge:

Things are Crowded at QB in Baltimore

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is expected to use a combination of 2016 Heisman Award Sportsbook Lamar Jackson, who has put some pressure on Joe Flacco coming into camp, and RG3, who signed a one-year deal with Baltimore in the offseason.

Baltimore is 8-0 SU and ATS in its last two preseasons. Does Harbaugh value these games more than other teams or does he just do a better job implementing systems than other coaches? Harbaugh’s teams are 28-12 SU and 27-13 ATS in the preseason since 2008. The total has gone UNDER in six of the Ravens’ last seven preseason games.

In last year’s preseason games, the Ravens averaged 20.25 points for and 8.0 points against, going 4-0. During Harbaugh’s tenure, the Ravens have averaged 22.43 points for and 17.23 points against in the preseason.

Chicago Feeling Confident About 2018

Former Tar Heel Mitch Trubisky is expected to get the start in the Hall of Fame Game as he enters his first season as the starting QB in the Windy City. The 23-year-old Ohioan is said to be grasping new head coach Matt Nagy’s offense and is feeling more empowered than he did when he was asked to play it safe for John Fox last year.

The Bears have added some new targets for Trubisky, inking WR Allen Robinson and TE Trey Burton during the offseason. Many are picking the Bears to be the most improved team in the NFC and potentially the NFL. Last preseason, Chicago scored an average of 15.0 points per game and allowed 19.75.

One thing seems to be for sure: Both Chicago and Baltimore have players who will be looking to make an immediate impact, beginning with the game in Canton.

Hall of Fame Game History

Since 1995, the favored team is 15-6 SU and 11-7-3 ATS in the Hall of Fame Game. Baltimore is the slight favorite coming into the 2018 edition. The favorite has done even better in recent years, going 7-2 SU in the last nine Hall of Fame games.

Below is a list of recent Hall of Fame Game results:

YearTeamScoreTeamScoreLine
Recent Hall of Fame Game Betting Results
2005Bears27Dolphins24Chi -3
2006Raiders16Eagles10Phi -2.5
2007Saints7Steelers20Pit -3
2008Colts16Redskins30Was -4.5
2009Bills18Titans21Ten -3
2010Cowboys16Bengals7Dal -3
2012Cardinals10Saints17NO -2.5
2013Dolphins20Cowboys24Mia -3
2014Giants17Bills13Buf -3
2015Steelers3Vikings14Min -3.5
2017Cardinals18Cowboys20Dal -1.0

*2016’s game was canceled due to unsafe playing conditions; 2011’s game was canceled as a result of the NFL lockout.

Baltimore is 8-0 SU and ATS in its last two preseasons.home John Harbaugh’s teams are 28-12 SU and 27-13 ATS in the preseason since 2008.home The Chicago Bears are 4-0 all-time in the Hall of Fame Game.away
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