Saints vs. Broncos where to watch: NFL kickoff time, live stream, odds, spread, prediction

Sean Payton’s NFL journey has been quite rocky since he left the New Orleans Saints after the 2021 season. A year out of play led to his high-profile move to the Denver Broncos in 2023, but his marriage to former Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson barely lasted a season, and now he’s trying to keep a rookie signal-caller in Bo Nix competitive in the tough AFC West.

Meanwhile, the Saints didn’t fare much better. As for Payton’s defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their new head man, they have gone a combined 27-30 since the start of 2022, rotating between Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Derek Carr and incoming freshman Spencer Rattler under center. The defense has generally remained solid, but playoff games have been particularly hard to come by.

Now, on Thursday night, the two sides will come together again to stay relevant and kick off Week 7 with a showdown of potential spoilers. How can you get involved? Which players could be X-factors? And who is actually prepared for victory? Here is our preview and sports betting prediction:

Where to watch Saints vs Broncos?

• Date: Thursday, Oct. 17 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Caesar’s Superdome (New Orleans)
• Electricity: Prime Video
• Consequences: CBS Sports App
• Opportunities: Broncos -2.5 | O/U 37 (DraftKings)

Important encounters

• Saints TE Juwan Johnson vs. Broncos S Brandon Jones: New Orleans has a lot of problems on the outside, both Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have injuries and are out. That could put Johnson at the top of the pecking order for rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler after he had eight catches over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Jones was Denver’s busiest man in the back end with three pass breakups.
• Broncos OT Frank Crum vs. Saints DE Cameron Jordan: Denver has a tough time at right tackle right now with Mike McGlinchey on injured reserve and Alex Palczewski suffering a sprained ankle in Week 6. One way or another, undrafted rookie Crum could see time against Jordan, who at 35 is no longer capable. He’s no longer the All-Pro force he once was, but could be ready to get the first or second sack of the season.
• Saints OT Trevor Penning vs. Broncos DE Zach Allen: Much maligned early in the season, Penning moved to right tackle after the arrival of Taliese Fuaga for New Orleans. Now he gets one of his toughest assignments of the season, working alongside a struggling interior defender, with Allen entering Thursday’s game with a team-best 13 quarterback hits and a team-high nine tackles for loss.

Burning questions

• Broncos: Can Sean Payton run the offensive operation? Bo Nix had a burst of athleticism in the first round, but overall Payton’s offense remained mercurial. Getting back on the floor could be crucial in this game, as Nix led Denver in rushing during a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6. Javonte Williams, Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin could all be heavily involved.
• Saints: Can Spencer Rattler keep his head above water? The rookie showed off a quick arm to relieve the injured Derek Carr early in Week 6, but then ran into trouble trying to outscore Baker Mayfield down the stretch. He’ll be tasked with controlling the ball amidst an incredibly great supporting cast, although the Broncos “D” may be without top cover man Patrick Surtain II.

forecast

If the Saints were at full strength, this would be a difficult situation for Payton’s Broncos, who would be facing a short week against a slightly underrated offense that exploded Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed to start 2024. The Saints are decidedly not there. However, he is at full strength and will demand a lot from a young, unproven quarterback against a top-five defense led by a dominant front seven. I bet that spells trouble for Payton’s old friend Dennis Allen as he tries to avoid a fifth straight loss.

Choose: Broncos 24, Saints 15 (Reaching the Over Set at DraftKings Sportsbooks)

Bonus: Matt Severance, who has a 21-6 record in Broncos games, has revealed his best bets for Week 7’s Thursday Night Football game. Severance is closer to the under total, but who does he rely on as cover? Find out right here at SportsLine.