Pro Football Hall of Fame Game 2017: Cardinals vs Cowboys TV Info, Odds, Preview

The end of a long offseason comes to a conclusion when the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys meet in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, Thursday night.

Fans should not expect to see many of the top players on either team, and if some key players do see some action, it won't be for more than a series or two as the Cardinals and the Cowboys kick off the preseason.

Many observers tend to downplay the preseason, but try telling that to any rookie taken after the second round, along with free agents or undrafted players. To these players, the difference between having a pro football career or not may be one or two good preseason games.

The game will be televised by NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

Preseason games almost always have betting lines, and this game fills that bill. The Cowboys, who finished the 2016 regular season with an NFC-best 13-3 record, are one-point favorites, according to OddsShark. 

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Bruce Arians has said he will not play Carson Palmer, David Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu or Chandler Jones. 

Jason Garrett has left Maliek Collins, Ryan Switzer, Justin Durant, Jourdan Lewis and David Irving back in Dallas, and many other regulars will see limited action.

Dallas safety Jeff Heath is one of those players who was able to have a career in the NFL because of a positive preseason showing in an early game. The Cowboys last played in Canton in 2013, and Heath excelled when he was on the field in that game.

Garrett said Heath made a name for himself with the coaches as he played like a demon on special teams.

"One of my real memories of him is watching the tape the next day, the kickoff reel and he literally is 10 yards ahead of everybody on the kickoff," Garrett said, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

"[Coaches] are looking at each other like, 'Who is that?' He really showed up in that game. He's a great example to the rest of our team."

Heath said that he knew he had an opportunity in that game because starters were not playing. He wanted to do something that stood out. His opportunity came on special teams, and he made the most of it.

It is likely that seventh-round draft choices DT Joey Ivie, WR Noah Brown and DT Jordan Carrell will have an opportunity to make an impression in this game for the Cowboys, while late-round draft picks RB T.J. Logan and S Rudy Ford should have a chance to do the same for the Cardinals.

Playing well in one preseason game may not be enough to earn a roster spot for a young player, but it should be good enough to open the eyes of the coaching staffs.