Cardinals vs. Panthers predictions, odds, spread, date: 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game picks by top NFL expert

The 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason schedule from Canton, Ohio, as the Arizona Cardinals take on the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. New head coach Mike LaFleur makes his debut for Arizona, which looks to improve upon a 4-13 2025 campaign. Carolina went 8-9 last year but hopes to build off a surprise postseason berth after winning the NFC South. Carolina head coach Dave Canales is 1-5 in the preseason over the past two seasons. Rookie Carson Beck will start for Arizona, while Carolina will have Kenny Pickett under center to begin the game. Bet Cardinals vs. Panthers at DraftKings:

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from Tom Benson Stadium. The latest Cardinals vs. Panthers odds have Carolina as a 1.5-point favorite, while the over/under for total points scored is 33.5. Before making any Panthers vs. Cardinals picks or 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game predictions, be sure to see what NFL expert R.J. White has to say.

White has worked as a writer and editor for CBS Sports full time since 2014, currently serving as the managing editor of betting and Fantasy content. His betting content can be found at SportsLine, where he’s delivered remarkable success on NFL picks since 2017, especially against the spread, ranking as SportsLine’s most profitable expert during that span. Anybody following his NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.  

Now, White has zeroed in on Cardinals vs. Panthers. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Cardinals vs. Panthers:

Top Cardinals vs. Panthers predictions

After examining Panthers vs. Cardinals from every angle, White is learning Over 34.5 points. Different teams and coaches treat preseason games different from one-another, but this opening game has trended Over recently. It’s possible LaFleur looks to make an offensive statement in his first game on an NFL sideline as a head coach. 

“I’m a slight lean on the Over after the last four HOF Games made it to 37+ points,” White told SportsLine. “But the highest scoring of the four only made it to 41 so we don’t have much of a margin for error, particularly if the Panthers coaching staff is on autopilot.” You can see which team to back at SportsLine.  

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How to make Cardinals vs. Panthers picks

For Panthers vs. Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame Game, the elite NFL expert has found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who covers in Cardinals vs. Panthers, and what critical x-factor makes one side hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cardinals vs. Panthers spread you need to jump on, from one of SportsLine’s premier NFL experts, and find out.