The Cardinals under Kliff Kingsbury have largely been abysmal to count on (and watch), particularly this season as the offense has fallen off a cliff. But they do get a break Thursday night as a severely banged up Saints team visits Arizona on a short week with their own tough-to-trust coach in Dennis Allen. Hollywood Brown is out, but the Cardinals get a fresh, healthy DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension with Robbie Anderson also active for some stretch-the-field plays. That should help open up Nuk and Zach Ertz underneath. New Orleans still has its top two WRs out, though talented rookie Chris Olave is back. However, the Saints’ biggest absence is Marshon Lattimore. Without him last week, New Orleans allowed the struggling Ja’Marr Chase to post easily his best game of the season (132 yards, two TDs). Kyler Murray is 8-2 straight up with Nuk, 3-8 without him. Andy Dalton is 6-18 in primetime (0-11 road stretch), the second-worst such record since 2000 for QBs with 15+ starts in such games, according to SportsLine.

DeAndre Hopkins is back to help Kyler Murray and the lifeless Arizona offense. Murray has had no confidence in throwing deep, but that could change with the return of his favorite target. Marquise Brown is out with an injury, but Robbie Anderson was just brought in for depth. The Saints still have receivers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry out as well, but rookie Chris Olave should be back. Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is on the hot seat and the Cardinals need this one, so they are the pick.

Let's just get it out of the way, yes, it feels insane to bet an Over on Thursday Night Football I get it. That said, the sloppiness we've seen each week should work in our favor here. Both Andy Dalton and Kyler Murray have horrific records in primetime games which is a big reason I want the Over 44. There will be turnovers, plenty of them, which will lead to short fields and easier scoring opportunities for both teams. Have fun with this one, root for picks and fumbles, broken plays and both QB's looking to use deep passes for cheap DPI penalties. Short fields equal short clocks so don't get too worried about quick field goals taken, those points count too. The Saints want to win this game, the Cardinals have to win this game. Expect the tempo to be pushed from beginning to end and Kliff Kingsbury to know he isn't grabbing a dub by trying to win 9-6. The Saints pass rush gets pressure at the worst rate in the NFL so Kyler likely goes big in the air and on the ground.

I understand the Cardinals have been one of the league's biggest disappointments, but this number feels short to me. The Saints are only 2-4 themselves with questions about whether it'll be Andy Dalton or Jameis Winston at quarterback. Defensively, the Saints have good numbers overall, but have allowed 90 points in their last three games. The Saints were also missing key players this week and we can't count on those players returning to action on a short week. Give me a Cardinals team at home with its back against the wall.

The Cardinals have been massive disappointments, but the Saints are expected to be without Jarvis Landry, Michael Thomas and Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore at a minimum. Maybe Chris Olave and a few others, too. Arizona did lose Marquise Brown to a possible season-ending injury Sunday but welcomes back DeAndre Hopkins from suspension and traded for Carolina wideout Robbie Anderson today.