If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google.
The Los Angeles Rams (1-1) and Denver Broncos (1-1) meet in the Week 3 edition of NFL Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET from Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Col. The game will broadcast live on NBC.
The Rams are 2.5-point favorites over the Broncos on the spread; the over/under is set at 44.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -126 moneyline favorite while Denver is listed as a +108 underdog to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Rams vs Broncos predictions in my Sunday Night Football preview.
Rams vs Broncos Prediction
- Rams vs Broncos pick: Under 44.5
My Rams vs Broncos best bet is on game totals, with the best price currently available at FanDuel. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Rams vs Broncos Odds
| Rams Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -104 | 44.5 -105o / -115u | -126 |
| Broncos Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -118 | 44.5 -105o / -115u | +108 |
Rams vs Broncos Sunday Night Football Preview
Los Angeles Rams Betting Preview: LA Rolls Into SNF
The Rams did a much better job defensively on Monday Night Football, playing sound run defense against the Giants (2.7 yards per carry allowed).
The Rams project as a top-10 defense this season, at least, let’s assume they are.
Both quarterbacks in tonight's game, Matthew Stafford and Bo Nix, were much more aggressive in Week 2, throwing the ball down the field more than Week 1. Also, both attempted 13 passes more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage in their respective victories last week — they will not have the luxury of being as comfortable in the pocket tonight.
Even without Myles Garrett, Los Angeles posted the second-best pressure rate league-wide in Week 2 at 50%.
The Rams will feature a defensive back in Trent McDuffie who matches up well with the Broncos' top target, Jaylen Waddle.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton and offensive coordinator Davis Webb do a good job of moving Waddle around the formation, but McDuffie is one of the most versatile defensive backs in football, doing his best work playing in the slot.
Denver Broncos Betting Preview: Big Advantage Without Puka
Despite surrendering 31 points to the Chiefs on Monday Night Football two weeks ago in what was a historic debut for Kenneth Walker, the Broncos defense projects as one of the league’s best units. Denver’s performance against Kansas City was a total outlier, as it missed tackles at a 29% rate.
In the Broncos' win over the Jaguars in Week 2, Denver missed just 10 tackles. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph slowed down Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense in a manner few teams have since the middle of last season. Jacksonville gained 268 total yards and Lawrence averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt.
The matchup for the Broncos defense tonight couldn’t be more clear-cut and they will have the home crowd to aid them.
The Rams will be without Puka Nacua (groin) once again this week and unlike the Giants, Denver has the personnel to counter Davante Adams.
Pat Surtain II is the perfect player to make the Rams find other avenues to move the football through the air.
Advanced metrics show that Denver has played the run relatively well given the small sample size. The Broncos' 1.34 yards before contact per attempt allowed to opposing runners ranks 10th, even with their poor performance taken into account versus Walker and the Chiefs.
The Broncos were the third-best defense a season ago in this same metric — if they can stop the run and put Matthew Stafford behind the sticks while simultaneously locking up Adams, I struggle to envision the Rams putting up an abundance of points. Opposing teams averaged just 16.8 points per game when playing in Denver in the 2025 regular season.
As for the Broncos' pass rush, it needs no introduction — their pressure rate is the ninth-highest through two weeks but their opponents' average time to throw is 2.55 seconds (per Next Gen Stats), which is the least amount generated by any defense.
The Broncos offense, however, has only played one efficient half of football and they face a more difficult task. The Broncos rank 17th in rushing success rate, but that number does not tell the entire story.
Their host of running backs often get what is blocked, but nothing more. Collectively, they have combined to force three missed tackles this season — the fewest in the league.
Bo Nix and Sean Payton have struggled when stepping up in competition over the last two seasons. When squaring off with a top-10 scoring defense, the Broncos' third-down conversion rate drops from a respectable 40.5% to 31.2%.
When Denver has taken on teams outside of the top 10, it has averaged 22.4 points per game, but the number dips to 16.8 points per game when tasked with a more difficult endeavor.
Rams vs Broncos Prediction, Betting Analysis
If you simply bet the under in every night game over the past five regular seasons before 2026, you’d be cashing at a 56.6% rate, with your highest ROI coming on Sunday nights, with 59.8% of those games failing to reach the oddsmakers’ total.
The Broncos have hosted 11 primetime games over the past seven seasons — nine of those games have gone under the total.
The Broncos are 11-6 to the under in their last 17 home games and this one is lining up to continue this trend.
Whether it is the Rams playing without their best skill player in Puka Nacua or the Broncos offense still adjusting to playcaller Davis Webb, neither of these teams will reach the heights they’re capable of this season offensively.
I am willing to play this under down to 43.5, but shop for the best line.
Pick: Under 44.5; bet to 43.5
