Denver Broncos Vs Jacksonville Jaguars: Las Vegas Line & Pick Against Spread

Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels enters his second NFL season with much to prove and the starting point will be against the Jacksonville Jaguars September 12th. The Denver Broncos will suffer from an NFL Draft that ignored a glaring weakness on defense. The injury of Elvis Dumervil will not help an already weak Denver defense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves cast in the position of spoiler for this opening home game. They are a slight favorite and they could derail a Denver Broncos team that almost lost to the lowly Cleveland Browns to start the 2009 NFL season. Jack Del Rio has renewed interest in his team after flirting with the USC Trojans during the interview process for that job.

Running Game for Jacksonville Jaguars Features Top 3 Back & Denver Broncos Does Not

One of the best running backs in the NFL is Maurice Jones-Drew. The Jacksonville Jaguars big back is a game changer on offense and he can break off a huge run at any time. Jones-Drew is not afraid of contact and this could shorten his career long term but for now is one of the best in the NFL.

Knowshon Moreno is struggling with injuries through the Denver Broncos training camp and he may not be effective in this game. Correll Buckhalter, Moreno's back up is also hobbled by injuries and Lendale White is now out of the picture with a season ending injury. In short, the Denver Broncos could be in for a long year. Don't be surprised if Tim Tebow sees extended time in this game against Jacksonville. Running game edge goes to Jacksonville Jaguars over the Denver Broncos.

Passing Attack for both the Jacksonville Jaguars & Denver Broncos Are Weak

The Denver Broncos let Brandon Marshall go in the off season and now this game will show why Marshall will be sorely missed. The Denver Broncos quarterback combination of Kyle Orton and Eddie Royal does not conjure up memories of John Elway and Rod Smith. Orton will have a rough season without a great outside threat. DeMaryius Thomas is not going to be much of a threat in this game but could eventually be that player.

David Gerrard is also a quarterback with little to work with as far as the Jacksonville Jaguars offense goes. Mike Sims-Walker is a good wide receiver but after Sims-Walker there is a considerable drop off in talent at the receiver position. Neither team has an edge in passing game.

Denver Broncos vs Jacksonville Jaguars -1.5: Pick Against the Spread & Breakdown

The spread on this game is dead on. This game is a coin toss but the home team always gets the benefit of the doubt in a coin toss situation. The two factors in this game are, Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville Jaguars defense. If both perform at their normal level the decision on this game is simple. Take the Jacksonville Jaguars to cover the 1.5 point spread and win by 5 points over the Denver Broncos.

sources:

Las Vegas Hilton Superbook Week One NFL Lines
www.lasvegasinsideinfo.com
www.profootballtalk.com
www.nfl.com