With the NFL playoffs rolling on and the sportâs offseason approaching closer by the day, itâs a good time to take stock of which retired players have the best shot at joining the sportâs best of the best in Canton.
The 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement is near. This yearâs class for induction in Canton, Ohio, will be announced Feb. 6 in New Orleans, ahead of this yearâs Super Bowl in the Big Easy.
The Carolina Panthers have a stake because two of their all-time best players are among the 15 finalists. Ahead of next monthâs announcement, BetCarolina.com created hypothetical odds on which Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates have the best shot at inclusion in 2025.
Player | Position | Odds | Percent Chance |
Antonio Gates | TE | -1450 | 93.5% |
Luke Kuechly | LB | -1250 | 92.6% |
Adam Vinatieri | K | -900 | 90.0% |
Eli Manning | QB | -125 | 55.5% |
Torry Holt | WR | +200 | 33.3% |
Willie Anderson | OT | +300 | 25.0% |
Jared Allen | DE | +350 | 22.2% |
Marshall Yanda | OG | +400 | 20.0% |
Charles Woodson | DB | +400 | 20.0% |
Reggie Wayne | WR | +500 | 16.7% |
Terrell Suggs | OLB | +500 | 16.7% |
The Field |
| +1100 | 8.3% |
These odds are exclusive to BetCarolina.com, where top real money NC sports betting promos are ready for customers to use when they sign up.
First time members of this yearâs class include four-time All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates, former Panther and 2013 NFL Rookie of the Year Luke Kuechly and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning. Other noteworthy names include kicker Adam Vinatieri, defensive end Jared Allen, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, linebacker Terrell Suggs and another Carolina great, receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Our top picks for the Canton institution of professional football excellence include Gates, who is our leading candidate at -1450 odds, Kuechly at -1250 and Vinatieri at -900 odds. Those wagers would be considered near locks at North Carolina sportsbooks.
The other candidate with better than even odds on our board is Manning, who we have at -125 to join older brother Peyton Manning as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Among the slight underdogs are former North Carolina State WR Torry Holt (+200) and offensive tackle Willie Anderson (+300).
Gates was the second player in NFL history to haul in 100 touchdowns as a tight end, after Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Kuechly, who played for the Panthers from 2012-19, was the youngest NFL Defensive Player of the Year when he took home the honor in 2013.
Those two have separated themselves from the field just as the Detroit Lions (+295) and Kansas City Chiefs (+350) are ahead of the pack at Caesars North Carolina Sportsbook as Super Bowl 59 favorites.
Vinatieri is the NFLâs all-time leading scorer, with 2,673 points, and holds league marks for field goals made (599), postseason points (238) and field goals made in overtime games (12).
Eli Manning was a two-time Super Bowl MVP and four-time Pro Bowler for the New York Giants, throwing for more than 57,000 yards and 366 touchdowns during his 236-game career from 2004 to 2019.
Among the longshots to remember this year are offensive lineman Marshall Yanda and cornerback Charles Woodson, who are listed at +400 apiece to make the Hall of Fame in 2025. We have Wayne and Suggs at +500 each and Smith is among the âfieldâ picks, all of whom are at +1100 collectively.
BetCarolina has reviews of NC sportsbook apps so you can compare for yourself when you sign up.
Author
Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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