The Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos meet in NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, Sept. 7. Titans vs Broncos Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET from Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo. The game will be broadcast live on FOX.
The Broncos are 8.5-point favorites over the Titans on the spread (Broncos -8.5), with the over/under set at 42.5. Denver is a -450 favorite to win outright, while Tennessee is +350 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Titans vs Broncos predictions and NFL picks for Sunday, September 7.
Titans vs Broncos Prediction
- Titans vs Broncos pick: Titans +8.5 (-110)
My Broncos vs. Titans best bet is on Tennessee to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Titans vs Broncos Odds
| Titans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 42.5 -110o / -110u | +350 |
| Broncos Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 42.5 -110o / -110u | -450 |
Titans vs Broncos NFL 1 Week 1 Preview
I'm taking the Titans +8.5 against the Broncos this Sunday.
If you're going to give me more than a touchdown on the spread for a Week 1 matchup to start the NFL season, I'm going to bet it more times than not. In this case, I believe the Titans are going to be significantly better this season than they were last year.
The offensive line should be much improved. Bringing in a new left tackle (Dan Moore) allows JC Latham to move over to right tackle, which is a more natural fit for him. They also brought in another solid guard (Kevin Zeitler), and they are now in their second year with a good offensive line coach.
Last year was a total disaster for the Titans, and the quarterback position was especially a calamity with Will Levis.
That's why Tennessee had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and the Titans used that pick to select a new QB in Cam Ward. Quite honestly, all he has to do is avoid giving the ball away to the other team in embarrassing fashion in every game, and it should be some type of improvement.
I don't necessarily think the Titans' offense is going to be great, but it should be far more functional than it was last season, at the very least.
Tennessee also has some solid defensive pieces. We'll see if L'Jarius Sneed actually suits up for the Titans' secondary in Week 1. Can he give them No. 1 corner type of play? Can he get back to his old form? If he does, I really like their corner group.
The Titans also have some good pieces on the defensive front. Their defense wasn't terrible last year. They just got no help from their offense. In addition to their miserable offense, their special teams unit was one of the worst units in NFL history.
I didn't love the pieces they brought in, but they overhauled the whole unit. So, it can't be worse than last year. There are a lot of arrows pointing up for Tennessee.
However, I'm expecting some regression from the Broncos' defensive unit.
Denver's defense was one of the 25 best defenses in EPA per play over the past 10 years. Among the past 24, only one improved upon their EPA per play numbers the following season. The average drop in EPA rankings was 8.5 spots.
Titans vs Broncos Prediction, Betting Analysis
Notoriously, rookie quarterbacks making their first NFL start on the road isn't a great spot, which is the case for Cam Ward and the Titans this Sunday.
Rookie QBs making their first NFL start on the road in Week 1 are 8-21 straight up over the last 29 instances. However, they've still hovered around .500 against the spread in those games.
I don't need Tennessee to win this game. I just need them to cover the spread at 8.5, and this game has a very low total.
I get it, the Titans are traveling to high altitude for Ward's first NFL start. Denver is already a very difficult place to play, and the defense is really good. But I think this line is way too steep.
It's my biggest edge on the board numbers-wise in Week 1. If you are going to give me 8.5 points with the Titans, even with a rookie quarterback making his first start, I'm taking it.
New year. New me. Same bets. Titans, baby.
Pick: Titans +8.5 (-110)
Spread
My Titans vs Broncos betting prediction is on Tennessee to cover the spread at +8.5.
Moneyline
While I will be taking the 8.5 points with Titans on the spread, I'm not targeting them in the moneyline market.
Over/Under
I'm also staying away from the total in this matchup.
