The Jacksonville Jaguars arrive at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday with a perfect record, and the Denver Broncos arrive with a hangover. Yet the spread still favors the home team. Denver is laid at -3 (+100) after opening at -2.5, while Jacksonville sits at +3 (-120) despite a 34-10 demolition of Cleveland in Week 1. The Broncos, meanwhile, were buried 31-10 in Kansas City. That contradiction between last week’s results and this week’s number is the most interesting thing on the board.
Last Updated: September 19, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver CO |
| When | Sunday, September 20 – 4:05 PM ET |
| TV | CBS |
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos Matchup Overview
Jacksonville is 1-0 and alone atop the AFC South. Trevor Lawrence opened the season with one of the cleanest games of his career, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Head coach Liam Coen’s offense scored on its first possession and never let Cleveland back into the afternoon. The Jaguars won the yardage battle, won the turnover battle, and held the Browns to a single touchdown.
Denver’s opener went the other way entirely. The Broncos managed just 176 total yards at Arrowhead. Bo Nix finished 17 of 28 for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start under new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. The defense was worse than the offense in some respects. Denver’s tackling broke down repeatedly, turning routine Kansas City runs into chunk plays. NFL.com’s Week 2 power rankings still slot Denver sixth, one spot behind Jacksonville, which tells you the market and the evaluators both treat that opener as an outlier rather than a verdict.
Personnel matters here. Denver is without outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who was placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list before the season. Running back RJ Harvey (hamstring) returned to limited work Thursday, and receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) has not practiced. Edge rusher Jonah Elliss (shoulder) and receiver Troy Franklin (knee) have been full participants. Jacksonville is comparatively healthy. Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder), Jakobi Meyers (thumb), LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip), Foyesade Oluokun (wrist) and Cole Van Lanen (knee) have all been limited, and Coen has said he expects Thomas to play. Defensive end B.J. Green II landed on injured reserve.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | +3 (-120) | +135 | O 45.5 (-110) |
| Broncos | -3 (+100) | -160 | U 45.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of September 19, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NFL Odds – Futures – Props
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Jaguars | 71% | 29% | Broncos |
See the latest NFL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
NFL Betting Angle for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos
Start with the movement, because it is doing the talking. The spread opened Denver -2.5 (-110) and now reads Denver -3 (+100), with Jacksonville at +3 (-120). The number went up on the team that lost by three touchdowns and down on the team that won by 24. At the same time, 71 percent of spread tickets are on Jacksonville. When a line moves against the overwhelming majority of tickets, it usually means the money is not distributed the way the ticket count suggests.
The case for Jacksonville is straightforward. The Jaguars looked like the better team in Week 1, Lawrence is protecting the football, and they already proved they can win in this building. Jacksonville beat Denver 34-20 at Empower Field last December. A field goal of cushion on the road against an offense that produced 176 yards last week is a real edge, and the +3 (-120) side gets you through the most common margin in the sport.
The case for Denver is about baseline, not about last Monday. This is the defense that led the NFL with 68 sacks in 2025, per FOX Sports team defensive stats, and it generated almost nothing in Kansas City. Sean Payton’s teams typically respond to that kind of performance. Add the altitude, a home opener crowd, and a short field-goal spread, and the Broncos are being asked to do very little. The risk is that the Week 1 tackling issues were not a one-week aberration, and that Denver’s offensive line gives Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker the same looks Cleveland did.
The total tells a similar story. It opened at 44.5 and now sits at 45.5, with both sides priced at -110. That is a full point of upward movement on a game involving two defenses with real reputations, which suggests the market is pricing in more Denver offense than we saw last week. For more of this week’s card, see our Broncos vs Chiefs Prediction Monday Night September 14: Our Best Bets and our latest NFL picks coverage.
Denver’s Pass Rush Against Jacksonville’s Protection
This is the matchup that decides whether Denver covers. The Broncos built their 2025 identity on getting to the quarterback, and they did it at a volume no other team matched. Against Kansas City, that pressure never arrived, and a defense built to play with a lead spent the night chasing one.
Jacksonville presents a different problem than Kansas City did. Lawrence got the ball out quickly in Week 1 and finished with a near-perfect efficiency line, and Coen’s scheme is designed to punish aggressive fronts with quick throws and defined reads. If the Jaguars keep their offensive line intact — Van Lanen’s knee is the one variable there — Denver’s rush has to win with four rather than with volume blitzing.
Jacksonville’s own front is dangerous, too, with Hines-Allen and Walker coming off a multi-sack team performance against Cleveland. Nix was pressured consistently in Week 1, and Denver’s ability to run the ball, with Harvey’s hamstring still in question, is the quiet variable in the total. Full designations are posted on the Broncos’ official injury report.
NFL Jaguars vs. Broncos FAQ: Sunday September 20, 2026
What time does the Jaguars vs. Broncos game start?
Jacksonville and Denver kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 20, 2026. That is 2:05 p.m. local time in Denver, placing the game in the late Sunday afternoon window rather than the early slate. It is the Broncos’ home opener.
What channel is the Jaguars vs. Broncos game on?
The game airs on CBS, with Ian Eagle on play-by-play, Ross Tucker as analyst and Evan Washburn on the sideline. It is also available to stream on Paramount+.
Where are the Jaguars and Broncos playing?
The game is at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Denver is the home team for this Week 2 matchup, and it is the Broncos’ first home game of the 2026 season after opening on the road in Kansas City.
Who won the last meeting between the Jaguars and Broncos?
Jacksonville won the last meeting 34-20 on December 21, 2025, in Week 16 of last season. That game was also played at Empower Field at Mile High, so the Jaguars have already proven they can score at altitude against this defense.
Who is starting at quarterback for the Jaguars and Broncos?
Trevor Lawrence starts for Jacksonville and Bo Nix starts for Denver. Lawrence opened the season 18 of 23 for 245 yards and four touchdowns against Cleveland. Nix went 17 of 28 for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception in Denver’s loss at Kansas City.