Ladies and gentleman, after six months of waiting, football is finally back. 

Sure, it's a preseason game and you probably won't recognize roughly 50 percent of the players on the field, but it is football and there will be plenty of things to watch for when the Ravens battle the Bears in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night. 

For one, there's a good chance that we're going to get our first look at Lamar Jackson. Although the Ravens have made it clear that Joe Flacco will be the team's starting quarterback this season, Flacco likely won't be playing against the Bears, which means we should see a heavy dose of Jackson and his electrifying skills. 

During an interview this week, Jackson sounded a lot like he was expecting to play. The first-round pick said he wanted to use the Hall of Fame game to prove to America that he's "a quarterback." 

"And just show the growth from college to my new chapter," Jackson said. 

Besides Jackson, the Ravens also have another intriguing option at quarterback in Robert Griffin III, who you might remember more as the the last quarterback to lead the Browns to a win. Although we'll likely see both of those players in action, Ravens coach John Harbaugh wouldn't reveal any details about who he plans to play in the game, despite knowing exactly who he plans to play. 

"We have that set," Harbaugh said of the QB plans for the Hall of Fame game, via the AP. "I never really talk about that. We just go do it. But we have the quarterback rotation set, and then we'll organize the rest of it ... There'll be some guys who won't play in that game, probably you might guess the guys who haven't practiced as much that first week."

So why should you be excited for the Hall of Fame game? 

Because Aston Kutcher's excited. 

If that doesn't get you to watch, nothing will. 

Here's your TV and streaming information. 

How to watch

  • What: Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears
  • When: Thursday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio
  • TV: NBC
    • Play-by-play: Al Michaels
    • Color analyst: Cris Collinsworth

Bet all your money on the Ravens?

The return of football doesn't just mean the return of football this year, it also means you'll be getting your first chance to gamble on football since the Supreme Court paved the way in June for legalized gambling across the country. 

With multiple states now accepting NFL bets, people can wager on anything and everything, including preseason football. If you're thinking on putting some money down on this game, history says you should probably go with the Ravens, who are currently a 2-point favorite. Not only have the Ravens won eight straight preseason games, but they've also covered in nine straight games dating back to their preseason finale in 2015. 

Of course, if you're not quite sold on the Ravens, we understand.

So which side of Bears-Ravens is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hammerin' Hank Goldberg's Hall of Fame Game pointspread pick, all from the handicapping legend coming off another wildly profitable NFL season!

Why Ravens vs. Bears

Finally, if you're wondering why the Bears and Ravens were picked to play in the Hall of Fame game, there's an answer for that. The NFL generally picks two teams that both have a connection to Hall of Fame weekend, which made Chicago and Baltimore the perfect choices for 2018. Not only will the two teams be squaring off Thursday, but if fans stick around, they'll be able to see one former legend from each team enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. 

For the Bears that will be linebacker Brian Urlacher. For the Ravens, that will be Ray Lewis.