Carolina Panthers

Picks

Bam Knight should get a real look with Arizona holding out key backs, leaving reserve touches available in Canton. He handled 82 carries last season before injury, and this game gives him a chance to push for a roster role. A steady workload could put 25 rushing yards within reach.

Kenny Pickett is set to start for Carolina with Bryce Young sitting, giving him the clearest quarterback workload in this matchup. Haynes King should see snaps too, but Pickett’s starter experience and likely early-game usage make 50 passing yards a reasonable benchmark if the Panthers let him operate normally tonight.

I’m siding with Carolina’s coaching and QB experience in the first half against an Arizona combination making its debut with Mike LaFleur coaching his first game and rookie Carson Beck getting the start. Laugh if you'd like, but Kenny Pickett has consistently delivered in the preseason, completing 76.8% of his passes for 674 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 116.7 passer rating across nine appearances.

Underdogs are on a roll in the NFL Hall of Fame Game, with them being 7-4 straight-up since 2013. The Arizona Cardinals can continue that thanks to a more talented quarterback and the Carolina Panthers' injury woes. Cardinals rookie Carson Beck is a far more efficient passer than Panthers starter Kenny Pickett, and Carolina has already lost multiple young players to season-ending injuries.

The average total combined points for the last four NFL Hall of Fame Games was 38.5, with all four hitting the Over. And with both the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers in the bottom 10 of EPA per play on defense last season, the Over trend is in good shape to continue. Plus, both teams are led by offensive head coaches who can lean on deep running back rooms.

With Carson Beck getting the start for the Arizona Cardinals, the rookie third-round pick should play at least a full half of the NFL Hall of Fame Game, if not more. Beck was one of the most efficient passers in college football last season, registering an 80.6 QBR for Miami, and his accuracy should help him throw for 100+ yards in his NFL debut.