The set-up: The NFL is back in action for the first time since last February's thrilling Super Bowl, as the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals meet in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio. After cancelling this game last year due to poor playing conditions, the Pro Football Hall of Fame was determined not to let it happen again. The stadium was overhauled thanks to a $10 million donation from Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and now the namesake of the Canton venue. The time frame for major renovations was limited and Kevin Shiplett, VP of Operations and Facilities at the Hall of Fame, joked: "It will be done, but just don't brush up against any walls because the paint may be fresh." There is a chance of scattered thunderstorms for Thursday evening in Canton, so weather could be a factor.

Dallas: The Cowboys were the far superior team last year due to the emergence of rookies Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott. This dynamic duo led the Cowboys to 13 wins, their highest total since 2007, but as been the case for some time now, the Cowboys lost their first playoff game.

Arizona: The Cardinals entered the 2016 season off back-to-back playoff appearances, including coming off a 13-3 regular season in 2015, which ended with an NFC championship game loss. However, at 7-8-1 in 2016, the team ended a run of three consecutive seasons of double-digit wins.

The pick: As is custom in an early preseason game, you can expect to see a ton of unknowns on the field attempting to earn recognition from coaching staffs and carve out a spot on the final roster. Neither coach is expected to really care about the final score and will instead opt to get as many reps from as many guys on the fringe as possible. In particular, Arizona will be without two of three most impactful offensive players, as head coach Bruce Arians is electing to keep QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald sidelined in order to keep their preseason workload light (don't expect to see too much of RB David Johnson, either). Both Arians and Dallas' Jason Garrett boast losing records during the preseason but Garrett has only a total of four wins in 13 attempts over the past four preseasons. Five of the last six Hall of Fame games have been low-scoring affairs, with only the Cowboys vs. the Miami Dolphins showdown in 2013 going over 40 points. Points will be at a premium in this contest, especially since these players have had extremely little time to prepare together as a team. I'm making Arizona a 10* play.