The NFL preseason will begin on Thursday when the Detroit Lions take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. The Lions are coming off a 15-2 season where they took the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Chargers went 11-6 to finish second in the AFC West, but both teams failed to win a postseason game and will be hoping to take another step towards title contention in 2025. Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert are expected to sit, as Goff hasn’t played a preseason game since 2022 and Herbert has never thrown a preseason pass in his five-year NFL career.

Kickoff from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio is set for 8 p.m. ET. Detroit is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Lions vs. Chargers odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 32.5. Detroit is a -135 money-line favorite. Before making any Chargers vs. Lions picks or 2025 NFL Hall of Fame Game bets, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine expert Matt Severance. New users can also get a head start on football betting by using the latest DraftKings promo code to earn $150 in bonus bets instantly after your first $5 wager here:

Severance is a well-connected writer and high-volume handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. In addition, he is on an impressive 37-12 roll on his last 49 money-line picks in NFL games (+1938). Anyone who has followed him while using online sportsbooks promos and betting apps could be way up.

Now, Severance has locked in on Lions vs. Chargers and just revealed his coveted NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and NFL betting lines for Chargers vs. Lions.

Lions vs. Chargers spread

Lions -1.5

Lions vs. Chargers over/under

32.5 points

Lions vs. Chargers money line

Lions -135, Chargers +114

Lions vs. Chargers picks

See picks at SportsLine

Lions vs. Chargers streaming

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Why the Lions can win

Roster depth often shines through early in the preseason and with an extra preseason game to play, the back half of the roster will certainly be the focus on Thursday. Lions head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have been lauded for their roster-building in recent years and that could be an advantage with Jim Harbaugh and Joe Horvitz only entering their second season with the Chargers. Campbell and the Lions are 4-2 straight up in the preseason over the last two seasons.

“I thought the Lions would win the NFC last season for the first time in franchise history, but that looks tougher on paper this campaign after Dan Campbell lost both highly respected coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, to head coaching jobs,” Severance told SportsLine. “I actually think for this game’s purposes, that might be a good thing for Lions backers because the better players in theory might need a few more game reps under new coordinators/schemes.” See who to back at SportsLine and be sure to check out the latest FanDuel promo code to win $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager wins right here:

Why the Chargers can win

Underdogs have won the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in each of the last three seasons and a more vanilla approach could generally fit Harbaugh’s smash-mouth mentality on offense. The Chargers drafted Omarion Hampton and signed Najee Harris (Harris won’t play and a determination is yet to be made on Hampton) with the intent on running the football a lot, and that should begin on Thursday night with or without those backs.

The Chargers could also have the more competitive backup quarterback battle, with veteran Taylor Heinicke, former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance and former five-star prospect DJ Uiagalelei all in the mix. The veteran Heinicke will sit, with Lance confirmed as the starter with Uiagalelei expected to take over at some point in the second half. That desire to put good tape together for those young players when Harbaugh and Horvitz make roster decisions could certainly help give them an edge in a game where general incentive is relatively low. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make Lions vs. Chargers picks

Severance has analyzed Chargers vs. Lions from every possible angle. He’s leaning under the point total, and has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side to win. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine. 

So who wins Lions vs. Chargers in the 2025 NFL Hall of Fame Game, and what critical x-factor gives one side the advantage? Visit SportsLine now to see which side to back in Chargers vs. Lions, all from the expert who is 37-12 on NFL money-line picks, and find out.