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The Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos will face off in the third and final week of preseason on Saturday night. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Rams-Broncos prediction and pick.
The Rams enter the final week of the preseason after two lackluster showings against the Los Angeles Charges and the Las Vegas Raiders. Head coach Sean McVay has a notorious hatred for the preseason, so it's not all that surprising to see the Rams bench all of their starters and lose two games in a row. The Broncos, on the other hand, have made great use of these meaningless games. Denver officially ironed out their quarterback competition and won both games in the process. The Broncos will try to keep their preseason record perfect in this one.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for Saturday's game.
NFL Odds: Rams-Broncos Odds
Los Angeles Rams +8 1/2 (-105)
Denver Broncos -8 1/2 (-115)
Over 33 1/2 points (-110)
Under 33 1/2 points (-110)
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Why The Rams Could Win
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The Rams haven't let a single starter touch the field this preseason, but you wouldn't know it if you just looked at the defense. These third and fourth-string defenders haven't allowed more than 20 points in either preseason game. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris's unit has also racked up five sacks and ten quarterback hits over the last two games. The Rams have looked like one of the better defenses in the preseason, and that should continue against a Broncos offense that should be playing without plenty of starters for the first time.
Los Angeles has also gotten some pretty solid quarterback play from their backups. John Wolford is nursing an injury and Devlin Hodges was recently cut, so it looks like Bryce Perkins is in line to take all the snaps at quarterback in this game. That was the case against the Raiders, and Perkins performed admirably. He was efficient through the air and added a rushing element to the offense while only committing one turnover. Another performance like that will give the Rams a chance to win their first preseason game of the season.
Why The Broncos Could Win
The Broncos have dominated their preseason matchups in large part due to their superior quarterback play. Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock have both seen significant snaps throughout the preseason, and both of them have been great. Head coach Vic Fangio just announced that Bridgewater will start in the regular season, but we have no idea how much he'll play in this one. Even if Bridgewater sits the entire game, Lock is more than capable of leading this offense to a win against a preseason defense. The Broncos should have a huge upper hand on offense throughout the entire game solely because of their quarterback play.
In addition to their outstanding offensive play, the Broncos have put forth a defensive showing of equal quality. Their opponents have combined to score nine points in two games. Their secondary has been particularly impressive, as no wide receiver who's played against Denver has surpassed 35 yards receiving. This unit has shown themselves to be one of the best units in the preseason, and that shouldn't change against a Rams offense that hasn't scored more than 20 points yet.
Final Rams-Broncos Prediction & Pick
It's hard to pick an eight-and-a-half point favorite in the preseason, but the Broncos are the right choice here. They've looked completely dominant on defense using a bunch of backups, and the Rams' obvious disregard for the preseason doesn't inspire any confidence. Denver should be able to end the preseason undefeated and cover the spread easily.
FINAL PICK: Denver Broncos -8 1/2 (-115)
