Denver Broncos at New Orleans Saints odds, expert picks, how to watch: Sean Payton returns to New Orleans

Week 7 of the NFL season begins with a duel between rookie quarterbacks when the Denver Broncos take on the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. The Saints are slight home underdogs as they look to snap a four-game losing streak.

Spencer Rattler will make his second start for an injured Derek Carr , and the fifth-round pick didn't seem too overwhelmed last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . He finished with decent numbers (243 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) despite losing No. 1 wide receiver Chris Olave to a concussion in the first quarter.

Olave is out for Thursday's game, as is deep threat Rashid Shaheed (17.5 yards per reception), who is dealing with a knee injury. These losses are quite a blow to the Saints' offense, especially considering Rattler and the Saints (2-4) face a stiffer defensive test this week. The Broncos (3-3) rank fourth in the league in both points and yards allowed per game, though they will be without cornerback Pat Surtain II due to a concussion. The Saints will be relying on Alvin Kamara to put up big numbers against a Broncos D that has shown more vulnerability against the run.

Denver just wants to get its offense going, period. The Broncos are 29th in total offense and have been outgained in four of their six games. First-round pick Bo Nix has played well at times but he's also thrown as many picks as touchdowns (five each) and is the team's second-leading rusher with 180 yards. A matchup with a Saints defense that's picking up the pieces after giving up 594 yards and 31 first downs this past Sunday couldn't come at a better time.

And don't forget that this represents a homecoming for Denver head coach Sean Payton. Can Nix make this a memorable return to the Big Easy for Payton, who left an indelible mark on the Saints franchise, or will Rattler steal the spotlight and, at least for one game, prove a lot of draft analysts wrong?

All odds from BetMGM . Looking for NFL tickets? Find them here .