NFL Hall of Fame Game Free Pick and Odds: Saints and Cardinals

Friday, August 03, 2012

by Mike Stewart

The Saints and Cardinals wage preseason war to kickoff your NFL preseason betting appetite, and while these games are usually pretty hard to gauge, it’s worth throwing some money around on a Hall of Fame Game free pick. You can expect the commentators to smother you with discussion about Bounty Gate, which is a distraction the Arizona Cardinals don’t have to deal with.

- Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, August 5th, 2012
Where: Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio
TV: NFL Network

What the Red Birds do have on their minds though is one of the more hilarious quarterback controversies in the league. Kevin Kolb, who is still sucking on that brutal contract he received to migrate from Philadelphia, is actually having trouble keeping his hold on the number one spot in Arizona against John Skelton.

With Skelton at the helm, filling in for an injured Kolb, the Cards actually went 4-1 SU to end the 2011 NFL season. The good news for Kolb is that Skelton is now the one that’s hurt, which is why the Cardinals added Brodie Croyle. The bad news is that Kevin Kolb will likely see a lot of playing time in the Hall of Fame Game making this one free pick I don’t enjoy writing about. This guy is throwing picks in practice for goodness sakes.

The New Orleans Saints don’t have that kind of quarterback problem, thanks to a $100M contract handed out to Drew Brees. Seriously, what took so long, guys? Brees will probably only get a go in the first quarter until Chase Daniel gets his time to shine, and honestly I like the prospect out of Missouri in a preseason game.

What I’m not such a huge fan of is the defense in New Orleans, which was under the direction of the now infamous Greg Williams who is serving what’s pretty much a lifetime ban from the NFL. Despite what you think of his motivational tactics, Williams was an exceptional defensive coordinator. Steve Spagnuolo takes over for the Saints, and while he’s a good coach the Saints’ renowned blitz packages are a thing of the past.

Preseason games are a pain in the butt to be honest, and making a Hall of Fame Game free pick isn’t the easiest task because you don’t know who’s going to be on the field and for how long. The truth is that if the Cardinals are trotting out Kevin Kolb in a meaningless matchup while he’s trying to prove that he belongs, against a defense that is still in disarray considering coaching shuffles for New Orleans, he has a better chance than I want to admit.

It’s not the safest bet, but no preseason game is. To satisfy my own cravings for NFL action, I’m going with the dog. These games never pan out the way you think they will.

NFL Hall of Fame Game Free Betting Pick: New Orleans -2½

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arizona cardinals - brodie croyle - chase daniel - drew brees - greg williams - john skelton - kevin kolb - new orleans saints - steve spagnuolo