Although real, meaningful football is still multiple weeks away, we can at least whet our appetites with this year’s NFL Hall of Fame Game on Thursday. The New York Jets will take on the Cleveland Browns in Canton this year — but don’t expect to see big-name stars like Aaron Rodgers or Deshaun Watson take the field. Let’s dive into the Jets-Browns odds to identify the best pick as I make my Hall of Fame Game predictions.
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Hall of Fame Game Predictions: Best Jets-Browns Picks, Odds and More
Hall of Fame Game Jets-Browns Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Jets: -130 | Browns: +110
Jets -1.5: -115 | Browns +1.5: -105
Over 33.5: -105 | Under 33.5: -115
What to Expect in the 2023 Hall of Fame Game
Last year’s Hall of Fame Game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t feature many names you would’ve heard on Sunday. Quarterback Kyle Sloter led the game in passing, with Jake Luton, Jarrett Stidham, Nick Mullens and Chase Garbers all attempting some passes as well. Obviously, neither team used its starting quarterback, but the Jaguars didn’t even use their backup, C.J. Beathard.
Plenty of players who showed out in the Hall of Fame Game don’t even make the roster. Last year, running back Mekhi Sargent led the way on the ground for Jacksonville and tallied the most receptions and third-most receiving yards. He didn’t make the team. Of the leading receivers in that game, which included tight end Luke Farrell and wide receivers Willie Johnson, Tyron Johnson and Keelan Cole, two — Farrell and Cole — remain with their teams.
Every coach has a different philosophy when it comes to the preseason, and they usually even deviate from that when it comes to the Hall of Fame Game, which is an additional preseason game. Cleveland’s head coach, Kevin Stefanski, will reportedly treat the game “like Week 0,” reserving it for reserves and developing players. He didn’t take the preseason too seriously last year and the Browns went 1-2, scoring just seven total fourth-quarter points.
New York’s head coach, Robert Saleh, unsurprisingly committed to starting his reserves as well — but it’s worth noting that his Jets went 3-0 in the preseason last year. They did so despite routinely starting slow. Bad openings didn’t stop Saleh from staying aggressive, though, as the Jets totaled a whopping 56 fourth-quarter points and took the lead in the final frame each time.
Who Will Shine for New York? | Jets-Browns Predictions & Pick
New York’s offense should look pretty solid. Saleh confirmed that quarterback Zach Wilson will start the game. He’ll get protection from former first-round tackle Mekhi Becton for at least a few snaps. It’s unclear who Saleh will use at receiver and tight end, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see a few familiar names like Mecole Hardman or C.J. Uzomah out there with Wilson.
The Jets have some interesting options at running back but may play things safe with Breece Hall still recovering from injury. Michael Carter Jr. could see some snaps, but Zonovan Knight, who came out of nowhere to tally 400 yards from scrimmage last year after Hall went down, and former Pitt star Israel Abanikanda, who scored a whopping 20 touchdowns last year, will likely do most of the damage.
Once Wilson exits, the Jets have Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler to sub in. Streveler, a dual-threat quarterback, was a star of last year’s preseason and engineered the team’s late-game comebacks against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants. The 28-year-old even saw action in Week 16, replacing Wilson but failing to mount a similar comeback. He’ll likely get to work with seventh-round tight end Zack Kuntz, who boasts a 6-foot-7 fame but still ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, making him a 90th-plus percentile athlete at the position.
Defensively, the Jets are probably still trying to figure out their rotation in the front seven after losing Nathan Shepherd and Sheldon Rankins in the offseason. New York signed some veteran free agents and spent its first-round draft selection on Will McDonald IV to fill the gaps, so don’t be surprised if he sees some snaps early. The Jets have plenty of depth in the trenches, but it remains to be seen how many of their veteran reserves will see action on Thursday.
Who Will Shine for Cleveland? | Jets-Browns Predictions & Pick
Cleveland’s offense will be interesting to watch. They may start backup Josh Dobbs, but I don’t expect to see that much of him. Dobbs looked solid in the preseason for the Browns last year. He did enough to make the team but was waived to accommodate Deshaun Watson. The Titans then picked him up and started him over Malik Willis following the injury to Ryan Tannehill, and he likely would’ve led them to an AFC South title but for a costly late-game fumble.
But the Browns probably don’t need to see much more from Dobbs, so they will likely use Kellen Mond and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson for most of the night. Thompson-Robinson, a 23-year-old fifth-round rookie out of UCLA, should get plenty of reps — his dual-threat skillset fits Stefanski’s offense well. Stefanski ran the ball often in last year’s preseason, and quarterbacks were no exception. Dobbs and Josh Rosen combined for 12 carries.
The Browns have some interesting weapons in the receiving game but not much jumps out at running back. Jerome Ford, Demetric Felton Jr. and Hassan Hall will likely see plenty of snaps at running back. John Kelly Jr. could as well. Ford and Kelly combined for 205 yards and two scores on 56 carries in last year’s preseason but did nothing in the regular season. At wide receiver, the Browns have a litany of young Day 2 picks in David Bell, Elijah Moore, Anthony Schwartz and Cedric Tillman, all of whom will be eager to make an impact. Bell and Tillman provide size on the boundary, while Moore and Schwartz are both 90th-plus percentile speedsters.
The Browns bolstered their defense in free agency, but we’re unlikely to see big names like Dalvin Tomlinson or Za’Darius Smith. Instead, we’ll see some meaningful reps for rookie nose tackle Siaki Ika, especially since the Browns were so terrible against the run last season, along with rookie defensive end and pass rusher Isaiah McGuire.
Jets-Browns Predictions: Final Hall of Fame Game Pick
The Browns have better reserves, at least on offense, but the Jets have a more aggressive coaching staff. I could easily see the Browns building a multi-score lead before the fourth quarter but choking it away against hungry Jets reserves. Given what we’ve seen out of Stefanski-led teams in the preseason — efficient play early, less efficient play late — this game sets up perfectly for another Saleh-led preseason comeback.
I’m not playing the side for this one. Instead, the total stands out to me. Last year, Cleveland’s preseason games saw an average of 39.7 points scored. New York’s saw an average of 47.7, in no small part due to their late-game aggression — take away their 56 fourth-quarter points and that average drops to 29 total points per game. If Saleh stays aggressive down the stretch, the Jets should push this one over in the final frame.
The books have the total for this game set to only 33.5. While previous Hall of Fame Games scores suggest that’s smart, the now-shorter preseason makes these reps that much more valuable. With an exciting set of playmakers in the passing game for Cleveland and a hungry head coach at the helm for the Jets, my prediction for this year’s Hall of Fame Game is that the over 33.5 will hit sometime during the fourth quarter — lock this one in for -105 (51.2%) via FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Jets-Browns Hall of Fame Game Pick: Over 33.5 -105 at FanDuel
