Empower Field at Mile High in Denver hosts Preseason Week 2 at 9:00 PM ET on NFL Network as the Green Bay Packers (0-1) visit the Denver Broncos (1-0) for their preseason home opener. For the second consecutive week, the Broncos will face their opponent's starters, as Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters this week that Jordan Love and Co. would see action in Denver. The backdrop is one of stark recent performance contrast: Green Bay went just 9-7-1 overall in LaFleur's seventh season and lost their preseason opener to Pittsburgh 28-9 while being outgained 385-160. Denver went 14-3 and won the AFC West for the first time in a decade, and the Broncos forced a pair of punts against Tua Tagovailoa and the Falcons' starting offense in Week 1 before winning 27-7 in Atlanta. Read on to find out who takes the W in our Packers vs. Broncos preseason prediction. Get our top NFL Predictions and increase your bankroll!
Broncos: Nix Returns
Quarterback Bo Nix is expected to make his highly anticipated return to game action. Head Coach Sean Payton said Wednesday he expects Nix to play about 14 snaps, and the Broncos' signal-caller said he's eager to take the field. "I'm super excited," Nix said Tuesday. "It's always a blast to play at home. It's great to get in front of our fans. It'll be fun to get out there for the first time this year, put the pads on and go out there and play a game."
Sean Payton is entering his fourth season as the Broncos head coach, and his preseason totals record with Denver sits at 6-3 to the Over. That's a 66.7% Over hit rate, one of the strongest Over-leaning coaching splits in the entire NFL. Payton has always treated preseason like it matters. He plays his guys, he calls his game, and he expects production. Last week's opener was the template, Denver went to Atlanta and won 33-17, putting up 33 points on the road with backups getting most of the work in the second half. The combined 50 points blew right past the total of 38.5.
The Broncos' defense forced a pair of punts against Tua Tagovailoa and the Falcons' starting offense in Week 1, allowing 19 yards and one first down in the first two series. The Broncos are 6-0 ATS in their last six home preseason contests. Denver ran the ball 39 times in its 2026 preseason debut, which was among the highest run percentages in Week 1. That helped pile up more than 36 minutes of time of possession, keeping the clock ticking and gains short. Denver's offensive focus this exhibition campaign is establishing the rushing attack, feeding into Payton's play-action schemes. The Mile High altitude, 5,280 feet, is the one environmental factor that specifically benefits the home side across four quarters when opposing depth linemen and skill players are managing fatigue in ways they have never experienced in a standard sea-level preseason environment.
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Packers: LaFleur Confirms Love Plays, McCord the Bigger Story
LaFleur told reporters this week that Jordan Love and Co. would see action in Denver, a departure from the typical Week 2 starters-rest philosophy that most coaches adopt after the opening exhibition. Love went 3-for-5 for 18 yards in his one series against the Steelers, a controlled, brief look that produced a first-and-goal before a three-point drive, and his availability in Denver gives the Packers a legitimate first-team offensive series that could change the game's early scoring trajectory.
LaFleur is treading lightly with his top talent in the preseason, instead focusing on rounding out the Packers' depth chart. That includes quarterback, and he'll take another extended look at QB3 Kyle McCord and give limited reps to Love and veteran backup Tyrod Taylor. McCord impressed at home in Week 1 of the preseason, but he faces a tougher task on the road Friday. The five sacks the Cheeseheads' O-line allowed in Week 1 are also reason for concern.
Matt LaFleur's group is navigating several absences that limited the offense in the opener. Running back Josh Jacobs sat with a groin issue. Micah Parsons and tight end Tucker Kraft remain sidelined or limited while recovering from knee injuries. Green Bay's passers went a combined 27-for-33 for 313 yards and two touchdowns, but that belonged to Pittsburgh. Green Bay dropped a 9-28 NFL odds decision at Pittsburgh and was outgained 385-160, with their passers unable to pressure Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar or Will Howard. An offensive line that gave up five sacks traveling to altitude against a Denver defensive front that was dominant in Atlanta is the most alarming personnel matchup for anyone backing the Packers to keep this competitive.
Packers vs. Broncos Picks
- Money Line Pick: Denver Broncos
Based on recent form and preseason rostering patterns, Denver projects as the stronger side. The Broncos are 6-0 ATS in their last six home preseason contests, Denver has won its last eight preseason games and posted an 8-2 mark in Payton's tenure, and the Packers are traveling to altitude after a 28-9 blowout loss while managing significant injury limitations at multiple positions.
- Over/Under Pick: Over 41.5
Payton's preseason totals record with Denver sits at 6-3 to the Over, a 66.7% Over hit rate, one of the strongest Over-leaning coaching splits in the entire NFL. Last week's opener produced 50 combined points and blew right past the total of 38.5. That's the Sean Payton Broncos identity showing up on the scoreboard. Neither side surpassed 41.5 points last week, as Green Bay dropped a 28-9 decision at Pittsburgh and the Broncos won in Atlanta 27-7, but the combined 36 and 50 points from those respective games bracket the current total, and with LaFleur confirming Love plays and Payton committing to Nix's 14 snaps at home, the first-team offensive series from both clubs in the first quarter elevates the scoring floor above what a pure backup-versus-backup game would produce. Temperatures are forecasted for the low 70s at Empower Field on Friday night, with winds topping out at 9 mph, neutral conditions that remove weather as a scoring suppressor. Take the Over 41.5 and back Sean Payton's most reliable single coaching tendency in the preseason.
