Sunday Night Football in Week 3 has the feel of a measuring-stick game, with the 1-1 Rams and 1-1 Broncos meeting in Denver after both teams rescued themselves from 0-2 starts in Week 2.
The Rams arrive off a Monday night win over the New York Giants, a game that only reinforced why they’re viewed as one of the league’s top teams this season. Denver, meanwhile, held off the Jacksonville Jaguars at home and now gets another primetime stage, with the Broncos looking for a win that would say plenty about where they stand after reaching the AFC title game last season. The problem is that their offense hasn’t exactly roared out of the gate, with Davis Webb calling the plays and Bo Nix and company still trying to find a steady rhythm.
That’s part of why SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan is siding with Los Angeles to cover. He called the Rams one of the NFL’s elite teams after their Week 2 performance and said he was surprised the line didn’t reopen above three. He also pointed to Denver’s shaky offensive numbers, noting that the Broncos sit 13th in Net Yards per Play at 0.0, while ranking 25th in EPA per play and 21st in success rate.
“The Rams' roster is a step above the Broncos, and they're going to prove it in this game.”
One of the player props drawing attention is Jaylen Waddle anytime touchdown. The new Denver wide receiver had a quiet debut in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing with one catch for two yards on three targets.
Denver’s offense was so bad in that game it posted the worst EPA/Play in the NFL, which led to a different approach in Week 2. That adjustment paid off for Waddle, who caught eight of 10 targets for 138 yards against Jacksonville and nearly scored after being tackled at the one-yard line on a long throw from Nix.
Courtland Sutton is still on the roster, but he has only 36 receiving yards through two games, and Waddle has clearly become the top option in this Denver passing game for now. The Rams also gave up three passing touchdowns against San Francisco in Week 1, which adds to the appeal. At +200, MacMillan called Waddle the best value on the board for a player with that kind of role.
Blake Corum is another name MacMillan likes. He said he’s continuing to invest in the Rams running back after Corum averaged 6.0 yards per carry over the first two games and picked up just one fewer carry than Kyren Williams across that stretch.
The matchup only strengthens the case, since Denver ranks last in opponent rush EPA through two weeks. That setup could give Corum another chance to make noise under the lights.
Davante Adams is also in the mix as a touchdown play. Last season, Matthew Stafford targeted him 31 times in the red zone, third-most in the league, and Adams turned those looks into 13 catches for 65 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He already flashed in Week 2, hauling in eight of 10 targets for 195 yards and two scores. With Adams expected to remain a major piece of the Rams offense and a possible matchup against Riley Moss on Sunday night, the case is straightforward.
Denver’s secondary is strong, but Adams is 1-for-1 in turning red-zone targets into touchdowns in 2026.
At this price, MacMillan sees the six-time Pro Bowler as an easy bet in Week 3.
In Other News...
Tim Tebow Faces Serious Questions As Off-Field Controversy Grows
Tim Tebow is dealing with a very different kind of spotlight these days, one tied not to football but to his off-field work. The former Broncos quarterback has been connected to Life Surge, the Christian group now facing allegations that it pressured people into expensive financial advice programs that offered little in return. Tebow has said he is taking the claims seriously and is stepping back from his involvement while an investigation plays out.
Life Surge has denied the allegations, and Tebow has been a featured speaker at multiple events for the organization in recent years. For a public figure who has long blended faith, charity and celebrity, the situation adds another layer of scrutiny to a profile that has often drawn attention well beyond the game. For now, the central question is how far this controversy reaches and what it means for the relationship he had built with the group. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Lose Promising Rookie Back Just As His Role Was Growing
Jonah Colemans role in Denver was starting to grow at just the right time, and the rookie running back had shown enough against Jacksonville to suggest the Broncos had found a useful piece in their backfield rotation. He played through the game despite a high-ankle sprain, finishing with 39 rushing yards, a touchdown and three catches, the kind of all-purpose effort that usually earns a young player more trust in the weeks ahead.
Instead, the Broncos will have to navigate the next stretch without him after placing Coleman on short-term injured reserve. The timetable points to a return in late October against the Arizona Cardinals, which gives Denver a clear target while leaving the backfield picture a little thinner in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Face A Bigger Davante Adams Problem
Puka Nacuas soft tissue injury has already changed the shape of the Rams passing game, and it leaves Denver preparing for a heavier Davante Adams workload than it likely would have seen otherwise. Adams has been more productive when Nacua is off the field, which gives Sean Paytons defense a different kind of problem to solve heading into the matchup.
The Broncos are expected to answer with Pat Surtain II shadowing Adams and by trying to make life uncomfortable for Matthew Stafford, whose mobility remains limited. Even so, the chess match can turn quickly if Adams starts finding room early, because Denvers game plan depends on keeping Stafford under pressure while limiting the one receiver the Rams can lean on most in this setup. [Read more 🡒]