Saints vs. Cardinals NFL Thursday night odds, trends: Bettors on underdog New Orleans and likely QB Andy Dalton

The big question for tonight's New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals game is whether the Saints will start Andy Dalton or Jameis Winston under center. There are multiple reports that it likely will be Dalton making his fourth straight start at quarterback because Winston hasn't had a full practice yet because of his back injury. The Saints are up to +2.5 at Caesars Sportsbook but taking 75% of the money and 51% of the tickets.

New Orleans is 1-2 in Dalton's three starts, but the offense has played well in averaging 30.0 points per game. If the defense had played a bit better -- it allowed a game-winning 60-yard TD pass with just under two minutes left this past Sunday vs. Cincinnati -- the Saints would be 3-0 under Dalton. Both he and Winston were listed as limited early this week in practice, but both have been removed from the injury report.

Dalton has been a disaster in road primetime games. He has lost 11 in a row and is the first QB since 1970 to lose five straight primetime starts by at least 17 points. The Red Rifle will again be without two of his top three wideouts in Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, but Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Olave will play after missing Sunday's game. Guard Andrus Peat and tight end Adam Trautman also are out, as is Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

While the Cardinals lost leading receiver Marquise Brown for at least six weeks in Sunday's loss in Seattle, they will welcome back five-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins from a six-game suspension. At BetMGM, the two most-wagered props are on Hopkins to score the game's first touchdown at +700 and anytime TD at +125. He had eight touchdown catches last year in 10 games. The Cardinals are 16-10 with Hopkins in the lineup since 2019 and 5-9 without. 

Arizona kicker Matt Prater and running back James Conner are both in question. A couple of starting offensive linemen are out. The team traded for receiver Robbie Anderson this week, but Coach Kliff Kingsbury has said Anderson will be "very limited" if he plays. The Cardinals have lost eight straight home games.

Thursday night games are averaging 36.7 points this season, the lowest-scoring slate of Thursday games since 2006 (33.8) – the first year with TNF games. Yet at Caesars, 60% of the money and 58% of the tickets are on the Over. Four straight Cardinals games have gone Under (34.8 total PPG in span), while three consecutive Saints games have gone Over (60.0 total PPG in span).

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