The people have spoken. At the beginning of the week, the Los Angeles Rams opened as 4-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals for Super Bowl LVI. Los Angeles is a familiar contender in the eyes of the betting public. Head coach Sean McVay has led the Rams to the NFL betting odds postseason in four of the previous five seasons. And Los Angeles made the Super Bowl three years ago. Thus, the Rams have considerable credibility. Counter to that is a Bengals team that is the new shiny toy. Cincinnati emerged from nowhere to become the AFC champion.
Super Bowl LVI Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams
| Date and Time: | Sunday, February 13, 2022, 6:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California |
| Super Bowl LVI TV Coverage: | NBC |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | -4 (-110) | 48½ (-110) | -200 |  |
| Bengals | +4 (-110) | 48½ (-110) | +170 | |
| ||||
Super Bowl LVI SBG Odds Overview
Above all, the Rams have more sports betting credibility with the public than the Bengals. The masses respect Cincinnati’s climb for sure. But the Rams have been there before and are locked into the minds of the masses as a top contender. Sharps will look hard at the Bengals and those points. Specifically, Wise Guys are impressed with how the Bengals rallied to win at Kansas City from a 21-3 deficit. Squares are enamored with the star-studded Rams.
McVay’s Return to Super Sunday
Three years ago, head coach Sean McVay led the Rams to the Super Bowl. Although Los Angeles lost to New England, they have proclaimed the team of the future. And McVay was celebrated as the man that would reinvent football. Back then, every assistant on McVay’s staff was getting interviews for better positions with other NFL clubs. But the Rams, while good, never took the next step.
The Rams’ biggest problem was McVay and quarterback Jarred Goff. The two had a falling out over time. McVay was irritated with Goff needing constant direction on the field. And Goff felt disrespected by McVay. Goff was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Rams. But his production began to drop after the Super Bowl. Finally, both had enough with each other in 2020. McVay traded Goff to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. And it proved to be a stroke of genius.
Joe Cool Powers Zac Attack
Last year Joe Burrow was the first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. But an injury robbed him of a valuable rookie season and gaining experience. However, Burrow stormed back with an outstanding second year and proved himself a Pro football Bets asset. Burrow amassed a 108.3 QB rating with 34 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was a college star at Nebraska and can relate to Burrow. The two have worked well together in confounding the doubters. Last summer, at the opening of training camp, Taylor was said to be on the hot seat. But the third-year head coach did not have enough talent to work within his first two seasons. This year he did, and the rest is history.
On the whole, this has been a landmark season for the Bengals. Their last AFC championship was in 1988. In particular, Cincinnati developed the reputation of being a cheap franchise not fully committed to winning. Now, they are known as the AFC champions!