Cardinals vs Panthers Odds, Picks: 2026 HOF Game
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers meet in the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET from Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio, opening the NFL preseason
- Carolina opened as a 1.5-point favorite with the over/under for total points set at 35.5
- Mike LaFleur makes his head coaching debut for Arizona, which finished 4-13 in 2025 and looks to improve
- Carolina went 8-9 last season but captured the NFC South for a surprise postseason berth
- R.J. White, SportsLine's most profitable NFL expert against the spread since 2017, is leaning on the Over 35.5 after noting the last four Hall of Fame Games all reached at least 37 points
- White cautioned the highest-scoring of those four games topped out at 41, leaving 'not much of a margin for error' if the Panthers coaching staff is 'on autopilot'
- Carson Beck is slated to start at quarterback for the Cardinals in the game, according to other coverage
Why it matters: The Hall of Fame Game kicks off the 2026 NFL preseason with both franchises at inflection points — Arizona under a new head coach after a 4-13 season, Carolina trying to build on a surprise NFC South title. Bettors eyeing the Over have a narrow window: the last four HOF Games landed between 37 and 41 points, meaning the 35.5 line offers only a few points of cushion either way.
