The Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl just a couple of years ago but have not been able to find a quarterback ever since, torpedoing their chances at making another strong run. They added Case Keenum in free agency and hope he is the answer to their passing game woes.
Keenum had a career year in 2017 with the Vikings, who put some serious talent around him at wide receiver and didn’t force him to do too much knowing a great Minnesota defense could handle things on the other end. It could be a similar recipe this year in Denver as the Broncos aim to get back to their winning ways.
This is in many ways a crucial season for Denver, which still has several pieces remaining from that title run but could be looking at a rebuild if it doesn’t come together in NFL wagering.
Denver Broncos Opening Futures Odds at BookMaker.eu
Broncos Over 7 Wins -154
Broncos Under 7 Wins +127
2018 Broncos Offense Preview
Denver tried Trevor Siemian at quarterback last season but it didn’t work out very well. The Broncos also have been shuffling in the likes of Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch but the offense has never returned to the Peyton Manning glory days. Keenum doesn’t have the strongest arm but was very effective a season ago. He will have a pair of nice options in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, who are veterans that have both surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in a season multiple times.
Devontae Booker is the starting running back and the Broncos need to get a running game going in order to keep the pressure off Keenum. When he is forced to make throws on third-and-long consistently, bad things can happen, so it’s an important facet of the offense.
2018 Broncos Defense Preview
If the Broncos are to turn it around this season, it will again be on the strength of the defense. The group lost Aqib Talib in the offseason, another departure from the Super Bowl team. While there are more holes than before there is still a lot of elite talent.
Sack master Von Miller leads the way and he will be harassing quarterbacks once again this season. It’s a big year for former first-round pick Shane Ray to show his ability, while Bradley Chubb is yet another pass-rusher added to the fold. If that trio can get after the signal-caller consistently, it will make life easier on everyone else.
Chris Harris leads the way in the secondary as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, while Darian Stewart and Su’a Cravens is a pair of talented safeties. The Broncos’ defense was frustrated by the offense’s lack of consistency a season ago but must worry about dominating themselves this season.
2018 Denver Broncos Schedule Analysis
It won’t be easy in the division as Denver must match up against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers a total of four times. A season opener against the revamped Seattle Seahawks could tell a lot, while later matchups against the Rams, Texans, Steelers and 49ers won’t be easy.
There are some winnable games on the schedule as well as some tough ones. There are quite a few that seem like they could go either way so the Broncos need to play well in close games in order to surpass the projected win total in 2018.
The Final Verdict
Much of the season will come down to Keenum and his efficiency in the passing game. The Broncos have some great players on defense but that hasn’t mattered much the past couple of years because the offense has been so dreadful.
Keenum should be an upgrade but he is not a game-changing talent. The Broncos should be more competitive this season but a .500 season won’t be in the cards. The win total looks right on and a 7-9 finish seems like it could happen. The “under” has much better odds so it is the smarter play in NFL betting.
NFL Betting Odds: Denver Broncos Under 7 Wins ( +127 )
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