Two of this season’s rookie quarterbacks go head-to-head Thursday night in New Orleans, as Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos take on Spencer Rattler and the New Orleans Saints.
Rattler made his NFL debut last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and while he showed flashes of NFL-caliber skill, his team was abysmal. The final score was Buccaneers 51, Saints 27.
Nix and the Broncos didn’t fare much better, losing at home to the Los Angeles Chargers after falling behind 23-0 by halftime.
Game Line: Broncos (-3)
Despite their struggles at home last week, Denver goes into this road game as a three-point favorite. They are a much healthier team, and there is no question that the Broncos defense is better. Denver ranks fourth in the NFL by allowing 16.0 points per game, while New Orleans ranks 23rd with 24.5 points allowed per game.
In total yards allowed per game, the Broncos also rank fourth, giving up 284.3 yards. The Saints are dead last and giving up 395.8 yards per game. Last week, New Orleans gave up 594 yards to the Bucs, a week after allowing 460 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Denver’s worst defensive performance this season was the 352 yards they allowed to Tampa Bay in Week 3.
Quarterback Proposition Bets
It’s hard to predict either of these two quarterbacks so early into their NFL careers, which means bookmakers are also having a hard time knowing where to set their lines.
Nix has a passing yards over/under of 192.5, which is a number he’s gone over in four of six games. The Saints have given up at least that much to five of the six quarterbacks they’ve faced this year, with the lone exception being Week 1 against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.
Nix also has an over/under of 27.5 rushing yards, which he eclipsed in four of six games. Last week against New Orleans, the far less mobile Baker Mayfield ran for 29 yards.
Rattler isn’t a running quarterback, but he is mobile. His rushing yards line is 21.5. He ran for 27 in last week’s loss. Rattler threw for 243 yards in his NFL debut, and his line for Thursday night is 183.5. Only Aaron Rodgers and Justin Herbert have thrown for more than 171 against this Broncos defense.
Running Back Proposition Bets
Nix has been the leading rusher for the Broncos in four of their six games, which is a big reason why their offense has struggled this season. Javonte Williams is the team’s top running back, but only twice has he gone over 25 yards in a game. His over/under for Thursday is 47.5.
Jaleel McLaughlin’s over/under is 22.5, and only twice has he hit that over this season.
The best running back in the game is the Saints Alvin Kamara, and his over/under is 68.5. Kamara is also a great receiver out of the backfield, and his over/under on receiving yards is 36.5.
Kamara is -105 to score a touchdown, Rattler is +390, and for the Broncos, you’ll get +155 for a Williams touchdown, +400 for McLaughlin, and +265 for Nix.
Pass Catcher Proposition Bets
Missing from tonight’s game are Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Taysom Hill. That leaves Kamara as the Saints leading healthy receiver, and Bub Means and his 45 yards as the team’s top wide receiver.
Mason Tipton, who hasn’t broken 15 yards in any single game this season, leads the New Orleans wide receivers with an over/under of 25.5 receiving yards. Tight end Juwan Johnson is at 26.5, and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson has a line of 16.5 yards.
Tipton is +475 to score a touchdown, Johnson is +425, and Wilson is +550.
The much-healthier wide receiving room in Denver features Courtland Sutton, who has a receiving yards over/under of 46.5. Sutton had 53 yards and a beautiful one-handed touchdown catch last week, and he is +210 to score again on Thursday night. Sutton has two games this season where he’s gone over 60 yards.
Seventh-round rookie Devaughn Vele has only played in Week 1 and Week 6. But for the season, he has 12 catches for 117 yards. His over/under for Thursday is 32.5 receiving yards, and he is +400 to score a touchdown. It would be his first career touchdown, should he score.
Troy Franklin caught a touchdown for the Broncos last week, and he is +475 to score again in Week 7. His over/under on receiving yards is 21.5. Denver hasn’t had a tight end catch more than two passes since Greg Dulcich in Week 3, and Lucas Kroll’s 9.5 over/under line leads that struggling group.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
