The NFL Preseason is in full swing and there’s a ton of action over the next two days. Friday’s slate is small with only three games, but it concludes with a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium that could provide some of the most competitive football we’ve seen thus far.
Here’s a prediction and pick for Packers vs. Broncos in the NFL Preseason on Friday night, courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Packers vs. Broncos preview
The preseason really doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, so it shouldn’t be used as a measuring stick for a team’s future performance. However, for the clubs themselves, there are reasons that these games do matter.
The Packers’ starters will see some more action tonight, though the extent of that run isn’t really known. That means Jordan Love will get on the field with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Marshawn Lloyd, the latter of whom needs to show more after carrying the ball four times for just 13 yards in his preseason debut. Don’t bank on these guys seeing more than a quarter at absolute most, but it’s also worth noting they did make it 46 yards downfield on 10 plays to set up a field goal in the first preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That was far from a long drive and Love went just 3-for-5, but still they’ve been working. After they depart, it’ll be Tyrod Taylor and Kyle McCord at quarterback.
The Green Bay defense does raise more questions. The unit allowed 28 points to the Steelers in that opening loss, making all three of Drew Allar, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard look like franchise quarterbacks. They combined for a 27-for-33 line, 313 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Sure, the Packers’ three sacks were something, but the defense was incredibly poor at stopping the pass. With many of the defensive players competing for final roster spots, there needs to be a much better effort at defending airspace here in Denver.
As for the Broncos, there’s some excitement brewing. Granted, it comes with a side of worry. Bo Nix is expected to make his return from a fractured ankle and two ensuing surgeries that came after the injury during the postseason – don’t expect him to see a ton of work either with the starters, but his health is something to monitor. Particularly, the third-year quarterback’s ability to get out of the pocket and make plays on the move is worth keeping an eye on since it’s so key to his style of play.
However, the good news is that the squad looked just fine without him in the preseason opener, a 27-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Denver racked up 359 total yards of offense with Jarrett Stidham going 9-for-15 with 131 yards and a touchdown, while rookie Jonah Coleman impressed in the backfield with 24 yards on six carries. Courtland Sutton saw action then, and tonight, he could be joined by Jaylen Waddle, who was injured for that first contest. Defensively, the Broncos looked stout with 192 yards allowed, a sack, and two interceptions. With a unit that plays tough football, even second-stringers and depth players can still make quite the impact.
Packers vs. Broncos prediction, pick
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Broncos as a six-point favorite in this matchup with -245 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Packers are a +200 road underdog with the game total set at 41.5 combined points.
To be clear, betting on NFL Preseason can prove very tricky. Established names don’t see much action, especially in the earlier weeks, and there’s much more variance in these games due to the roster shuffling and how deep of a player pool coaches draw from.
This is a bet I didn’t have to think twice about – I like the Broncos to cover the spread, even at a long-ish six points. There’s a reason they’re favored here tonight. They’re at home with the altitude playing a small role and they looked dominant in their preseason opener; the visitors appeared largely disjointed in their own opener as well. We know the Packers have a great defense, but in this context, it doesn’t necessarily translate. After they gave up 385 total yards of offense at a clip of 6.0 yards per play, also conceding seven third-down conversions in 13 tries, there are concerns about their ability to hold the Broncos in check here. Green Bay simply didn’t look like itself with the depth on the field last time out, so against a great coach in Sean Payton and an offense that won’t shy away from giving the starters a few series, the Pack should fall flat.
