Keagan Smith takes you through his preview, prediction, and pick for NFL Week 1’s game between the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans.

After a loaded witching hour, Sunday’s NFL Week 1 slate continues with some afternoon matchups you won’t want to miss. At 4:05 p.m. EST, Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos see the No. 1 pick Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans come to town at Empower Field at Mile High. This looks like a fun duel between an upstart squad and a playoff team that made even more improvements over the offseason, so don’t miss!

Get the rundown on this matchup with a Broncos vs. Titans prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this Week 1 action.

Broncos vs. Titans prediction, preview

Denver Broncos

The home-team Broncos broke out last year with a 10-7 campaign and playoff appearance in the first season with quarterback Bo Nix. The rookie took a while to find his rhythm at the pro level but emerged as a dual-threat option down the stretch without a ton of offensive talent around him. However, head coach Sean Payton and the front office did a great job of loading up this offseason, adding halfbacks J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey to the backfield alongside tight end Evan Engram and wideout Pat Bryant. With the new additions on the field with receivers Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims, the latter of whom sees the cusp of a breakout, the Broncos’ offense should look even better in 2025.

However, an elite defense will absolutely become even stronger. Denver added safety Talanoa Hufanga and corner Jahdae Barron to the secondary, while also drafting EDGEs Sai’von Jones and Que Robinson. The influx of talent only improves the outlook for a unit that was already one of the NFL’s best last year with All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II, linebacker Nick Bonitto and a handful of other talents. We’re talking one of the two best defenses in football here… if not the best in the sport.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans went just 3-14 last season, a miserable campaign that saw poor quarterback play and meme-able moments aplenty. Head coach Brian Callahan’s team did underperform for sure, but after adding a coveted top pick and potential franchise quarterback in Miami product Cam Ward, the future does look brighter now than before. There’ve been some shakeups here, but they added an important piece in left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and receiver Tyler Lockett this offseason while drafting wideouts Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. With Calvin Ridley and halfback Tony Pollard already in place, the pieces for a feisty offense are in place, though there’s a noticeable lack of top-end talent.

The defense does look more suspect with the release of Harold Landry III and the addition of safety Xavier Woods marking their big free-agent acquisition, however, a healthy season from L’Jarius Sneed would go a long way after he played just five games last year. Plus, Tennessee drafted EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo and cornerback Kevin Winston Jr., so they have a couple of younger pieces with upside. Still, there will be growing pains especially in the early weeks of the campaign.

Broncos vs. Titans pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Broncos as 8.5-point favorites and -410 favorites on the Moneyline. The Titans are listed with +320 odds to upset on the Moneyline with the game total set at 42.5 combined points.

As much as I’d love to project an awesome first game for Cam Ward, who put forth a Heisman-caliber season with the Hurricanes last year, this Denver defense looks like a hellish first matchup for the young signal-caller. The good news is that Ward loves to push the ball downfield and sees an ideal fit with Calvin Ridley and Ayomanor on the outside, but the coverage from this elite secondary might give all of Tennessee’s offensive weapons fits. While Tony Pollard will see most of the work while Tyjae Spears remains sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, he’ll also have a difficult matchup against a defense that can stop the run.

Projecting much scoring from the Titans feels ill-advised. Meanwhile, the Broncos only added weapons over the offseason to a Sean Payton offense, and I actually feel pretty confident that Bo Nix can pick up where he left off last season. The sophomore slump looms, but Nix sees the benefit of better weapons with one of the NFL’s better offensive coaches. Whether through the air or on the ground, Denver should dominate this contest against a rebuilding franchise and start the 2025 campaign with a massive statement. You can feel comfortable taking them to cover, but I’m pushing for an alternate spread at plus odds.

Best bet: DEN Broncos -13.5 (+147)