Whose third-stringers are better? That’s about all the 32 NFL teams have left to settle in their Week 4 pre-season matchups, including a Thursday night encounter between the visiting Arizona Cardinals and the Denver Broncos. But bettors shouldn’t automatically assume that a lack of starters or backups will translate into boring football – particularly when it comes to the Cardinals and the Broncos, both of whom still have starting spots up for grabs.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Denver opened as a standard three-point home favourite, but that line has shifted ever so slightly to -2.5 – and that’s a major difference to bettors, who might be more inclined to take the home team to cover without having to worry about a buzz-killing push. But the Broncos have failed to cover in each of their previous three pre-season games, while the Cardinals have limited opponents to a combined 38 points in their last three pre-season road contests.

The total for this one is a rock-bottom 33 – and while that might make sense given that neither team’s studs will be on the field, it’s worth considering that 10 of 16 games in the final week of the 2018 pre-season produced 35 or more total points, while nine saw 40 or more points scored. On the other hand, these teams combined for just 31 points when they met in the final week of last year’s exhibition schedule, and Denver is on a five-game pre-season under streak.

Arizona Cardinals

With Hakeem Butler out for the season with a knee injury, two other young receiver prospects are looking like candidates for the Cardinals’ WR4 spot behind Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Michael Crabree (once he’s back in game shape). KeeSean Johson and Damiere Byrd have looked good so far in the pre-season and could be in the mix, along with Andy Isabella, for that coveted final spot in Kliff Kingsbury’s four-receiver sets; both should see action Thursday.

Denver Broncos

The final game of the pre-season might not mean much to the majority of the players destined to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster, but for River Cracraft, it could mean the difference between a Week 1 roster spot and a date with the practice squad. Cracraft has taken on some of the special teams responsibilities and has looked good doing so; with the Broncos likely to carry five or six receivers, he goes into this week very much on the bubble.