Broncos vs Falcons Predictions, Best Bets & Who’s Playing?
By Chris Amberley in NFL News
Published:
- The Broncos are 3.5-point favorites over the Falcons in NFL preseason action tonight
- Both Denver and Atlanta will play most of their starters limited reps, with the exception of Bo Nix who is out
- Get the top Broncos vs Falcons predictions and best bets, plus find out who’s playing, below
Week 1 of the NFL preseason continues tonight with three more games including the Broncos visiting the Falcons. Denver has been a cash cow for preseason bettors over the last couple years as we’ll discuss, and prediction markets expect that trend to continue. They’ve pegged the Broncos as 3.5-point favorites in the latest NFL odds, offering the line at lower juice (-104 vs -110) than traditional sportsbooks.
Kickoff for this exhibition showdown is set for 7 pm ET from Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with ESPN Unlimited providing the broadcast coverage. Keep reading for the top Broncos vs Falcons predictions, best bets and odds, as well as who’s playing, below.
Broncos vs Falcons Who’s Playing
Both teams are expected to play their starters tonight. Sean Payton said his number ones we’ll see anywhere from 15-20 snaps, with the biggest exception being QB Bo Nix. The third-year pivot has been recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the AFC Divisional Round in January, and won’t make his preseason debut until next week. His absence hurts the offense’s overall ceiling, but Broncos backers will have the luxury of putting their money behind some pretty competent secondary options.
For the Falcons, NFL OROY odds contenders Drake London and Bijon Robinson are among the big names suiting up tonight, while Tua Tagovailoa will make his Atlanta debut under center. New head coach Kyle Stefanski will play his number ones roughly 10-15 snaps, however the depth of his roster isn’t in the same league as Denver’s.
Broncos vs Falcons Predictions and Best Bets
The Broncos depth, especially at the QB spot is one of the main reasons I’m betting them to cover the spread. It also doesn’t hurt that Payton clearly takes the exhibition schedule more seriously than others. Payton has the second best preseason winning percentage of any active coach with 25+ games under their belts, and he’s led Denver to 7 straight exhibition wins. The Broncos have won all but one of those contests by 5+ points, scoring at least 27 points in each outing.
Jarrett Stidham is a big reason for Denvers recent preseason success, throwing for 742 yards and 6 TD during the winning streak. He’s widely considered one of the best backups in the NFL, and isn’t a steep drop off from Nix. Behind him is former Colts QB Sam Ehlinger, who put up solid preseason numbers in Indianapolis and has NFL starting experience. Contrast that to Atlanta, who will rely on journeyman Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand behind Tagovailoa.
The Broncos depth across their defense and skill position corps is the catalyst for their strong Super Bowl odds. This team is loaded in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and added very capable skill position backups in the offseason. Once the starters exit the game, I expect Denver’s depth to overwhelm the Falcons. Atlanta is incredibly top heavy on offense and defense, and their talent falls off a cliff behind their starters.
I also expect serious growing pains for the Falcons in Stefanski’s debut, as they’re all still learning a new offensive scheme. Most of the Denver two’s and three’s have had much more continuity playing under Payton for multiple seasons, and should be able to hit the ground running.
Broncos vs Falcons Odds
Odds as of August 14, 2026. Claim your Caesars Sportsbook promo code now to get involved in NFL Preseason action.
As mentioned above, while prediction markets and commercial sportsbooks are aligned on the spread, Kalshi is offering a better price making them the place to bet at if you have access. Same goes for the total if you like the over. Prediction markets are still hanging 39.5’s out there, while commercial books have gone to as high as 41.5 at the time of writing.
Broncos vs Falcons Betting Splits
Moving over to the NFL public betting splits, where the action is in line with my official picks. Denver -3.5 is currently drawing 51% of the ATS tickets, while the over is garnering 56% of the bets and 60% of the handle.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
