2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game Jets vs. Browns preseason odds, trends: Bettors leaning New York, under total with Zach Wilson, Kellen Mond as starting quarterbacks

Our long national nightmare is over as the NFL returns tonight with the annual Hall of Fame preseason game from Canton, Ohio, with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC. This year, it features the New York Jets "at" the Cleveland Browns, but neither Aaron Rodgers nor Deshaun Watson will play. Instead, it's Zach Wilson vs. Kellen Mond to start things off at QB. Bettors at one book are pretty solid on the Jets at -1.5 as well as Under a tiny total of 33.5 points. Click here for expert picks. 

At BetMGM, the Jets opened +1.5 but are now -1.5 and taking 52% of bets and 77% of money. On the moneyline, the Browns have shifted from -120 to +105 with 60% of bets and 36% of money. On the total of 33.5, which you would never see in a regular-season game, 59% of bets and 68% of money are on Under.

Wilson, the former No. 2 overall pick, enters a preseason with no pressure or expectations for the first time in his young NFL career because he's the No. 2 behind Rodgers, the future Hall of Famer and four-time MVP whom the Jets acquired via trade around the draft. Rodgers said he plans to stay at least a few years, so Wilson may never take a meaningful snap again for Gang Green barring injury.

Rodgers has not played in the preseason since 2018 when he played seven snaps in Week 2. Might things change this year with him learning a new scheme and teammates? Coach Robert Saleh said this week that if Rodgers does play in the preseason, it would be for "a quick tuneup" at the Giants in the Aug. 26 finale.

"We're just trying to get the young guys a lot of playing time, see what we've got in them," Saleh said of the HOF Game. "We're not anticipating any of our starters playing and [only] a couple of vets, for that matter, so it's going to be a lot of young guys running around and trying to showcase their skills and make the 53-man roster."

Wilson did start the team's past two preseason openers, a 24-21 win at Philadelphia last year when Wilson left early with an injured knee that cost him three regular-season games, and a 12-7 win at the Giants in 2021 when he played two drives.

Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler are behind Wilson currently on the depth chart with Streveler likely getting the most snaps overall tonight. He was very good in the 2022 preseason, completing 24 of 33 passes for 277 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Under Salah, the Jets are 5-1 ATS in preseason games.

Under Kevin Stefanski, the Browns are 2-0-1 ATS as preseason underdogs compared to 1-2 ATS as favorites. Not only will Watson sit, but so will backup Josh Dobbs for Cleveland.

Mond, a 2021 third-round pick out of Texas A&M for the Vikings, will play the entire first half at QB. Mond was claimed off waivers by the Browns at the end of training camp in 2022 but never took a snap for them. He's listed as the third stringer on the depth chart overall, and rookie fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of UCLA will play the entire second half.

Since 2005, favorites in the Hall of Fame Game are 12-4 straight up and 8-5-3 ATS. Even with small totals, the Under is 9-7 in that span. The last time 40 combined points were scored in the game was in 2013. There have been two HOF games canceled since then. Last year, the Raiders beat the Jaguars 27-11. 

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