Kickoff between the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos on "Thursday Night Football" is just hours away, and we've got our staff picks and bold predictions for this week's game. What's your pick for the final score? Can the Saints send Sean Payton away with a loss after making his return to the Caesars Superdome? Will the Saints do Drew Brees proud? Here's how we see this duel between Spencer Rattler and Bo Nix playing out on Thursday night:

Sean Payton is returning to town for the first time since his departure. Emotions will be high and Payton will be looking to prove a point. The Saints are likely to be without their top two receivers, and the unit was only viewed as two deep heading into the season. It’s difficult to see the team generating much offense with a banged up offensive line and receiving corps. Meanwhile, Bo Nix’s ability to run could hurt the Saints defense by extending drives. Broncos 24, Saints 13 -- Darrion Gray

I think this game will ultimately be one of the lower scoring matchups of the seasons, though I could be wrong in that. The main point of emphasis for the Saints has to be playing good coverage, as the Broncos are 6th-worst in passing yards and 4th-worst in completion percentage this season, so exploiting that weakness would be preferable. While a Saints loss may not be surprising in this matchup, I think they end up getting it done in a close one. Saints 17, Broncos 10 -- Jeremy Trottier

This game will be a battle of whichever defense plays better. The Saints offense is battered and bruised to the point it’s getting hard to watch. The Broncos defense is one of the strongest units in football and I think they get the job done. Broncos 20, Saints 10 -- Jonny Camer

For some reason, it seems like every year when we feel that the Saints are about to hit rock bottom, they never quite give in. This week sort of feels like one of those times where they find a way to keep themselves afloat. Although they are incredibly banged up on the offensive side of the ball while the defense is playing some of the worst ball of the last 8-9 seasons, I believe they find a way to win a tough game against Sean Payton’s new squad in Denver. I’ll also go out on a limb and say that Spencer Rattler outplays Bo Nix to get his first win of his NFL career. Saints 20, Broncos 13 -- Luke Loffredo

This game could be ugly. The Broncos aren't a good team and Bo Nix is playing sloppy football, but he makes enough plays with his legs to give Dennis Allen's overrated defense some trouble. And the Saints offense is dealing with so many injuries they may struggle to match Denver's pace of play. It'll be close, but I have more confidence in Sean Payton coaching his way to a win than I do Dennis Allen. Broncos 23, Saints 17 -- John Sigler

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Staff picks: Bold predictions and final score for Saints vs. Broncos