Predictions, Picks, and Best Odds for Thursday Night Football (Week 7) Matchup Between Broncos and Saints

• The Denver Broncos visit the shorthanded New Orleans Saints on TNF on Oct. 17
• Missing starting QB Derek Carr, the Saints are slight home underdogs
• See the Broncos vs Saints predictions, picks, and best available odds for Thursday Night Football

Two hard-to-peg teams meet on Thursday Night Football in Week 7 as rookie QB Bo Nix leads his Denver Broncos (3-3, 2-1 away, 4-2 ATS) against fellow rookie pivot Spencer Rattler and the New Orleans Saints (2-4, 1-2 home, 3-3 ATS). Kickoff is slated for 8:15 pm ET at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The Saints are looking to break a four-game losing streak after an impressive 2-0 start while the Broncos aim to get back above .500 after last week’s 23-16 loss to the Chargers.

Denver Broncos vs New Orleans Saints Predictions

• Saints moneyline (+128) at FanDuel
• Over 36.5 (-120) at FanDuel 

Odds as of Oct. 16 at FanDuel. Check out the top sports betting apps for Thursday Night Football. 

Fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler was thrust into the starting role against Tampa Bay last week after Derek Carr went down against the Chiefs in Week 5. Overall, Rattler looked like a promising rookie, throwing for 243 yards on 55% passing with one TD and two picks. He helped the Saints dig out of an early 17-0 hole to take a 27-24 lead before the entire team imploded in the second half of a 51-27 loss.

The New Orleans defense only allowed 317 yards on the day but was routinely put in difficult positions by turnovers and penalties. Even after allowing a 50 burger, the Saints D still ranks 14th in Defensive DVOA this season.

Defense has also been the strength of the Broncos, who sit seventh in D-DVOA and fourth in scoring (16.0 PPG). It’s hard to have any confidence that Bo Nix is going to be able to move the ball, though. The #12-overall pick had under 50 yards passing in the first three quarters of last week’s 23-16 loss to the Chargers, who were missing Joey Bosa. He put up some garbage-time numbers to render his final line more respectable (19-33, 216 yards, two TD, one INT) but his inability to move the ball downfield has been rampant through his first six games in the league, as evidenced by his 73.7 passer rating.

Nix has as many picks as touchdown passes (five), and was limited to just 60 passing yards in his last road game at the Jets (which somehow ended in a 10-9 Denver victory).

Alvin Kamara is officially listed as questionable with a hand injury, but he was a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice and is trending towards playing. The 29-year-old has reasserted himself as one of the best skill-position players in the league, posting 428 rushing yards and another 238 receiving yards through six games. Kamara should be the ultimate security blanket for the rookie Rattler and I will gladly take the New Orleans moneyline at home at significant plus-money.

Best Broncos vs Saints Odds for TNF

There is a bigger discrepancy in the Broncos vs Saints odds than there are for most prime-time games.  The Saints moneyline ranges from +120 to +128 in the Week 7 NFL odds with the longest price currently available at FanDuel. The Broncos moneyline is anywhere from -142 to -152. Denver bettors can find the best price at DraftKings.

Against the spread, the line is Denver -2.5 at most books but as high as Denver -3.0 (-118) at DraftKings, which represents the best option for bettors who want to back the Saint to cover the spread as home underdogs. Broncos backers can get Denver -2.5 (-115) at bet365 and BetMGM.

There is a full one-point range in the game total. FanDuel is on the low end at 36.5 (O -120/U -102) while ESPN Bet is on the high end at 37.5 (O -105/U -115).

Thursday Night Football in Week 7 features a matchup between the Denver Broncos and the New Orleans Saints. Both teams are coming off wins in Week 6 and will be looking to continue their momentum in this primetime showdown.

The Broncos are currently 3-3 on the season and are coming off a dominant 18-12 win over the New England Patriots. Quarterback Drew Lock had a solid performance, throwing for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos defense also stepped up, holding the Patriots to just 288 total yards.

On the other side, the Saints are 4-2 on the season and are coming off a 27-24 win over the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Drew Brees had a stellar performance, throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints defense also played well, holding the Panthers to just 283 total yards.

In terms of predictions for this matchup, it’s expected to be a close game between two evenly matched teams. The Saints are currently favored by -6.5 points, with an over/under of 43.5 points. The Broncos have shown they can compete with top teams, but the Saints have a more potent offense led by Brees and Alvin Kamara.

As for picks, the Saints are the safer bet to cover the spread and win outright. Brees has been playing at a high level and should be able to exploit the Broncos defense. However, the Broncos defense has shown they can make plays and keep games close, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they cover the spread.

In terms of best odds, the over/under of 43.5 points seems like a good bet to take the over. Both teams have capable offenses and could easily surpass that total. As for player props, look for Kamara to have a big game for the Saints and Lock to continue his solid play for the Broncos.

Overall, Thursday Night Football between the Broncos and Saints should be an exciting matchup with plenty of scoring opportunities. It’s shaping up to be a close game, but the Saints have the edge with their high-powered offense.