After losing four of their last five games, the Arizona Cardinals appear to be in free fall. Having dropped to 2-4, no one trusts them entering a Week 7 matchup with the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, October 20, at 8 p.m. EST. Arizona's odds to make the NFL playoffs have plummeted, and there are many analysts calling for them to tank and bench franchise quarterback Kyle Murray as a result. But is the situation really that dire?
A quick look at the latest NFL online betting odds for the Cardinals vs. Saints game suggests the former isn't viewed as entirely hopeless. Perhaps that's because superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be making his season debut after being suspended for the first six weeks. Just look at Thursday's game lines below, courtesy of BetOnline:
Like always, you should recheck these Cardinals vs. Saints betting odds until you actually place your wager. Our football betting lines—which we will use to predict the outright winner, the point spread and the over/under—are accurate entering Wednesday, October 19. That gives them plenty of time to move prior to opening kickoff.
For anyone who needs a place to bet on the NFL, meanwhile, please allow us to suggest checking out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. These catalogs of information are beyond exhaustive and will help you spot the best NFL online betting sites in 2022.
And with that, it's on to our Week 7 NFL picks for Cardinals vs. Saints.
Arizona Cardinals Offense Should Rebound with the Return of DeAndre Hopkins
Life in some ways is only going to get harder for the Cardinals. They just failed to tally a touchdown versus the Seattle Seahawks' super weak defense, and now, they've found out speedster receiver Marquise Brown will miss at least six weeks with a fracture in his foot. Given how poorly Murray has played under center, it could be time for them to throw in the towel.
Or perhaps not.
Superstar wideout DeAndre Hopkins is set to make his debut against the Saints, which arms Murray with his favorite bail-out option. The Cardinals also acquired the disgruntled Robbie Anderson from the Carolina Panthers this past week, a lightning-fast receiver who can replace a lot of the downfield reps soaked up by the injured Brown.
This doesn't necessarily mean you should throw out everything you've seen so far from the Cardinals' passing offense. It has been ghastly. But not only will they be healthier in Week 7, they're going up against a New Orleans defensive line that currently ranks 32nd in pressure rate. Murray is going to have plenty of time to let plays develop and hit his wideouts for huge gains.
Maybe you're still worried. The Cardinals, after all, have totaled just 47 points in their past four games while eclipsing the 15-point mile marker just once. That is terrible. We even missed on them with a couple of earlier NFL picks. However, this week feels like a prime breakout moment for them. It wouldn't surprise us if the return of Hopkins coupled with extra time for Murray to work after the snap allows them to topple the 30-point mark for the first time all year.
OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals (-138)
Here's Why You Might As Well Roll the Dice on the Cardinals Covering vs. the Saints in Week 7
Below you can see the latest NFL point spread betting odds for the Cardinals vs. Saints matchup in Week 7:
- Arizona Cardinals, -2 (-115)
- New Orleans Saints, +2 (-105)
Picking Arizona here is an easy decision for us, since we buy into them winning outright and laying two points is nothing. However, we're feeling even more confident after a couple of developments.
First, the Cardinals opened at -3. That made people flock to the Saints, which we don't agree with. But it also gave us an opportunity to pounce on the -2 line. Furthermore, despite Arizona's crummy record, they have opened the season 4-2 against the spread.
Those are odds we're happy to invest in.
OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals, -2 (-115)
The Over for Cardinals vs. Saints is Ambitious, but Worth the Risk
Here are the latest over/under betting odds for Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints:
- Over 44.5 (-115)
- Under 44.5 (-105)
Betting the over has turned out to be a dangerous proposition in Cardinals games. Arizona is 1-4-1 against the over, which is one of the 10 lowest conversion rates in the NFL.
Still, we're talking about a Cardinals team that didn't have a ton of offensive weapons at their disposal. They're slightly deeper now, even if Hopkins needs to work his way into game shape. On top of that, the Saints have quietly cobbled together a top-11 scoring offense on the back of perhaps the best rushing attack around.
Given how porous the Cardinals' defense has been this season—they've allowed at least 21 points in five of their six games—New Orleans should expect to tally the equivalent of three touchdowns. And if the Saints can hover around 20 or 21 points, we're 70 to 90 percent confident this is the week Arizona will make up the difference with a 25-point (or more) outburst of their own.
If you feel the need to go under, we get it. The payout is slightly more enticing. But the Cardinals' hit rate against the over (16.7 percent) won't stand forever, and the Saints have actually proven to be good over bets through their first six tilts.
OSB Prediction: Over 44.5 (-115)
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