Broncos Head to the Desert, face Arizona

The Denver Broncos (7-9 SU, 5-11 ATS in 2007; 1-2 SU, 1-1-1 ATS in pre-season) will conclude their exhibition schedule on Friday night when they take to the field against the Arizona Cardinals (8-8 SU, 8-7-1 ATS; 2-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) in an NFL tilt that is scheduled to take place at 9 PM ET at th University of Phoenix Stadium (natural turf) in Glendale, AZ.

BetUS NFL betting odds: ARIZONA -3 (Even), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: Arizona was 29th in rushing yards in '07; Denver was 32nd in defending run
KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Cardinals have lost five of their last six pre-season home games SU

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Cardinals are listed as a three-point favorite (at even money), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* DEN has lost nine of its last 14 games SU
* DEN has covered six of its last 24 games
* DEN has played 15 of its last 21 games OVER the total
* ARIZ has won five of its last eight games SU
* ARIZ has covered two of its last six games
* ARIZ has played seven of its last eight games OVER the total
* ARIZ has won four of its last five home games SU
* ARIZ has played four of its last five home games OVER the total

Pre-Season trends:

* DEN has won 10 of its last 15 pre-season games SU
* ARIZ has lost seven of its last ten pre-season games SU
* ARIZ is 3-6-1 ATS in its last ten pre-season games
* ARIZ has lost five of its last six pre-season home games SU

Denver let go of veteran running back Travis Henry in the off-season. Henry, who may have become the Broncos' lead runner, was just too much of a problem off the field, and coach Mike Shanahan felt he had no choice. Henry's absence may have created a void, but as we know the Broncos, that is not tragic, since anonymous running backs have tended to gain 1000 yards or more in this offense. That's why it wouldn't be incredibly shocking to see someone like Selvin Young do it this season.

Of course, Denver's big problem hasn't been in running the ball, but instead in stopping others from running it. The team gave up 4.6 yards per carry in the 2007 season, allowing more overall yards on the ground than any other club. And the Broncos didn't add much in the way of impact talent to make advances in that respect. Safety John Lynch, the nine-time Pro Bowler who was always a tough-as-nails guy who could come up and defend the run, was released and signed with the Patriots.

Denver will face a challenge from an Arizona team who ran it with a certain abandon at Oakland last week, piling up 215 yards on the ground. When the Cards go through the air, they will possibly be holding the final audition for the starting position. What shouldn't have been a battle in training camp has become one, because Matt Leinart has looked so lackluster that Kurt Warner is very much in the hunt, and will indeed start this game. Leinart has completed 58% of his passes in the pre-season, but threw three interceptions in the first half of the game against Oakland.