The Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens kick off the NFL season on Thursday and while it’s only exhibition action, it feels good to have football back. While we’re not expecting to see many regulars players in action, there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the rosters on both sides here. Let’s take a closer look at the Hall of Fame game and see if there’s any betting value.
2018 Hall Of Fame Game Point Spread
(c/o BetDSI)
Chicago Bears +2
Baltimore Ravens -2
Preseason Coaching Records
If you’re handicapping any preseason game, the first thing you’ll want to do is take a look at the head coaching records. Some coaches care about these football games while others preserve their key players and look to get through the exhibition gmaes as healthy as possible.
The two head coaches in this game are Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears) and John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens). Nagy is a new head coach and is in his first year with the Bears, so we don’t know how much effort he’s going to put forward. Last year, first-year head coaches were 12-12 SU in preseason. As for Harbaugh, we have a much clearer picture: He tends to care about these games.
The Ravens were a perfect 4-0 in the preseason last year and that wasn’t a coincidence — his Ravens have been 4-0 in three of the last four preseasons. For whatever reason, it looks like he pushes for these wins.
Know Who Is Starting
Before betting any preseason game, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the rotations. Some teams will play their starters longer than others and some teams won’t play their starters at all – especially in the Hall of Fame Game.
That’s important to note as it could give one side an advantage over the other. As of now, neither team has announced key starters, such as quarterbacks, so keep an eye on the news over the coming week.
Know The Rotations
Since starters don’t play a whole lot in the preseason — maybe a half, or a series into the third quarter at most – one key to success is knowing about the backups. If you’re familiar with a team’s rotation, then you’ll have a good idea of who might succeed when the second and third-stringers come in.
For example, in this game, the Baltimore Ravens have a very strong quarterback rotation. Joe Flacco may or may not start, but behind him, we’ll see Robert Griffin III, who has started many games as an NFL quarterback.
After him, we’ll see rookie Lamar Jackson, who is a first-round draft pick. Griffin and Jackson could show well when lined up against the Bears’ second and third-string defenses. The Ravens also have quality depth at running back where Alex Collins, Javorius Allen and Kenneth Dixon have all made starts in the regular season.
As for the Bears, their quarterback rotation is not as strong. Mitch Trubisky is the team’s starting quarterback and he struggled last year as a rookie. He’s their best passer but he might not even play much. Behind him is Chase Daniel, who has a little bit of regular season experience (78 pass attempts) and Tyler Bray.
At running back, the Bears have Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen – neither of whom will probably play much – and Taquan Mizzell. In terms of the effort, depth and rotations, the Ravens seem to have the edge. It appears they’re the better bet at -2.
Looking for more NFL Preseason betting content? Check out our informative betting guides:
2018 NFL Preseason Betting: Odds, Strategy, Predictions and Picks
NFL Win Totals: Betting Guide, Odds, Strategy and Tips
