Jets vs. Browns Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Hall-of-Fame Week Odds, Prediction
The NFL makes its return Thursday, August 3 for the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, with the New York Jets facing the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland opened as a 2.5-point favourite to win on the NFL odds, while the total opened at 31.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Hall of Fame Game has been played annually since 1962, with the exception of three cancellations. It was cancelled in 2011 because of the lockout, then again in 2016 because of field conditions, and a third time in 2020 because of COVID.
Cleveland has played in five Hall of Fame Games, winning twice and losing three times. This is the Browns’ first appearance in the Hall of Fame Game since 1999 when they beat the Dallas Cowboys 20-17.
This is only the third Hall of Fame Game for the Jets. New York lost 20-6 to the Bears in 1977 and crushed the Eagles 41-14 in 1992.
As it’s the first pre-season game of the year and most starters won’t participate, the Hall of Fame Game is typically very low scoring. The total has hit Over 31.5 points just four times in the last 10 Hall of Fame Games.
New York Jets
It was another disappointing year for the Jets in 2022. They finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the 12th straight season. They are now tied with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres for the longest active playoff drought in major North American professional sports.
New York made a big splash in the off-season, acquiring four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers, which will obviously be a big upgrade over Zach Wilson at quarterback. Jets fans will have to do without Rodgers in the Hall of Fame Game, however, as head coach Robert Saleh has already said Rodgers will sit while Wilson is expected to start. That’s not a surprise given Rodgers hasn’t played in the pre-season since a brief appearance in 2018.
Other starters such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who is dealing with a low-ankle sprain, and cornerback Sauce Gardner will also sit out.
Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, the 11th overall draft pick in 2020, is expected to play. Becton’s weight has been a concern over the past few seasons, but he reportedly showed up to camp in great shape and could been an impact player for New York this season.
Defensive end Will McDonald, the 15th overall selection in this year’s draft is also expected to play. McDonald suffered a leg contusion early in camp, but should be fine by Thursday.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland finished with a 7-10 record in 2022, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who the Browns acquired in the lead up to last season, was suspended for the first 11 games, forcing Cleveland to turn to journeyman Jacoby Brissett. The team posted a 4-7 record with Brissett and a 3-3 record with Watson. Brissett signed with Washington in the off-season.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is notoriously tight-lipped about who will play in pre-season games, but he did announce that rookie fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a quarterback out of UCLA, will see a lot of playing time on Thursday.
Watson likely won’t see any playing time this early in the pre-season. Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond are expected to share quarterback reps with Thompson-Robinson throughout the pre-season.
Because Thompson-Robinson is a rookie, the most likely scenario is Dobbs and Mond each play one quarter in the first half, setting up Thompson-Robinson to play most, if not all, of the second half.