Broncos vs Cardinals NFL Week 7 Odds for Thursday Night

Two struggling teams will take the field in prime time on Thursday as the Denver Broncos (2-4) visit the Arizona Cardinals (1-5). The Broncos could easily be 0-6 on the season but mounted furious comebacks to beat Seattle and Oakland in their first two games. Since then, it’s all been losses, as Baltimore, Kansas City, the New York Jets and the L.A. Rams have all dealt the Broncos setbacks. The Cardinals have already moved from Sam Bradford to rookie Josh Rosen at quarterback, as their only win has come against a San Francisco team using backup C.J. Beathard at quarterback in Week 5. Which team will come out in this battle of teams in the midst of difficulty? Check out our NFL betting preview to see what we think about this matchup between Broncos vs Cardinals.

Broncos vs Cardinals NFL Week 7 Odds for Thursday Night

Prime time. All eyes on us. #BeatTheCardinals | #TNF pic.twitter.com/p6hQZl02GC

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 18, 2018

When: Thursday, October 18, 2018, 8:20pm ET Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ TV: FOX / NFL Network Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Odds: Denver -2, O/U 40.5

Why should you bet on the Broncos?

Case Keenum has not lived up to the promise that he brought with him in free agency from Minnesota. He did throw for 322 yards against a stout Rams defense, but he had a pair of interceptions to go along with two touchdowns. Emmanuel Sanders had a big day, catching a touchdown pass as he picked up 115 yards. However, a taunting penalty on Sanders ended up turning a sure touchdown drive into a field goal, and that difference in points would prove crucial down the stretch. Denver has not done well against teams that struggle in the NFL, as they have only covered the spread twice in their last 10 games against teams with losing records. In their last 26 games overall, they have only covered the spread six times, and they have only covered three times in their last 16 games away from home. However, while the Broncos are in a four-game skid, they lost to Kansas City by only four points and to the RAms by just the difference of a field goal. If you like Denver here, you think that their strong play will pay off against a lesser opponent.

Why should you put your money on the Cardinals?

Arizona’s offensive performance has picked up with the switch to Josh Rosen at quarterback. As he has grown into the position, he is making fewer and fewer mistakes. He helped the Cardinals stay within ten points of Minnesota last week, throwing for 240 yards (but also throwing a pick). Christian Kirk was his favorite target with six catches for 77 yards, and David Johnson ran for 55 yards and a score. The defense could still use some improvement, but that was a known fact coming into the season. Arizona has covered the spread three times in their last four games against a sub-.500 team, and in four of their last five games at home. However, the Cardinals have fallen into that typical Thursday night slump, covering the spread just twice in their last eight midweek contests. If you like the Cardinals, you think that Rosen will be able to find plenty of space in the Denver secondary and that the Cardinals’ defense will be stiffer than it has been in their contests so far.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Broncos vs Cardinals

I was a big fan of Keenum’s run with Minnesota last year, but it’s clear that Mike Zimmer saw the potential flaws in Keenum’s game when he went after Kirk Cousins in the offseason. Keenum’s inconsistency has cost the Broncos at several points this season. However, the team looks more in sync than Arizona does, and Rosen’s learning curve in the Arizona offense is still costing the team too much. I predict a final score of Denver 24, Arizona 16.