Carolina Panthers vs Arizona Cardinals Prediction, Picks, Odds, Depth Charts & Best Bets

Chris Beck

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Carolina Panthers vs Arizona Cardinals Prediction, Picks, Odds, Depth Charts & Best Bets

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🏈 NFL PRESEASON · HALL OF FAME GAME · THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 · ALL ODDS FANDUEL

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium · Canton, OH · 8:00 PM ET · NBC/Peacock/NFL+

Panthers vs Cardinals: Prediction, Picks, Odds & Depth Charts

Hall of Fame Game 2026 · Best Bets · All Odds FanDuel

Must be 21+ · Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER · FanDuel Sportsbook

Football is back, in the loosest possible sense. The Panthers and Cardinals open the 2026 NFL season Thursday night in Canton, two days before Luke Kuechly and Larry Fitzgerald — franchise legends for these exact two teams — are formally inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's a fitting bit of scheduling for a game that otherwise carries almost no bearing on either team's actual season, since neither starting quarterback is expected to see the field.

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Who's Actually Playing

Bryce Young sits for Carolina — Kenny Pickett starts before handing off to rookie Haynes King. Arizona's official season depth chart lists Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew ahead of Carson Beck, but Beck has been named the starter for this specific game, with Kedon Slovis expected to take over in the second half.

Roster Battles Worth Watching

Carolina's WR3 Spot

Former first-rounder Xavier Legette against veteran David Moore for the No. 3 receiver job behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. Moore's history with OC/HC Canales dating back to Seattle and Tampa Bay reportedly has him with an early edge.

Carolina's OLB4 Spot

With Nic Scourton out for the season and Patrick Jones/Jaelan Phillips sitting, Trevis Gipson, Thomas Incoom, Cam Gill and Nick Hampton get the bulk of tonight's snaps competing for the backup role behind the projected starters.

Arizona's Rookie Watch

No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love has not been confirmed to play. Arizona also lost CB Jaden Davis and DL P.J. Mustipher to injured reserve during camp, signing Brodric Martin and Quinton Newsome as replacements.

Depth Chart Notes — Panthers

QB: Kenny Pickett → Haynes King (Bryce Young out) · OT: Rasheed Walker (L), Monroe Freeling (R) · DL: Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, Cam Jackson (Tershawn Wharton out, neck surgery) · CB: Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton behind Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson · OL: Jake Curhan signed after Saahdiq Charles placed on IR

Depth Chart Notes — Cardinals

QB (this game): Carson Beck → Kedon Slovis (Jacoby Brissett/Gardner Minshew expected to sit) · RB: Jeremiyah Love's participation unconfirmed · CB: Quinton Newsome (in for injured Jaden Davis) · DL: Brodric Martin (in for injured P.J. Mustipher)

⭐ Best Bets

Best Bet #1

Total Points — Under 35.5

The season's earliest preseason game, both offenses running new systems with backups — a genuinely low-event environment

-114

Best Bet #2

1st Half — Under 17.5

Same logic as the full-game total, isolated to the half most likely to feature the least-established backups on the field

-114

Best Bet #3

Panthers -1.5

Kenny Pickett is a proven NFL starter elsewhere; Carson Beck is a rookie third-rounder making his first pro appearance

-110

Best Bet #4

Panthers Alt Total — 275+ Rec+Rush Yards

A reasonably conservative team-yardage number given the QB experience gap in Carolina's favor

-188

📋 A Preseason-Specific Warning

Preseason participation is genuinely unpredictable — teams routinely pull healthy players in the second half or scratch names entirely for reasons that never get publicly explained. Check the inactive list and confirm quarterback rotations closer to kickoff before locking in anything above.

⚠️ Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER.

FanDuel Sportsbook · Hall of Fame Game · Thursday 8PM ET · Canton, OH

Bet Panthers vs Cardinals on FanDuel

Under 35.5 -114 · Panthers -1.5 -110

Bet Now

All odds FanDuel Sportsbook · Spread: Panthers -1.5 (-110) / Cardinals +1.5 (-110) · Moneyline: Panthers -120 / Cardinals +104 · Total: Over 35.5 (-106) / Under 35.5 (-114) · 1st Half Winner: Panthers -130 / Cardinals -102 · 1st Half Spread: Panthers -1.5 (+108) / Cardinals +1.5 (-144) · 1st Half Total: Over 17.5 (-114) / Under 17.5 (-114) · Panthers Alt Rec+Rush Yards: 225+ (-850), 250+ (-360), 275+ (-188), 300+ (+100), 325+ (+182) · Cardinals Alt Rec+Rush Yards: 225+ (-750), 250+ (-350), 275+ (-180), 300+ (+102), 325+ (+182) · Kenny Pickett starts for Carolina before Haynes King, Bryce Young sits · Carson Beck starts for Arizona before Kedon Slovis, Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew expected to sit · Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton OH · Thursday, August 6, 2026, kickoff 8:00 PM ET, broadcast on NBC, Peacock and NFL+ · Must be 21+ · Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER

Get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens when you bet $5 daily for the next 5 days. You'll receive $200 in Bet Resets every day you qualify! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today's other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which bets stand out to you this week? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL odds to see the full menu of options.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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