DeAndre Hopkins is back following a six-game suspension for PEDs, and the Arizona Cardinals desperately need him to kickstart a moribund offense.
The All-Pro wide receiver will make his season debut on Thursday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. The Cardinals are 2-point favorites and badly need a victory to get GM Steve Keim and coach Kliff Kingsbury off the hot seat (for a week, at least).
How will Hopkins fare in his first game of the season? I’m bullish, and here are three prop bets I like:
DeAndre Hopkins over 60.5 receiving yards (-114 at FanDuel)
In Hopkins’ first season with the Cardinals in 2020, he averaged 87.9 receiving yards per game and finished as one of the most statistically impressive receivers in the NFL.
In 2021, his yardage dropped to 57.2 per game because defenses were intent on slowing him, which allowed quarterback Kyler Murray to spray the ball all over the field to open receivers.
Which Hopkins will we get in 2022? My first inclination is the 2020 version.
Murray may need to force-feed him because the passing attack has been terrible this season, and now the only other game-breaking weapon, Hollywood Brown, is out several weeks with a foot injury.
Robbie Anderson, who was added via trade this week, could play some against New Orleans, but it will likely be limited because he doesn’t know the playbook.
That leaves tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver Rondale Moore as the only other main receiving weapons, which means Hopkins could get a deluge of targets similar to the way Brown was used in the first six games.
The Saints are also expected to be without star cornerback Marshon Lattimore, which makes life easier on Hopkins to get open.
DeAndre Hopkins anytime touchdown (+130 at WynnBET)
Hopkins has the best odds on the Cardinals to score a touchdown in this game, and the second-best overall behind only Saints star running back Alvin Kamara.
Will it happen? Despite his deflated receiving yardage total last season, Hopkins had eight touchdowns in 10 games and scored at least once in six of them.
He’s certainly going to be the preferred target of Murray in the red zone, as A.J. Green is a shell of a shell of his former self, Ertz has trouble separating against defenders and Moore is diminutive.
The bigger question to me is whether the Cardinals can score touchdowns consistently in this game. I thought the offense would get on track against a terrible Seahawks defense last week and it didn’t score a single offensive touchdown.
The Saints were projected to have a really good defense this season but have been below average, and I think that continues here.
Hopkins will help get the offense playing more efficiently, which will help them get near the goal-line more often, which will result in a touchdown in his first game back.
DeAndre Hopkins 110-plus receiving yards (+630 at FanDuel)
Let’s go big, shall we? I like the bet on a monster night from Hopkins because these odds are enticing.
The Cardinals are the only team in the NFL averaging fewer than six yards per pass attempt this season, but even so, Murray has thrown a ton as the team always seems to be trailing.
Hollywood Brown averaged 88.4 receiving yards on 11.6 targets per game over the last five, as Murray realized it would be smart to feed the only truly electric weapon at receiver. Hopkins is now that guy, and he could end up with a silly number of targets, especially if the Cardinals fall behind.
Hopkins did not surpass 100 receiving yards in any of his 10 games last season, but the 2020 numbers give me hope. Hopkins had 100 or more receiving yards in seven of 16 games that season, including six with 110-plus.
Hopkins is older, coming off a suspension and joining a struggling offense, so it’s far from a lock, but it’s certainly not out of the question.
The Cardinals need Hopkins to ignite their franchise, and I don’t foresee a quiet game because of a litany of factors. On the contrary, I could envision a dominant debut, and if it happens, it will be a lucrative one for Hopkins bettors.
Last week’s prop bets record: 5-7
Overall: 36-28
