Online Betting Handicappers Note Key Denver Injury. The NFL preseason is a time when teams can suffer key injuries that will impact their online betting odds in the regular season. The Denver Broncos suffered one on Wednesday that might go under the radar with the general public but not with Internet betting gamblers.
Online betting handicappers paid attention on Wednesday when Denver lost linebacker Elvis Dumervil to a torn pectoral muscle. He is the best player on Denver’s defense and he will be out for quite some time. The Broncos just recently signed Dumervil to a five-year $58 million dollar extension last month. Dumervil led the league in sacks last season with 17 so Denver is really going to miss his presence.
It is possible that Dumervil could miss the entire season because of the injury. If there is one player that the Broncos simply could not afford to lose to an injury it is Dumervil. He is an impact player who makes a huge difference on defense and impacts online betting results. Denver could have absorbed a loss at any other position, even at quarterback, but they cannot replace what Dumervil brings to the team. Denver will have to hope that former first round picks Robert Ayers and Jarvis Moss can step up their play. It seems unlikely considering Ayers had no sacks last season while Moss was rarely on the field at all.
The Broncos have now lost their best offensive player in All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady and their best defensive player in Dumervil. Losing one great player is difficult to overcome but the loss of two is even more difficult to get past. The Broncos were 20th in the league in points scored last year and without Clady who is injured and now that Brandon Marshall is in Miami, those numbers could go down. Internet betting stats indicated that the defense was 7th in the league in totals yards allowed last season and 12th in fewest points allowed but without Dumervil it is very likely the Broncos will not match those numbers in 2010.
Denver plays in the AFC West which is not the strongest division in the league but the early signs are not encouraging for the Broncos vs. the online betting odds heading into the 2010 season.