Rams vs. Broncos Preview: Hartstein Favors Under 44.5 Points in Sunday Night Football Matchup

Teams looking to reach the Super Bowl square off in an interconference matchup when the Los Angeles Rams face the Denver Broncos on 'Sunday Night Football.' Los Angeles (1-1) is eyeing its third Super Bowl appearance under coach Sean McVay and first since Super Bowl LVI in 2021, when it defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. Denver (1-1), meanwhile, is hoping to reach the big game for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50, 24-10 over the Carolina Panthers in 2015. Rams receiver Puka Nacua (hip) is inactive as is wideout Tutu Atwell. Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $50 bonus after $10 in trades:

Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET from Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. The Rams have won each of the last five meetings. The latest Rams vs. Broncos odds have Los Angeles as a 1-point favorite, with the line having dropped since opening at Rams -2.5. The over/under for total points scored is 44.5. The Under is a combined 4-0 for the teams this season. Before making any Rams vs. Broncos picks, or 'Sunday Night Football' predictions be sure to see what Larry Hartstein has to say.

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He is coming off a 2025 NFL season in which he went 50-37 ATS (57.5%), putting him at 643-555 ATS all time. For NFL Office Pool players, Hartstein picked every game straight-up the past two seasons and nailed nearly 70 percent of those picks on NFL betting sites. He also enters this season on a 28-10 roll on his last 38 picks involving the Rams, returning $1,701 to $100 players. Anyone following his picks on betting sites could have seen huge returns.

Now, Hartstein has zeroed in on Rams vs. Broncos. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Broncos vs. Rams:

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Top Rams vs. Broncos predictions

Hartstein is leaning Under 44 combined points for over/under betting at betting apps. He knows both teams sport elite defenses. Denver allowed the second-fewest yards per game in 2025, giving up just 278.2 per game. The Broncos also allowed the third-fewest points at 18.3 points per game. The Rams, meanwhile, allowed the 10th-fewest points at 20.4 points and have added defensive standouts Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald over the offseason, although Garrett (knee) is on injured reserve.

Hartstein sees the running game as a big part of this matchup. "It's difficult to play at altitude early in the season, but the Rams can rely on their ground game and limit Denver's pass rush," Hartstein said. "Blake Corum (6.0 yards per carry) and Kyren Williams (5.5 ypc) give LA two options better than anyone Denver has in its banged-up running back room." See which team to back at SportsLine.

How to make Rams vs. Broncos picks

Hartstein also has found a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back.See what it is at SportsLine.