2026 Hall of Fame Game odds, predictions: Panthers vs. Cardinals picks by expert on 50-37 run

Mike LaFleur makes his coaching debut when his Arizona Cardinals battle the Carolina Panthers in the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday. Arizona is coming off a 3-14 season which saw it finish fourth in the NFC West. Carolina, meanwhile, finished 8-9 in 2025, good enough to win the NFC South title. Carolina has won just one of its last eight preseason games, while Arizona is 4-5 in the preseason during that same stretch. Visit our DraftKings promo code review to see their latest offers and get started. Claim the latest DraftKings new user promo here:

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Carolina is a 1.5-point favorites in the latest Panthers vs. Cardinals odds, while the over/under for total points scored in the game is 34.5. The first-half total is 16.5. Before making any Panthers vs. Cardinals picks, check out the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game predictions from SportsLine’s Larry Hartstein.

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He finished the 2025 season on a 50-37-1 run (57.5%). Anybody following his NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.    

Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Panthers vs. Cardinals. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NFL odds and trends for Cardinals vs. Panthers:

Top Panthers vs. Cardinals predictions

Hartstein has studied Panthers vs. Cardinals from every angle and is leaning Over 34.5 combined points for over/under betting. In last year’s preseason opener, both the Cardinals and Panthers easily cleared that margin. For the season, Arizona averaged 20.9 points per game, while Carolina averaged 18.3. In the last 10 head-to-head meetings, the Over is also 6-3-1, while the Over has cleared in six of the last 10 Cardinals games. Third-round draft pick Carson Beck is expected to see a lot of action for the Cardinals. In 16 games in 2025, the former University of Miami standout threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are battling a number of camp injuries and are expected to start Kenny Pickett at quarterback against the Cardinals. He will handle the opening series before giving way to rookie Haynes King. Regular starters like Bryce Young are not expected to see action. See which team to back at SportsLine.

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How to make Panthers vs. Cardinals picks

He’s also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. You can only get his pick at SportsLine. 

So who covers in Panthers vs. Cardinals, and what critical x-factor do you need to know about? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert who went 50-37 on ATS picks in 2025, and find out.