NFL Hall of Fame Game Odds
| Cowboys Odds | +2 |
| Steelers Odds | -2 |
| Over/Under | 32.5 |
| Date | Thursday, Aug. 5 |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
*NFL odds updated as of Thursday at 12:25 p.m. ET
The 2021 NFL preseason gets underway tonight with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
This not only marks the official start of the new NFL season, but also the annual revival of unsolicited "only degenerates bet on preseason games" social media takes.
Is betting on the NFL preseason exactly like the regular season in terms of handicapping techniques and pinpointing value? Absolutely not.
Is betting on the NFL preseason completely devoid of value? Absolutely not.
Take tonight's Hall of Fame Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Neither the spread nor the over/under are at their opening numbers, so something is moving them, right? And I can tell you that it's certainly not public money driving this movement.
So what factors are behind the Hall of Fame Game's odds movement?
Let's look right now.
NFL Hall of Fame Game Spread
The Cowboys vs. Steelers spread opened at Pittsburgh -1 and 66% of Hall of Fame Game bets have landed on the Steelers thus far.
In addition, those 66% of tickets account for 84% of the money, revealing that there is some liability with the Steelers in this matchup.
With steady loot continuing to flow on Pittsburgh despite a few key starters, like Ben Roethlisberger, sitting out (click here to see the latest player statuses for tonight's Hall of Fame Game), oddsmakers have kicked this spread to a consensus of -2.
NFL Hall of Fame Game Over/Under
The Hall of Fame Game over/under opened at 34 and has dipped to 32.5 at most shops across the market.
While the spread movement appears to be largely in reaction to one-sided money, the falling total is likely a result of news regarding which players will sit tonight.
At the time of writing bets on the over/under are split exactly 50/50, but with Roethlisberger and Dak Prescott not playing, it's reasonable to conclude that the absence of key offensive starters has played a large part in the total movement thus far.
