NFL Hall of Fame Game 2023 Odds Preview: Browns Host New-Look Jets
Scrutinized Franchises Kick Off the 2023 NFL Preseason
Jets Slightly Favored By NFL Preseason Odds
NFL football returns and it’s a matchup between two franchises with plenty to prove this season. The New York Jets face the Cleveland Browns in this NFL Hall of Game of 2023. The Jets vs Browns odds favor New York by a point with both Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson, each team’s star quarterbacks, sitting out. Most of this game will be contested by second and third-string players hence the lines.
New York Jets (0-0) vs Cleveland Browns (0-0)
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Robert Saleh Aims to Stay Perfect During Preseason
No starters? No problem. Robert Saleh has made the most of his reserve NFL players as he’s gone 5-0-1 in his six preseason games as the Jets head coach. In place of Rodgers, Zach Wilson will start for the Jets. The second overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has 22 starts and a career passer rating of 70.9.
While Wilson’s play has been inconsistent at best, his experience gives him an edge over his counterpart: Kellen Mond. Wilson, however, will not have the services of the Jets’ top skill players. Star wide receiver Garrett Wilson is absent as is lead running back Breece Hall. We can also expect most of the Jets’ starters, especially those over 30 years of age, to sit.
On the flipside, expect most of the Jets’ rookies to get some snaps. Among them is edge defender Will McDonald IV, the team’s first-round pick this year. He’s already turning heads in training camp and has received high praise from Saleh.
“He’s got all the freakish ability,” Saleh said, via the team’s website. “He can win with speed and can counter inside, but until you get those tackles playing a little bit more heavy-footed because they’re afraid of your power and all that stuff won’t matter, so he’s learning that aspect of it, but I’m excited.”
And as Saleh’s record attests, the Jets should play this game like it’s a regular season game. The team’s intensity will be the same even if it will not be the starters. This may be the 2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game for the average fan, but to the Jets it’s a playoff game.
Mond Ready for His Moment With Cleveland
What better game to prove that you belong than to show out at the 2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game? Kellen Mond gets the nod to start for Cleveland. The former third-round pick was picked up by the Browns a day after Minnesota waived him. With the backup spot officially up for grabs, Mond can seize the opportunity as his coach believes he will.
“Kellen’s done a great job,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “There was a period of just getting to know him early in the season last year. So he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. I’ve been very impressed with him both in the meeting room and on the practice field.
Mond does not have the NFL experience Wilson has. It’s likely a reason why Wilson’s Jets are favored on the NFL betting odds. But Mond was once a five-star recruit going to college and he set records at Texas A&M. The Browns are giving him a shot and will find out if their faith is well-placed.
“The fun part for our players, as you know, is to play these games. So I think Kellen’s excited about the opportunity.”
As for Stefanski, the fourth-year head coach is on the hot seat for Cleveland. While he’s posted a 26-24 NFL team record with one playoff win, Cleveland’s ownership invested a lot in the last two seasons and will want strong results. In the preseason, he is 4-2.
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