Our Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Rams prediction takes a look at one of the Week 16 Christmas Day showdowns.
Let’s dive into the current NFL betting odds and key storylines to watch and make a prediction for the game. Note that all odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Broncos vs. Rams Odds
- Spread
Broncos -2 - Moneyline
Broncos -130, Rams +110 - Over/Under
36.5 points
Broncos vs. Rams Prediction
The Broncos snapped their losing streak of five games this past week with a win over the floundering Arizona Cardinals. Even without Russell Wilson in the lineup due to a concussion, the Broncos were able to find a way to win and advance to 4-10 on the season.
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Expectations certainly have not been met in Denver this season, but there are some encouraging signs to look at over the past two weeks. With Wilson and Brett Rypien in Week 14, the Broncos were able to put up 28 points against the Kansas City Chiefs. This past week against Arizona saw a similar scoring performance with 24 points.
Those are the two highest point totals of the season for Denver through 15 weeks. In any other week this year, they have not scored more than 23 total points, which is a perfect encapsulation of the Broncos’ season. They simply have not been able to do anything on offense, but that could be starting to shift.
Wilson should be back this week, and he’ll have every opportunity to succeed against a banged-up Rams defense that doesn’t have much to play for anymore. As long as Wilson can get the ball out accurately and on time, Denver should be able to secure a victory here on Christmas Day, given how the Broncos’ defense is performing.
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On the other side of the ball, the L.A. Rams pulled off an incredible last-minute victory in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and things seemed like they could be improving with Baker Mayfield in at QB in place of the injured Matthew Stafford.
Unfortunately, not much changed for the Rams’ offense in Week 15 against a shaky Green Bay Packers defensive unit. Mayfield had just 111 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception as the Rams went on to total just 12 points, leaving them still at the bottom of the NFC West.
This offense is just simply too void of talent, with Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Allen Robinson all dealing with season-ending injuries. Given that the offense wasn’t that effective in the first place, it’s no surprise that the Rams aren’t able to do much in the box score, even against lackluster defenses.
This matchup against the Broncos is certainly not one of those types of matchups. Despite the offense’s ineptitude, Denver has retained a top-tier defense all season long and is allowing the third-fewest points per game on the year.
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For L.A. to win this matchup, the Rams must take care of the football and catch the defense making a mistake on one or two plays. If that plays out, and as long as the defense can hold Wilson and the offense in check, L.A. could sneak out a win.
Broncos vs. Rams Prediction
Broncos 17, Rams 10
