Chargers vs. Lions Prediction, Odds, Spread, Trends for NFL Hall of Fame Game

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the NFL Hall of Fame Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions are favored in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday. / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Rejoice, NFL fans, because football is BACK.

Well, preseason football.

On Thursday, the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers — two playoff teams from last season — will kick things off at the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Los Angeles’ 2024 season came to an end early in the playoff last season against the Houston Texans, while Detroit was knocked out by the Washington Commanders despite earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Both teams have their sights set on another playoff appearance in 2025, and that likely means keeping their teams healthy through this first preseason test.

There’s a chance that we’ll see some starters on the field, but it’s unlikely they’ll play much more than a series or two — which can make it tough to bet on this game.

But, it’s the first football game of the 2025 season, so why not? 

There could be some interesting young quarterbacks to watch getting reps later in this game, as former second-round pick Hendon Hooker should play for the Lions and former first-round pick Trey Lance may take some snaps for LA.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, some Hall of Fame Game trends and my prediction for the first game of the 2025 NFL preseason.

Chargers vs. Lions Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Chargers +1 (-115)
• Lions -1 (-105)

Moneyline

• Chargers: -108
• Lions: -112

Total

• 32.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

NFL Hall of Fame Game Trends

• 12 of the last 16 Hall of Fame Games have gone UNDER the total
• Only 4 teams have scored 20-plus points in the Hall of Fame Game since 2014
• The last three Hall of Fame Games have finished with 37 or more combined points
• The “home” team has won the last four Hall of Fame Games

Chargers vs. Lions Prediction and Pick

While the UNDER has been pretty profitable in the Hall of Fame Game in recent seasons, I’m leaning with the OVER on Thursday night.

With the NFL pulling back to three preseason games, there is a higher likelihood that a few starters suit up in this game, but I also like the backup quarterbacks on each team to be able to run competent offenses.

The Chargers have a former NFL starter in Taylor Heinicke as their No. 2 quarterback, and he’ll likely be followed by Lance. As for the Lions, they have Hooker and a longtime backup in Kyle Allen behind Jared Goff.

Over the last three seasons, we’ve seen the Hall of Fame Game become a high-scoring matchup, with at least 37 points scored in all three games and one team cracking the 20-point threshold.

This is a low total for two teams with established playoff cores, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see the OVER continue to hit in this game as it becomes more of an important tune up with teams having less chances to take the field before Week 1. 

Pick: OVER 32.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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