There's only one NFL game on Thursday, and everyone from Average Joes to professional bettors will lock in picks. The Broncos and Cardinals will face off on Thursday Night Football to open Week 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET and the line is swinging hard in the run-up to kickoff. After opening with Arizona as a 1.5-point favorite at home, action has turned Denver into a 1.5-point favorite while the total has been bet up to 42.5 from 39.5 in the latest Broncos vs. Cardinals odds. Denver is -115 on the money line (risk $115 to win $100), while Arizona is -105. Given the tight line and the unpredictability of a matchup between rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and veteran Case Keenum, making your Broncos vs. Cardinals picks and predictions could be a real challenge. That's why you need to see the latest Broncos vs. Cardinals picks from SportsLine's Projection Model.
The advanced computer model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, and those who have followed it have seen massive returns. SportsLine's proprietary computer model went 176-80 last season and beat over 95 percent of CBS Sports Office Pool players in 2016 and '17. It also performed better than 98 percent of experts tracked by NFLPickWatch.com during that span. Additionally, it went 48-34 on A-rated picks against the spread last season, and $100 bettors who have followed it the past two seasons are up nearly $4,000.
It went a blistering 13-2 straight up in Week 6, including calling the Steelers' outright upset of the Bengals and the Patriots knocking off the previously unbeaten Chiefs. The model is now on an impressive 61-41 run on all of its top-rated picks, and anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has simulated the Broncos vs. Cardinals 10,000 times to produce a strong against-the-spread pick that hits well over 50 percent of time time. This pick is available only at SportsLine.
The model knows rookie running back Phillip Lindsay has been lighting up the league. Having usurped Royce Freeman's No. 1 spot in the backfield, Lindsay has been gouging defenses to the tune of 5.7 yards per carry. In addition to his 346 yards and one rushing TD, he's become a security blanket for quarterback Case Keenum when he's feeling the heat of blitzing linemen. In fact, Lindsay has snagged 14 receptions for 113 yards and one score. He had six last week alone.
Freeman is having a solid year as well, leading the team with three touchdowns on 272 yards. Denver is 10th in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 124.2.
Just because the Broncos can run the ball efficiently doesn't mean they'll cover on Thursday Night Football.
The model also knows that the big advantage the Cardinals have on Thursday, besides home-field advantage, comes in the red zone. Despite their offensive inefficiencies this season, the Cardinals are actually 11th in the NFL in red-zone touchdown percentage.
When the Cardinals get inside the 20-yard line, they go to their proven playmakers in running back David Johnson and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, with 24 of the 33 red zone plays they've run going through them. And while their defense is 24th in that category, they're going up against a Broncos offense that is 25th in red-zone touchdown percentage with scores on less than half their trips inside the 20. Johnson is among the league leaders with four touchdowns from inside the five yard line.
Who wins Broncos vs. Cardinals? And which side covers well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over, all from the incredible computer model that has returned nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors.
