The Arizona Cardinals receive some much-needed assistance on Thursday night as DeAndre Hopkins returns from suspension and makes his season debut against the New Orleans Saints.
The Cardinals scored just nine points against Seattle last week and look to snap a two-game losing streak against a banged up Saints team. New Orleans could be without quarterback Jameis Winston once again, in addition to wide receivers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, and star cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
New Orleans blew a 23-14 lead last week to the Bengals and enter as 2.5-point underdogs on the road in Arizona. The total is set at 43.5.
Here’s a same-game parlay to help get you through what has been a disappointing run of Thursday Night Football games for fans.
Rondale Moore
Over 47.5 Receiving Yards
Even with Hopkins making his season debut, there’s a lot to love about second-year wide receiver Rondale Moore.
He is the clear WR2 in Arizona after Hollywood Brown’s injury and has a great opportunity against a Saints defense that ranks No. 19 in pass coverage, per PFF. Moore is explosive and has receptions of 25+ yards in back-to-back games. It’s also important to note he was targeted 10 times against Seattle.
Hopkins is generating the buzz, but Moore is on the precipice of a breakout game. He has been on the sidelines for just six offensive snaps and generates enough targets to break the 50-yard mark for the third straight week.
Moore has flown under the radar the past few weeks and now faces an injury-riddled Saints defense without Lattimore and possibly without Paulson Adebo.
The attention will be on Hopkins, who should steal some targets from Moore, but with the newly acquired Robbie Anderson not expected to play much, Moore should still play a large role in this offense.
Over the past two weeks, Moore has a combined 104 yards after the catch. While he has a low aDOT, he is explosive and his usage should be high enough to eclipse this number.
Alvin Kamara
Over 63.5 Rushing Yards
The Saints are once again limited on the offensive side with Thomas and Landry both ruled out. Winston and Andy Dalton haven’t logged a full practice either and the starting quarterback will be a game-time decision.
Regardless, if there’s one player to continue to buy high on, it’s Alvin Kamara. After missing Week 4 with an injury, Kamara has racked up 202 yards on 42 carries. He has yet to find the end zone, but has been extremely effective with his touches.
Chris Olave’s return shouldn’t hurt him at all and he should see upwards of 20 carries once again.
The Cardinals are 25th in rush defense, per PFF, worse than both the Bengals and Seahawks, teams Kamara ran rampant against over the past two weeks.
Regardless of who starts under center, expect Kamara to get a heavy workload. He is the star of the offense and will be used early and often.
Zach Ertz
Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Despite being the most targeted receiver in the end zone through six weeks, Zach Ertz has only scored twice.
Ertz has racked up 10 targets in four of the past five weeks and his role shouldn’t change with Hopkins’ return from suspension.
Hopkins should garner attention from Kyler Murray inside the red zone, but Ertz’s big body and receiving ability shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Ertz is on the field for 85% of the snaps and is a threat to score each week. As I mentioned earlier, New Orleans struggles in pass coverage. Ertz is one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL and should see upwards of double-digit targets once again on Thursday night.
James Conner’s questionable injury designation also provides a boost to Ertz as Eno Benjamin is less of a power back and more finesse. That should lead to more passing inside the 10, which normally benefits the tight ends.
In a game where the Cardinals are projected at 23.5 points, they should see a handful of scoring opportunities. I expect New Orleans to focus on Hopkins, which should give Ertz at least a couple scoring chances.
As the third and final leg and a big boost to the odds, I love adding Ertz’s anytime touchdown odds to round out this Thursday Night Football parlay.
The Parlay (+1123) on FanDuel
- Alvin Kamara Over 63.5 Rushing Yards (-113)
- Rondale Moore Over 47.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
- Zach Ertz Anytime TD (+240)
