Bettors' long wait between the Super Bowl and the first NFL preseason game is over, and sportsbooks are ready for the lucrative action.
Key takeaways
- The Detroit Lions are 1.5-point favorites against the L.A. Chargers heading into the NFL’s first preseason game.
- Despite few starters participating, the reigning NFC North champions had 64% of BetMGM's handle.
- Detroit's moneyline and the Over are ESPN BET's two most-wagered markets.
Beginning Thursday night, when the L.A. Chargers take on the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, football will be televised every week until February 2026. With mostly the MLB to attract bettors during the dog days of summer, even football games that don’t count are a welcome sign.
“BetMGM is ecstatic football returns tonight with the Hall of Fame Game,” BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini said. “We expect the first NFL preseason game to definitely be the most popular event of the day for bettors.”
Massive boost
DraftKings said Thursday afternoon the Hall of Fame Game was the fifth-most bet event, but the online sportsbook fully expects this wagering opportunity to rise by kickoff.
In all seriousness, it will probably be most bet by kickoff
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) July 31, 2025
Thursday’s Lions-Chargers clash leads into a three-week slate of action as 32 NFL teams play three preseason contests each, including the Hall of Fame Game participants.
The NFL’s economic impact is massive. In New York, the U.S.' most lucrative sports betting market, the amount wagered jumped from $1.26 billion in July 2024 to $2.1 billion in September 2024.
Even the NFL’s preseason schedule provides a healthy bump. In North Carolina’s first year of legal online sports betting last year, handle spiked $30 million between July and August.
Spread action
The Lions are 1.5-point favorites on the neutral field Thursday. The reigning NFC North champions enter the preseason with plenty of question marks now that former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson moved on and veteran center Frank Ragnow retired, but many key pieces return.
The Chargers are breaking in a new defensive line and boast an inexperienced receiving corps, but are poised to be one of the competitive AFC West's top contenders. Fans and bettors will get an initial look at first-round draft pick and running back Omarion Hampton.
However, neither team will feature many starters Thursday. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Justin Herbert are out, and many questions won’t get answered, leaving books and bettors diving into the unknown.
Still, the NFL breeds action, and 66% of the spread bets are on the Lions, with 64% of the handle backing Detroit at BetMGM. However, ESPN BET reported the Chargers are getting 57.9% of the money. Just 40.4% of the wagers are on Los Angeles.
Other betting markets
Detroit's moneyline is the game’s most-wagered market at ESPN BET. Over 72% of the tickets and 66.4% of the handle are on the Lions at -125. Those outright winner bets are split at BetMGM, with 51% of tickets on the Chargers at +105 and 62% of the handle on the Lions, and DraftKings, which saw both handle and tickets favor L.A.
The total moved up a point from open to 33.5 heading into Thursday’s game at BetMGM. Bettors are all over the Over, ESPN BET's second-most popular wager. Nearly 80% of the bets and 80.8% of the money is behind the points, surpassing the total.
BetMGM saw 70% of the tickets and 76% of the handle on the Over. Nearly 75% of the money at DraftKings is on the Over.
