Broncos vs. Cardinals Predictions, Picks & Odds: New Era in Denver Begins During Preseason Week 1

Check out our top prediction for a preseason matchup between the Broncos and Cardinals based on the best NFL odds.

Shane Jackson

Last Updated: August 11, 2023 4:17 PM EDT • 4 minute read

Football has returned for Week 1 of the preseason, including the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals clashing. Both franchises have a new coaching staff, so who will get off on the right foot? Read on for our Broncos vs. Cardinals predictions based on the best NFL odds.

Preseason Week 1 serves as an opportunity to see all 32 NFL teams in action for the first time ahead of the 2023-24 season. For teams like the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, this first look is even more important to those who plan to bet on this league all year.

That's because both teams made a coaching change in the offseason to change the trajectory of their franchise. Sean Payton is in town for the Broncos to reinvigorate Russell Wilson's career, while the Cardinals are entering a rebuilding era as head coach Jonathan Gannon (former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator) hopes to fix the mess that Kliff Kingsbury made.

With expectations vastly different for each team entering this new campaign, has the market favored Denver's chances too much ahead of Friday's preseason opener?

Here is our best Broncos vs. Cardinals prediction for Week 1 of the NFL preseason (odds via best sports betting apps; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Broncos vs. Cardinals prediction

Broncos to win by 1-13 points (+140 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

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The spread has continued to move in Denver's favor across the best NFL betting sites, as the market clearly favors Payton's squad in his debut. Season expectations aside, it's easy to envision a world where the Broncos are more prepared for the opener.

Payton told reporters earlier this week that this is the team's first dress rehearsal for a game. He will be focused on how they go through warm ups, how they act on the sideline, restricting in-game interviews, and making sure they have the right personnel at all times.

This might sound like Payton cares too much about the non-football part of the game, but I think it's a sign of changing the culture. The Broncos finished last in the AFC West for three straight seasons, and clearly need a new captain to help right the ship. This is Payton's first chance at doing just that.

Payton reportedly plans to play the starters about 15 plays in the preseason opener, so that's not factoring as much into the pick. The Broncos do clearly have more depth than the Cardinals across the board, particularly with backup quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci leading the way.

I'm as excited as anyone about quarterback Clayton Tune's potential, as I made the case for betting on the fifth-round selection to lead all rookies in passing yards this season. But this will be his first NFL test, and we might get a lot of reps from him on Friday since he was listed as the No. 2 QB on Arizona's initial depth chart.

Rather than bet into an inflated spread, I'll be taking a plus-money offering that the Broncos win this game by 13 points or fewer. Hopefully, Tune and Co. can keep it close enough to help us cash this ticket.

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Broncos vs. Cardinals best odds

FanDuel (+140)

This specific prop is only available at FanDuel, which is where we will be placing this bet.

DraftKings is offering +310 odds on the Broncos to win by 1-6 points, and a +390 value on them to win by 7-12. Playing this market at FanDuel means we are counting on Arizona to keep it within two touchdowns.

With a consensus total of 37 across our best sports betting sites, that certainly feels doable. Denver actually has a team total of 20.5 at DraftKings as of Thursday, which bodes well for a lower-scoring matchup.

Broncos vs. Cardinals odds

Broncos vs. Cardinals odds analysis

This game has featured some of the most line movement among all Week 1 preseason matchups. The Broncos opened as 2.5-point favorites at the best sportsbooks, but are now laying -5.5 across the board as of Thursday.

As for the total, the line has climbed to 37 or 37.5 after opening at 36.5 when markets were first released.

Broncos vs. Cardinals game info

Date: Friday, Aug. 11, 9 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Weather: Indoors

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Written by:
Shane Jackson

Shane Jackson has been writing for Sportsbook Review since 2022, though his passion for sports, writing, and betting runs much longer than that. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a journalism degree in 2017 and has been covering sports ever since, working for MLB.com, Manhattan Mercury, Lawrence Journal-World, WynnBET, Bet Chicago Sports, BetNOLA, and BetMGM. Jackson cares about creating quality sports betting content above all else. He uses a mixture of models, information, film, analysis, and a top-down approach to locate every best bet shared for SBR. He never gives out a pick that he wouldn’t be willing to spend his own money on. Jackson is focused on finding +EV bets on a daily basis for a variety of sports such as NCAAF, NCAAB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, and MLB. He usually bets on props but is willing to wager on a spread or total when there is an edge. Don’t ask him how many bets he has placed on a typical college football Saturday. Jackson doesn’t care if you follow him on social media, but his Twitter account has info on how you can follow his bets through multiple third-party platforms. He just wants you to read all the great work from the SBR team.