If you’re looking for Hall of Fame Game props, you’re in the right place! Welcome to the 2025 NFL season, as the Chargers and Lions will battle on Thursday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (8 p.m. ET) to kick off the NFL preseason.
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NFL Hall of Fame Game Cheat Sheet
The NFL preseason and regular season are two different monsters. Players will generally find fewer opportunities in the preseason, as each organization typically allows several players to showcase their skills.
For that reason, you’ll generally want to stick to the lower variance positions (such as quarterback and running back).
This doesn’t mean you should avoid wide receivers and tight ends at all costs; it just means they’re higher-variance positions. Quarterbacks start the play with the ball in their hands every play, while running backs don’t have any roadblocks to receiving the handoff.
Receivers and tight ends have to beat coverage, become the quarterback’s read at the right time, receive at least a reasonable throw, and make the catch. When seeing limited snaps (and opportunities), adding variance is never a great idea.
Ultimately, you’ll want to look for two keys in preseason: information and opportunity. Coachspeak doesn’t truly matter in the NFL, but it does in the preseason. When a coach says “starters will play 2 series” or “quarterback A will play the entire game,” listen to them.
Snap information is the most important part of the preseason because those snaps dictate opportunity. Without opportunity, the players can’t hit their numbers. Let’s dive into my favorite Hall of Fame Game props for Thursday.
HOF Game Pick: Trey Lance
We don’t have a ton of information on how the Los Angeles Chargers are going to play this game, but we can assume Justin Herbert won’t play.
We’re left with Taylor Heinicke, Trey Lance, and DJ Uiagalelei as the quarterbacks, which makes things a bit murky when targeting Hall of Fame Game props.
Heinicke is the backup, and he’s a true veteran at this point. It’s highly unlikely he finds many snaps, if any at all, in this game. There just wouldn’t be any reason to risk his health in an extra preseason game.
Lance and Uiagalelei will likely combine to play the majority of the snaps in this game. The latter doesn’t truly have much NFL potential, and Lance was still a top-5 pick a few years ago. He’s only 25 years old, which is one year older than Uiagalelei.
Lance played virtually every snap for the Dallas Cowboys last season (Cooper Rush took a couple of drives). He totaled 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. He posted 34+ yards in every game.
At the moment, I don’t expect the Chargers to unleash preseason Lance the way Dallas did last year. Detroit’s defensive scheme is known for letting quarterbacks find yards on the ground, though, and it’s a shockingly low total.
Where to play: Trey Lance Higher Than 13.5 Rushing Yards | Underdog
UPDATE: This projection is now at 27.5 rushing yards on Underdog NFL.
HOF Game Pick: Hendon Hooker
Jared Goff hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2022, and it’s unlikely that’s going to change for the Hall of Fame game. Instead, we’re going to see Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen at quarterback for the Detroit Lions.
I don’t truly believe the backup job is an open competition like Head Coach Dan Campbell has said, but I already said we should take most of what coaches say at face value.
Why?
Because we can project that Hooker and Allen will split snaps. If it’s truly an open competition, we should trust that both will play two quarters in this game. I believe there’s an outside chance that Hooker gets a few extra opportunities, but it isn’t something I’m expecting.
The second-year pro showed off his rushing potential last season. He posted 138 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground last preseason. He wasn’t as consistent as Lance, but he also posted 93 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Just like Lance’s prop line, this is simply too low of a number for how well Hooker can run. It’s one of the best Hall of Fame Game props on the board.
Where to play: Hendon Hooker Higher Than 18.5 Rushing Yards | 1.87x at Underdog
Featured Image Credit: Imagn
