Posted on 10/23/2007 5:40:19 PM

NFL Betting: Football Injury Report

By BetUS Staff

The injury list stopped growing at a feverish pace in Week 7 of the NFL season, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few bumps and bruises that NFL betting fans need to assess.

The Miami Dolphins head to London this week, but the 0-7 Dolphins will have to try to get their first win of the season without star running back Ronnie Brown. Brown has been the only bright spot for the Dolphins this season, leading the league in yards from scrimmage heading into last week. Brown had 17 carries for 76 yards and caught five passes for 33 yards before a knee injury forced him out of Sunday lopsided loss to the Patriots. The severity of the injury won’t be fully known until Brown undergoes an MRI sometime this week. Jesse Chatman is expected to get the bulk of the carries in Brown’s absence. The Dolphins are already expected to be a big underdog on the NFL odds versus the Giants this week, but that spread will grow even larger if Brown is confirmed out.

Week 7 in the NFL was also another hard week for quarterbacks, as two more QBs went down. The latest quarterbacks added to the injury list (that already included Steve McNair, Vince Young and Alex Smith) were Byron Leftwich and Matt Schaub. Leftwich’s injury-plagued career continued this week after a right ankle injury forced him out against the Saints. Joey Harrington took over for Leftwich, who had just inherited the starting job from Harrington that week. The Falcons will enjoy a bye this week, which may give Leftwich time to heal up and return to the field in two weeks.

Schaub suffered a pair of injuries last week versus Tennessee, as he initially left the game with an ankle injury but returned after some quick treatment. Schaub’s return was a short-lived though, as a hip injury sent him to the sidelines permanently not long after. The Texans didn’t miss a beat without Schaub, as backup QB Sage Rosenfels threw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Schaub’s status for this week should be determined after he has an MRI on his ankle and hip.

McNair, Young and Smith were all held out last weekend, but could be ready to return for their teams’ next game. The Ravens get a bye this week so definitely expect McNair back in two weeks to try and right the Ravens’ sinking ship on offense. Young, meanwhile, watched Kerry Collins lead a successful winning drive late in the fourth quarter last week, but VY almost played last week so he should be ready to go on Sunday barring any setback. Smith was also as near game-ready as he’s to likely get, so expect him to be in this week instead of Trent Dilfer.

Other stars that missed last week to keep your eye on heading into Week 8 include Bengals’ RB Rudi Johnson, Broncos’ CB Champ Bailey and Eagles’ S Brian Dawkins.

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