It wouldn’t be crazy if the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos meet in Super Bowl LXI, but there’s a lot of football to be played until then. However, we don’t have to wait long to see these two clash, as they’ll meet at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver for the Week 3 Sunday Night Football matchup. Keep reading for betting odds, picks, and player props for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 3 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch Rams vs. Broncos
When: Sunday, September 27 at 8:20 pm ET
Where: Empower Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado
Channel: NBC
Rams vs. Broncos Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate as of Tuesday, September 22. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Rams -142, Broncos +120
Spread: Rams -2.5 (-115), Broncos +2.5 (-105)
Total: Over 45.5 (-110), Under 45.5 (-110)
Rams vs. Broncos Analysis
The Sunday slate has a bit of everything, but the main event is a meeting between two teams with legitimate shots at making the Super Bowl. The Rams flushed an opening-week loss to the 49ers by pummeling the Giants at SoFi Stadium. The Broncos did the same, as they responded to a loss to the Chiefs by taking down the Jaguars. Now, we’ll see these two talented — and well-coached — teams meet in Denver.
Our Circa Sports betting splits for this one show some public love for Los Angeles, as the team opened at -2.5 and the line hasn’t budged despite a majority of tickets and handle on the Rams. That means there’s some smart money on Denver, but the public money on Los Angeles seems to be preventing the number from moving. Well, I already liked the Broncos in this one, but it’s never a bad thing when other smart bettors are on your side.
The Rams looked really good in their Week 2 win over the Giants, but that was against a team that lost Jaxson Dart in the opening quarter. Los Angeles won’t have the luxury of facing a shaky backup here. Bo Nix has his ups and downs, but he’s a good quarterback — and will be comfortable playing at home. Denver also happens to have elite weapons now, plus the thought of Sean Payton and Davis Webb putting together a plan for this LA defense is interesting. The Rams are talented in the secondary, but their starters are playing in a new scheme. Perhaps the Broncos can confuse them a bit. Plus, the absence of Myles Garrett might not have hurt last week, but it should be felt against Denver.
It should also hurt that Puka Nacua will miss this game for the Rams. Like Garrett, Los Angeles didn’t need Nacua last game, but that’ll change here. Davante Adams might have gone off against New York, but the Broncos have Patrick Surtain II to shadow him. That likely won’t go very well for an aging Adams.
There’s also very little that separates these teams in DVOA, as Los Angeles (9.9%) is right above Denver (8.6%) in the rankings. Home-field advantage should make up for the small difference between the two.
Additionally, some trends look good for Denver here. Under Payton, the Broncos are 12-3 on the moneyline in non-conference games. They’re also 12-4 straight-up in home games with totals between 42.5 and 49 points.
You also have to wonder if the odd travel will catch up to LA. This team could be a little off having gone from Melbourne to Los Angeles, then heading into the altitude with Denver.
Rams vs. Broncos Player Props
LEAN: Pat Bryant Over 23.5 Receiving Yards (-117)
If you become a VSiN Pro subscriber, you’ll have access to hundreds of OptaAI player prop projections each week. I love looking at these to see if any of them match up with my initial leans. Well, I’m not sure I’m going to take any props in this game, but Bryant’s numbers stood out to me. OptaAI has Bryant finishing with 33.48 receiving yards, which is a 16.2% edge to the Over on the book the page is linked with. That number is 25.5. However, if you look around hard enough, you should be able to find 23.5, giving you an even stronger edge to the Over. Bryant had four catches for 42 yards two games ago, but he had no yards last game. Perhaps he’s due to bounce back.
By the way, those OptaAI numbers only get stronger as the season progresses. As more and more numbers come in, the machine learns more and spits out better predictions.
Rams vs. Broncos Pick
I know the Rams are the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but I’m a little surprised they’re laying points in Denver. The Broncos had a lousy showing in Week 1, but they’re No. 3 in Steve Makinen’s Effective Strength rankings. That means they’re right near the top of the league in evaluating a team’s true performance level relative to its opponents. You can find +2.5 out there, but I’ll take the home underdog on the moneyline.
Bet: Broncos ML (+127 – 1.5 units)
