The first taste of NFL is here, and the Props team is here to run through our favorite Lions/Chargers props and picks for the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, July 31.
There are tons of preseason NFL player props markets available for those wanting a taste of some action, so let’s get right to it.
Lions/Chargers Player Props – Odds & Top Picks
Kickoff is slated for 8:00 PM ET between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers in Canton, Ohio.
In this preview, we’ll look through the odds and pick out a couple of our favorite player picks for the first game of the 2025 NFL season. Here we go!
Odds Preview
The Lions are currently favored by around two points at most of the top sportsbooks, with the total at a low 32.5 points.
It’s the first week of the preseason, and we’re unlikely to see any kind of meaningful action for starters across the board.
Editor’s Note: Looking for more NFL player prop strategy? We have you covered with our NFL Betting Cheat Sheet strategy guide.
Best Player Picks
These two picks are popping off the page at Underdog Fantasy.
Hendon Hooker Higher Than 99.5 Passing Yards
Hooker isn’t just playing for reps tonight; he’s in a straight-up battle for the backup quarterback job behind Jared Goff. That creates urgency you don’t normally see in preseason game one.
The Lions coaching staff needs to see what they have in their 2023 third-round pick, especially after he missed most of his rookie year recovering from that nasty ACL injury. Detroit has been surprisingly pass-heavy in its preseason openers over the past three seasons.
Hooker’s dual-threat element adds another layer here – scrambles and RPOs help create when plays are broken, and he may have a few more opportunities to make something out of nothing. This 99.5 number feels like generic “backup QB in August” pricing, not “starting QB fighting for his roster life” pricing.
Omarion Hampton Higher Than 21.5 Rushing Yards
Najee Harris is sidelined with that eye injury. That clears the runway for Hampton, the 2025 first-round pick, to get meaningful touches in his NFL debut.
Jim Harbaugh already confirmed “Hampton will see snaps” in a recent press conference. That’s not coach speak for garbage time.
Hampton averaged almost six YPC in his final two seasons at North Carolina. That’s elite efficiency against ACC competition, and the physical tools are legit – 6’0″, 220 pounds, and he ran a 4.46 forty at the combine.
When you combine that profile with NFL-level blocking schemes, even against backup defenders, good things tend to happen.
Be sure to also read through Justin Bales’ Hall of Fame Game breakdown for Thursday’s game.
Good luck!
