The Denver Broncos (1-1) and Los Angeles Rams (1-1) have had similar starts to the 2026 season.
Each team was seen as a favorite to reach Super LXI, but each team suffered humbling, one-sided losses to divisional rivals in Week 1. However, each team bounced back in Week 2 with a big victory. Now they meet in a Week 3 prime-time showdown on Sunday Night Football in what many still see as a potential early-season Super Bowl preview.
How do the experts see this one going?
Broncos vs. Rams Week 3 expert picks
John Breech, CBS Sports: Broncos 23, Rams 21
"They should give the winner of this game a mini Lombardi Trophy since this is the Super Bowl we almost got last season", Breech wrote for CBS. "We came one injury and 6 yards away from getting this game, and honestly, based on how boring Super Bowl LX ended up being, I think I would
have preferred this. On paper, I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched, but I think Rams will have two things working against them: They have to play on the road and they have to fly halfway across the country on a short week after playing Monday night.
The NFL scheduling department is clearly trying to break the Rams. After flying 15,842 miles round trip to Melbourne in Week 1, they're now adding 1,724 round-trip miles on this flight to Denver. By the end of Week 3, the Rams will have traveled more miles than 13 different teams will travel ALL SEASON.
That's a lot of jet lag, and as we know, the Rams don't deal well with jet lag. I'll take the Broncos in a thriller."
Gennaro Filice, NFL.com: Rams 23, Broncos 19
"The Super Bowl LX matchup that wasn’t!", wrote Filice for NFL.com. "Eight months ago, the Rams and Broncos suffered narrow defeats on Championship Sunday, leaving both painfully short of the Lombardi Trophy game. Then they opened this season by hitting the road and humiliating themselves on national television. Both returned to form at home in Week 2, though, setting up a compelling clash worthy of the Sunday night stage. Showcasing a pair of Super Bowl-winning head coaches and two of the league’s most well-rounded rosters, this game doesn’t lack for star power. And yet, I see its outcome hinging on the Rams’ meat and potatoes, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. With eerily similar frames, games and jersey numbers (23 and 24), L.A.’s two backs are difficult to tell apart. And so is their robust ground production through two games.
I see Los Angeles’ blue-collar backfield playing a leading role in this prime-time tilt. Denver cleaned up its tackling last week after an embarrassing display against Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III, but I still think this front’s susceptible to the run. Free-agent departure John Franklin-Myers got $63 million for a reason."
Bill Bender, The Sporting News: Broncos 23, Rams 21
"It's a tough road game for the Rams. Denver's pass defense ranks seventh in the NFL, and Bo Nix is 15-3 at home as a starter. With Los Angeles coming off a short week, this is a tough assignment for Matthew Stafford with injuries to Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett, who is out. The Broncos are 5-1-1 ATS as an underdog since last season", wrote Bender for The Sporting News.
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Rams 27, Broncos 24
"NBC gets a good one for Sunday Night Football in NFL Week 3 with Matthew Stafford vs. Bo Nix and two elite defenses", Cluff wrote for Arizona Republic. "This one might come down to which defense steps up late. It will be the road team."
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL picks: Who the experts predict to win in the Broncos-Rams game
