THE 2026 National Football League (NFL) Hall of Fame Game, featuring the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, kicked off last night, August 6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, signalling the start of the NFL preseason, and an appetiser for regular season to come.

Firstly, congratulations to the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees: Drew Brees (quarterback), Larry Fitzgerald (wide receiver), Luke Kuechly (linebacker), Adam Vinatieri (kicker), and Roger Craig (running back). These players served the game very well and contributed to numerous memorable moments throughout their exceptional careers.

JustBet already offers odds for the Week 1 games of the Regular Season and the winner of the Super Bowl, but odds for the preseason games will be offered closer to each individual game, as predictions are difficult, due to nature of the contests. NFL preseason games are glorified exhibition matches to evaluate a team’s roster (especially new players), shake off player rust due to the long offseason, test playbook strategies (old and new), and whittle down the squad to the NFL limit of 53 players, before the regular season begins.

Unlike the regular season, the preseason matchups are not based on any rotating or set formula and, while the league schedules the games, individual teams (since 2002) have been allowed to negotiate their own deals to play each other during the preseason. A total of 49 preseason games will be played, including the Hall of Fame Game yesterday, and are played over three weeks leading up to the start of the regular season. Most teams play three exhibition games over the period, except for the Hall of Fame Game participants, who play four in total.

Preseason Games Next Thursday

DATE                          HOME TEAM                     AWAY TEAM

Aug 13, 2026        Pittsburgh Steelers                 Green Bay Packers

Aug 13, 2026    New England Patriots               Indiannapolis Colts

Aug 13, 2026       Houston Texans                     Los Angeles Chargers

Aug 13, 2026       Las Vegas Raiders                   Arizona Cardinals

Aug 13, 2026      San Francisco 49ers                  Tennessee Titans

On the surface, the games appear meaningless, and winning is very low on the priority of objectives. For the casual observer, it can appear boring and pointless, but there is a method to the madness, as the preseason help to set the roadmap for the meaningful games; Player evaluation, preparation and conditioning, and strategic alignment are the main priorities for the events.

Player Evaluation: Rookies and undrafted free agents are provided with a platform to prove they can contribute to the long-term plans of the team and allows fringe squad members to fight for final roster spots or practice squad positions. The coaching staff uses this period to make objective decisions as they are mandated to scale down the roster from 90 to 53 players before the start of the regular season.

Preparation and Conditioning: Players use preseason games to condition themselves for live-contact repetitions that standard practices cannot fully replicate. The designated ‘starters’ (usually veterans) get a brief window (often just a few series) to regain timing and rhythm. Additionally, the preseason games provide perfect rehearsals for coaches, referees, trainers, and stadium operations staff ahead of meaningful matchups in the regular season.

Strategic Alignment: Coaches and coordinators are offered a chance to experiment with new offensive and defensive schemes without devastating consequences aligned with regular season games. Additionally, the preseason exercise allows players, coaches and officials to familiarise themselves with any new rules implemented by the league and allows league officials a controlled environment to test rule modifications or operational adjustments.

Yes, American football is back! And while it might be low-dosage gridiron action, it should briefly assuage a starved fan base after being deprived for months of their precious sport. There are some who are apathetic to preseason football, and others who couldn’t care less, but this football matters, and it exists for good reason. Sure, the preseason is not the same level of football that’s played in the regular season, but there is a small window to see the established players and the opportunity to see fresh talent, whether drafted or not, plus the teams will run some of the core plays that they’ll use in the regular season.

Sit back and enjoy the preseason. There is a lot to see, and there is no reason to hide how you feel about football being back.

I love this game!

JustBet continues to offer attractive betting options on all popular sports and events (including virtual games) as soon as they become available. Please visit one of the over 130 locations (or visit www.supremegames.com/#/prelive) for details and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…… Get in the GAME!

Super Bowl LXI Champion – February 14, 2027

Team Odds

Los Angeles Rams 6.50

Buffalo Bills 10.00

Baltimore Ravens 12.00

Seattle Seahawks 12.00

Kansas City Chiefs 17.00

Los Angeles Chargers 17.00

Philadelphia Eagles 17.00

New England Patriots 17.00

Houston Texans 18.00

Cincinnati Bengals 20.00

*Only Top 10 odds are shown (see website for full list)

Note: Odds are subject to change