A decade has passed since either the Green Bay Packers or the Denver Broncos reached the Super Bowl but both famous franchises are hoping to return to the big game this season.
The teams will play their second games of the NFL preseason at Empower Field at Mile High on Friday njght but they had contrasting fortunes in their first outings of the year as the Broncos crushed the Atlanta Falcons 27-7 while the Packers were beaten 28-9 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both teams are looking to improve on their playoff campaigns of last season and they are expected to have their starters on show at the start of an attractive AFC vs. NFC match-up.
Denver Broncos -6.5 (-105)
This game has the largest spread of any contest in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason but it's not difficult to understand why.
The Broncos have consistently been a force in their warm-up games, particularly at home, and they started out this year's exhibition season in the same form as they dominated the Atlanta Falcons in Georgia last Friday night.
Denver won 27-7 after racing into a 24-0 half-time lead with back-up QB Jarrett Stidham throwing a touchdown pass to running back Jaleel McLaughlin and cornerback Jahdae Barron returning an interception 97 yards for a defensive touchdown.
The Broncos went 3-0 in their preseason campaign last season and the 20-point winning margin of their first success this year followed the trend they set in 2025 when Sean Payton's team won their games by scores of 30-9, 27-7 and 28-19.
They followed that with a 14-3 record in the regular season to end Kansas City's dominant streak of success in the AFC West and claim the top seed in the AFC playoffs, but a 10-7 defeat by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game means they will be determined to do better this year.
The Packers also made the playoffs last season despite finishing second to the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. A 9-7-1 record was only good enough for the seventh seed in the NFC, and they were eliminated by the Bears 31-27 in their playoff game.
Green Bay will want to put up a better effort than in last week's defeat to Pittsburgh, when the Steelers outgained the Packers by 385 yards to 160 and scored three touchdowns. The Packers at least saw their rookie kicker Trey Smack convert three field goals but they will need a lot more to be competitive in Denver.
Both teams are expected to field their starters in the opening quarter, but Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love is not likely to stay in the game much longer than he did last week, when he attempted just five passes.
The Wisconsin franchise no longer have Malik Willis as their back-up QB as he is now the starter for the Miami Dolphins, so veteran Tyrod Taylor is also expected to feature in Denver before the team takes another extended look at third-stringer Kyle McCord, who completed 12 of his 16 passes for 102 yards against the Steelers.
Stidham will take over for the Broncos after starter Bo Nix makes his first appearance of the preseason. He is a solid operator and third-stringer Sam Ehlinger also had some success against the Falcons.
The Broncos have plenty of roster depth, particularly on defense, and should be able to extend their impressive home preseason record which has seen them win seven games in a row since 2020, covering the spread six times.
Under 40.5 points (-110)
The teams' opening preseason games produced 34 and 37 points and another contest with under 40.5 points seems likely.
The Broncos limited the Falcons to just 133 passing yards and picked off Cooper Rush twice, while they allowed Atlanta only 59 rushing yards on 23 attempts.
The Packers' offense couldn't get much of anything going against the Steelers, registering just 97 net passing yards in the game. That figure was affected by a poor performance from their offensive line as they lost 44 yards due to five sacks. That does not bode well for them facing the Broncos' pass-rush.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the NFL on site
Green Bay Packers vs Denver Broncos odds
Green Bay Packers | +195 |
Denver Broncos | -240 |
Spread | DEN Broncos -6.5 |
Total Points | O/U 40.5 |
Read the latest NFL news on site
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
