Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals Odds

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The Denver Broncos made the decision to fire Josh McDaniels while admitting they gave him too much power and responsibility too quickly. The higher ups are hoping that their decision will spark the team the same way firings have sparked Dallas and Minnesota.

The Broncos should have a good opportunity to end their current three-game skid against an Arizona Cardinals team that has dropped seven in a row. In addition, Denver has won its last seven games against the Cardinals.

NFL odds makers expect Denver’s dominance in this series to continue, listing the Broncos as 4-point favorites with the total set at 42.5.

McDaniels looked like a genius when he led the Broncos to a 6-0 start to open the 2009 season. That quickly changed, however, as Denver finished the season 8-8 and missed out on the playoffs.

The Broncos are just 5-17 since their 6-0 start last year.

McDaniels also made too many questionable moves during his short time as head man. He traded away Pro Bowlers Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.  He also spent three draft picks to get Tim Tebow, a guy many experts felt may never start in the NFL at quarterback.

Last month’s video scandal didn’t help his cause either.

Now 43-year-old Eric Studesville will try to get the Broncos back on track. He will have an excellent opportunity to get a win in his debut against an Arizona club ranked 32nd in scoring defense (28.2) and 31st in scoring offense (16.7).

A better performance from quarterback Kyle Orton will go a long way toward getting a victory. Orton, who is having a strong season, was only 9 of 28 for 117 yards in last Sunday’s 10-6 loss at Kansas City.

Orton has completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,486 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

Those numbers become even more remarkable when considering how ineffective the Broncos have been running the football. Denver ranks 29th in the league with only 86.2 yards per game on the ground.

The Cardinals might be sitting in first place in the weak NFC West if they had Orton. Coach Ken Whisenhunt has not been able to find anyone capable of even marginally replacing Kurt Warner.

With rookie Max Hall being placed on injured reserve and Derek Anderson doubtful with a concussion, Whisenhunt will likely have to start rookie John Skelton or newly acquired Richard Bartel this week. Whoever gets the nod will inherit an offense that has been kept out of the end zone in back-to-back games.

The Cardinals rank 30th in passing offense (185.1) and 31st in rushing offense (80.2).

On a brighter note, Arizona’s signal caller will get a chance to be a part of history. With one catch, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will become the franchise leader for receptions with 587. The four-time Pro Bowler has 63 grabs for 789 yards and five scores this season.

It is worth noting that the Cardinals are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games as a home underdog of 3.5 to 10.0 points.

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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