When the Saints and Cardinals open Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season on Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video), it will be a battle of 2-4 teams trying to get back into the NFC wild card race in Arizona.
New Orleans is coming off a tough loss against Cincinnati at home. Arizona lost at Seattle in Week 6. The Saints' wins so far have come against the Seahawks and Falcons. The Cardinals have beaten the Raiders and Panthers.
The Saints come in down key players at wide receiver (Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry), on the offensive line (Andrus Peat) and cornerback (Marshon Lattimore). The Cardinals will operate without wide receiver Marquise Brown, but they also are getting wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension. Running back James Conner (ribs) is unlikely to play with a questionable designation.
Kyler Murray is definitely starting again for the home team at quarterback. but the Saints are likely set to stick with Andy Dalton over James Winston with both healthy.
Here's everything to know about betting on Saints vs. Cardinals in Week 7, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for "Thursday Night Football."
NFL WEEK 7 PICKS: Against the spread | Straight-up predictions
Saints vs. Cardinals odds for Thursday Night Football
- Spread: Cardinals by 2
- Over/under: 44
- Moneyline: Saints +115, Cardinals -135
The Cardinals are slight home favorites and that number has gone up very little when weighing the Saints' injuries. The total reflects these offenses underachieving a bit.
(betting odds per Caesars Sportsbook)
Saints vs. Cardinals all-time series
The Saints lead by one game, 16-15. They gained that advantage by taking the lat two meetings, 31-9 in New Orleans in 2019 and 48-41 in Arizona in 2016. Overall the Saints have won 5 of 7, all tied to the Drew Brees era.
Three trends to know
—61 percent of spread bettors believe the Cardinals will win as standard home favorites as the healthier team by at least a field goal
—57 percent of total bettors are feeling this game has too many offensive playmakers and too many defensive liabilities and are taking the over.
—The Saints are 2-4 against the spread this season. They were 9-8 ATS last season. The Cardinals are 3-3 against the spread this season. They were 10-8 including playoffs last season.
Three things to watch
Hopkins returns vs. no Lattimore
The Saints' secondary is missing its shutdown stud who rises to the prime-time occasion against top outside receivers. Hopkins may see fewer snaps than usual as a starter, but he will be busy as the No. 1. He needs to have an immediate impact to boost Murray all over the field. Murray really has missed him in seven injured games and six more suspended games since the middle of last season.
Saints' run-heavy attack
The Saints have been hampered in the passing game with their wide receiver injuries and now don't have tight end Adam Trautman, either. The Cardinals run defense was worked over by Seattle, so it can expect a heavy dose of Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill and others.
Dalton, no prime-time player
Dalton is 6-18 in 24 career starts in night games. He's thrown 20 interceptions total in those games while completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes at 6.03 yards per attempt with a 78.5 rating. That's not good news against a Cardinals' improving overall pass defense.
Stats that matter
From 93.5 to 120.8. The Saints were a dominant run defense last season, ranked No. 4 in the NFL. This year their average rushing yards given up has shot up by nearly 30 per game, pushing them down to No. 20 in the NFL.
The Cardinals can not only take advantage of a pass defense with an inconsistent pass rush and shaky coverage without a healthy Lattimore, but they should able get their traditional running game going with strong support from Murray.
Saints vs. Cardinals prediction
The Cardinals are playing the better overall defense at the moment. They also have the big QB edge with the passing and running of Murray with Hopkins back in the fold to help Zach Ertz, Rondale Moore and others. Dalton will lean a ton on the run, but the game script will eventually force him to crack under pressure.
Cardinals 27, Saints 20
