Cardinals vs. Saints expert picks and predictions

The Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints are set to play one another Thursday night at State Farm Stadium, with both teams looking to pick up their third win of the season.

Both teams are 2-4 and both teams are banged up, dealing with a number of key players being injured.

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Who has the edge?

The staff from Cards Wire and Saints Wire managing editor John Sigler give their expert picks and predictions for the Week 7 Thursday night matchup.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Jess Root, Cards Wire

Cardinals 23, Saints 20

The Saints are extremely shorthanded offensively and the Cardinals’ defense has not been the problem. They will be able to slow their attack.

Offensively, they will finally show some life as DeAndre Hopkins returns. I expect targets for him early and often.

It won’t be pretty, but they will get their first home in in nearly a year.

Alex Sutton, Cards Wire

Cardinals 21, Saints 17

I’d love to say this is the game where the Cardinals finally figure things out offensively, but last week’s abysmal performance in Seattle is very fresh in my mind. The return of DeAndre Hopkins will provide a few splash plays tonight and he’ll remind the NFL how good he still is. It’s possible this suspension is a blessing in disguise, as he didn’t have to rush back into action from his knee injury. The Cardinals win win a close one, but it will once again be backed by Vance Joseph’s defense, which has been lights-out this month.

Offensively, the Saints just don’t have the firepower against Arizona’s defense. They will be without two of their top three wideouts, as well as some key offensive linemen. Unfortunately for viewers of the last two TNF games, this one might be a defensive battle as well.

John Sigler, Saints Wire

Saints 21, Cardinals 17

I’m not very high on this iteration of the Saints, especially considering their injuries, but I like them in this matchup. I think Dennis Allen will do a good job outfoxing Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. They smothered out Kyler Murray’s threat to run in their last matchup. Free safety Marcus Maye is back from injury and should do a lot to limit DeAndre Hopkins’ damage. I just wonder if the Saints offense can get it done without so many starters. Look for Alvin Kamara to catch a lot of passes and score his first TD of the season.