Super Bowl LVI Early Picks and Odds
And then there were two. The Cincinnati Bengals have defied the odds, slain the dragons, and are now in the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
Their opponents, the LA Rams, will get an opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in front of their own fans. Let’s discuss this Super Bowl matchup and the NFL odds to determine which side is the sharp side!
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, February 13th, 6:30 pm ET at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Before we get started, you should know that Bookmakers Review will have a Super Bowl LVI Guide with Stats, Trends, Injury Report and Odds so make sure to check it out if getting the latest breaking Super Bowl news and all the relevant information is important to you.
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the big game due in large part because their young quarterback has lived up to his name – Joe Cool. That’s right, Joe Burrow is as cool as the other side of the pillow and he has plenty of tools in the shed to work with as Ja’Marr Chase has become one of the game’s biggest threats while Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and running back Joe Mixon make this Cincinnati engine rev.
As we know, the Bengals defeated the Raiders in the Wild Card Round, 26-19, narrowly covering the six-point impost. They then moved on to a date with the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Tennessee Titans. Despite getting sacked a stunning nine times by Tennessee, Joe Burrow managed to throw for 348 yards and completed nearly 76 percent of his passes. The Bengals would wind up winning a defensive battle, 19-16, punching their ticket to the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead.
Although the NFL odds at all of the best online sportsbooks had the Bengals as 7 to 7 ½ point road underdogs, Joe Burrow was once again, Joe Cool, after falling behind 21-3 in the second quarter. A late touchdown run by Samaje Perine cut the lead to 21-10 but Patrick Mahomes marched his offense down the field to the three-yard line of Cincinnati in under a minute. Kansas City had an opportunity to kick a field goal but they instead took a chance by tossing a quick flare to Tyreek Hill who was immediately labeled by Eli Apple near the goal line. Time ran out and it turned out to be a major momentum-shifter in the game.
In the second half, the Bengals’ defense held the Chiefs to just three points and Cincinnati emerged victorious in a 27-24 overtime win in which Joe Burrow tossed for a pair of touchdowns and 250 yards on 23-of-38 passing.
Super Sunday Showdown
The oddsmakers opened this matchup by installing the Rams as 4-point favorites pretty much across the board. But since that time some books have begun to take enough action on LA that it has necessitated a half-point move to Rams -4 ½.
Despite Joe Burrow’s heroics and his plethora of pass-catching weapons, we should note that he has done all of this with a relatively pedestrian offensive line protecting him. But this is a weak link that will ultimately be exploited by a relentless Rams’ pass rush led by Aaron Donald and Von Miller. Burrow could also be without his starting tight end, C.J. Uzomah, who sprained his MCL in the win over the Chiefs.
LA’s veteran gunslinger, Matthew Stafford, is no slouch and he has an All-World wide receiver of his own in Cooper Kupp and a rejuvenated Odell Beckham Jr. at his disposal. What we have here are two prolific offenses with terrific quarterbacks but only one has an outstanding defense. And that’s what tips the scales in favor of the Rams.
Free NFL Pick: LA Rams -4 (-110) at Bovada