The NFL Preseason rumbles on as the Los Angeles Rams travel to face the Denver Broncos in Week 3.
Both squads are still looking for their first win — the Rams dropped back-to-back games to the Chargers and Raiders by a final score of 34-17, while the Broncos have fallen by a single point in each of their first two games.
Bettors and oddsmakers alike view Denver as the superior side. Looking at NFL betting odds, the Broncos are favored by nearly a touchdown for Saturday’s content.
Is that the correct line for a game between two struggling teams that would both like to end the preseason on a high note? I break that down by looking at Sean Payton’s track record in final preseason games and more in my NFL picks and predictions for Rams vs. Broncos on Saturday, August 26.
Rams vs Broncos odds
Rams vs Broncos predictions
The Los Angeles Rams’ current stretch can be described as the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Everything was all good in 2021 as they went 12-5 and marched on to become Super Bowl LVI Champions with a three-point win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Then things turned bad in 2022 as they collapsed with a 5-12 record, and seemingly anything that could go wrong did go wrong.
It’s possible that 2023 is when we see the ugly as they’re at the late stages of their era with an aging roster that is naturally paying the costs of an all-in approach that resulted in a Super Bowl ring.
They’ve tried to hit the reset button by bringing in a ton of young players this year, and now have a unique mix of a few very experienced veterans and youth. In fact, they have the youngest roster in the NFL.
It’s foolish to take anything away from the preseason, but it’s hardly an encouraging sign that Sean McVay’s squad has been rolled 34-17 in two straight games to kick things off.
Bookmakers have seen these results and have thrown the Rams in the trash, moving them to nearly a touchdown underdog despite playing against a Denver Broncos team that is also 0-2 in the preseason and also finished with a 5-12 record a year ago. That could be a bit of an overcorrection and I think now is a time to buy back — for a preseason contest, anyway.
The good news is that Georgia rookie Stetson Bennett has looked good and may be able to lock up the backup quarterback job — if he hasn’t done so already — with a strong performance. He’s gotten a ton of reps at quarterback for the Rams and has played decently, throwing for 333 yards across his first two preseason games.
Stetson Bennett has entered the chat pic.twitter.com/Q1tKoT4nvD
— Daniel Bejarano (@Chefdannyb28) August 20, 2023
The Broncos hired Sean Payton to turn things around this year. The franchise has not had a winning record since 2016, but Payton was brought in to win now and that seems to be the expectation.
After playing his starters in the first two contests, Payton stated on Tuesday that they won’t see the field for more than a single series if we even see them at all. It’s not like they’ve been playing great anyway — they mustered just 13 first downs last week against the San Francisco 49ers — and now they could take another slight step back.
Payton has shown little regard for the final preseason game in his long career, sporting a 2-12 straight-up record in such games.
I don’t care who they’re playing, I can’t justify laying nearly a touchdown with this Denver team until I see some encouraging signs.
Reports were that the Rams were the better team during joint practices this week and had a clear advantage on the first day especially. That may mean something and it may not, but it’s another sign that the Broncos may not cakewalk in this spot.
I’ll take the +6 with the visiting Rams in a tug o’ war between two struggling teams.
My best bet: Rams +6 (-110 at bet365)
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