Panthers vs Cardinals: Hall of Fame Game odds and predictions

The annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicks off the NFL preseason tonight at 8 pm Eastern between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals. The game will air on NBC from the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The matchup features two franchises with a lot to prove: Carolina is looking to build on a surprise NFC South title last season, while Arizona begins a full reset under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur after a 3-14 campaign that ended the Kyler Murray era.

QB Carson Beck will start for the Cardinals, marking his NFL debut. A third-round pick out of Miami in the 2026 draft, Beck led the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff national title game last season. He sits third on Arizona’s depth chart behind Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, but will see significant reps tonight with neither starter suiting up.

Kenny Pickett will take the field first for the Panthers, though he is expected to play only a few series before undrafted rookie Haynes King takes over, according to Bleacher Report.

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Here are some of the current Panthers vs. Cardinals odds priced by Kalshi traders.

The Panthers vs. Cardinals win-probability market on Kalshi shows a close contest. The Panthers are favored with a 53% chance of winning, while the Cardinals are priced at 48%.

The spread between the two teams is -1.5 favoring the Panthers.

Meanwhile, the game's point total is currently forecast at 34.3.

The two teams have met 22 times since 1995, with Carolina holding a commanding 15-7 all-time advantage, per Panthers.com. The Panthers are also 2-1 against Arizona in the playoffs.

Their most recent regular season meetings went one apiece. Football Database shows Carolina won 36-30 in December 2024, with Bryce Young throwing for 328 yards and three touchdowns. Arizona evened the score in the 2025 season opener on September 14, 2025, winning 27-22, per StatMuse.

Despite the historical edge, the series has been close lately. Arizona is 2-3 against Carolina over the last five meetings. Tonight's game is also notable for a different reason: the two franchises haven't met in a preseason game in over two decades, according to CBS Sports.

Carolina has had problems with its offensive capabilities and is playing things safe in its preseason opener.

Reuters reported that the Panthers won't put Bryce Young on the field in tonight's Hall of Fame game in Canton. Instead, Pickett will step in for a few series before King takes over.

Pickett will be the QB to watch, even though he probably won’t get much time on the field.

“Just all of the hard work that we’re putting in in practice here, you want to see it come to life on game day,” Pickett told reporters Tuesday.

The Panthers’ quarterback prospects remain a little more uncertain. The Associated Press reported that Carolina hasn’t given much indication of Young’s future with the team since he has no long-term contract in place. He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 and went 8-8 as a starter before he was benched early in his second season. He’s still under contract for the season, but it’s unusual that Carolina hasn’t locked up their quarterback at this point in the year.

Young bounced back in 2025, throwing for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns as Carolina won the NFC South with an 8-9 record, the franchise’s first division title since 2015. The Panthers fell to the Los Angeles Rams 34-31 in the Wild Card round.

Carolina has also been hit by a wave of injuries during training camp. Yahoo Sports listed the team’s injuries heading into the preseason. Nine players are on the injured list including key players such as tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and wide receivers Xavier Legette and Chris Brazzell II. This will give some fringe players a chance to prove their worth on the field as the team attempts to fill the gaps in its offensive and defensive rosters.

Arizona has also sustained its share of training camp injuries. CBS Sports reported the Cardinals also have nine players on its injured roster who are either on injured reserve or are questionable or physically unable to perform for the preseason. Some of the names on the list include running back James Conner, linebacker Josh Sweat, and tight end Tip Reiman.

The Cardinals’ defense is questionable going into their preseason debut given the players on the injured list like Sweat. Fortunately, they have some key players who can pick up the slack like Walter Nolen III, Budda Baker and Will Johnson.

SI's Donnie Druin wrote that the Cardinals need to move past their performance last season “and emerge into a formidable unit if Arizona wants to make noise in LaFleur’s first season.”

Both teams are coming off less than stellar seasons and are eager to move past them and prove just how effective they can be on the field once again.

Carolina may have the edge statistically, but its injury list is bound to take a toll on the team in its premier preseason game.

Beck is an untested prospect making his NFL debut tonight, so his performance could push Arizona over the edge and beat the odds.

The news of preseason preparation changes on a dime, so keep a close eye on the Kalshi markets for sudden swings. Both teams could decide to change their starting quarterbacks and make some late scratches.

Follow Danny Gallagher on Instagram: @writerdannygallagher
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