Rams vs. Broncos Sunday Night Football Best Betting Pick

The Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos will face off in one of Week 3's most important matchups. Both teams enter this game with a 1-1 record, and they’re both coming off wins after underwhelming Week 1 performances.

We aren’t entirely in panic mode yet, but this is essentially a playoff game for these teams.

I don’t mean that literally, but it’s by far the most important game of the season.

Sunday Night Football Week 3 bet picks

Both teams have Super Bowl aspirations, and the loser will face an extremely difficult uphill climb. Teams that start their season 2-1 make the playoffs ~62% of the time. That number drops to only ~26% when they start 1-2.

The Rams are coming off an extremely impressive game against the New York Giants, but this is an entirely different defense. The biggest key is that Puka Nacua is doubtful once again.

Los Angeles found plenty of points against New York because they couldn’t guard Davante Adams. Denver has Pat Surtain on the opposite side, and he’s likely to shadow Adams. He’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and the Rams are going to need others to be able to contribute.

On the other side, Denver hasn’t found much offensive success in 2026. They’ve scored 30 total points against the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars. Neither of those teams is expected to have an overly dominant defense, and the Broncos’ inability to find success is a massive concern.

The Rams will continue to be without Myles Garrett, but Aaron Donald helped shut down the Giants in Week 2. Granted, they were without Jaxson Dart for most of the game, and that helped drastically. Regardless, it was an impressive defensive outing for Los Angeles, and Donald should only continue to get better as he gets more live action.

This could play out as a game where both teams struggle to find sustained success on offense. They could focus heavily on field position, without finding explosive plays that lead to quick scores.

Ultimately, if this plays out like a playoff game, we should see a defensive battle from both teams. They have the ability to take away the best part of the opponent's offense, and I’m backing the defenses here.

Where to Bet: Los Angeles Rams/Denver Broncos under 44.5 points | -115 at FanDuel Sportsbook

2026 NFL Season Betting Record: 2-5