A pair of underachieving 2-4 teams face off on Thursday night when the Arizona Cardinals host the New Orleans Saints.
Maybe, the winner can turn its season around.
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals get DeAndre Hopkins back for the first time since a knee injury sidelined him for the final three games of last season and a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs delayed his return.
Arizona is 3-9 in its past 12 games since a 10-2 start in 2021. Hopkins’ injuries and absence from the lineup coincided with that slide.
“I hope that he can provide just a spark,” Cardinals coach Kilff Kingsbury said. “The way he competes and his play-making, his after-the-catch stuff, he’s a guy you get it close to him he’s going to make a play on the ball.”
The Saints expect leading receiver Chris Olave back after he missed a game with a concussion but are dealing with several injuries. They’ve averaged 30 points with backup quarterback Andy Dalton while going 1-2 in the past three games. Two losses were by an average of 3.5 points.
The Cardinals are only a 1 1/2-point favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook, at home, where they have lost eight straight games. Arizona’s most recent home win was against Houston last Oct. 24.
Pro Picks sees that losing streak ending.
CARDINALS, 24-20
