Super Bowl LVI Betting Guide: Bengals vs. Rams

It’s the biggest single day of the year for football and betting fans alike, Super Bowl Sunday. Last year 23.2 million Americans wagered around $4.3 billion. This year’s take is estimated to be even larger as the game features an intriguing matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

There’s no shortage of betting options to be had before kickoff in Los Angeles this Sunday 3:30 PM PST, and there’s even more live betting options than ever after kickoff. We’ll preview the game below, and give you our best picks so that no matter which team wins, you will as well.

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The Spread

The Rams on paper are the better team. Their roster has 38 total Pro Bowl selections and 20 first-team All-Pro selections. The Bengals only have seven Pro Bowl selections, one short of Aaron Donald who has eight to himself, and they don’t have a single first-team All-Pro selection.

However, if we went by paper, the Bengals wouldn’t be here. The Bengals were four point underdogs before they cut down the Titans 19-16 in the Divisional round and seven point dogs before coming back from a 21-3 deficit to beat the Chiefs in the Championship round.

The Bengals are used to being underdogs, and Joe Burrow seems to thrive when people count him out. One thing the Bengals haven’t done is beat a team as well rounded as the Rams in the playoffs. The Titans lacked a QB who could perform at an elite level, and the Chiefs pass rush failed to take advantage of a weak Bengals offensive line.

The Rams have both of those things covered. Mathew Stafford has shown all season long that he can make plays to win big games, perhaps none bigger than a 44 yard pass in the waning seconds of game vs. Buccaneers to set up the game winning field goal.

Cincinnati is 20th in the league at defending wide receivers, 26th in the last third of the season. That doesn’t bode well when they’ll have to face triple crown winner Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr..

Ultimately though, we’re not asking if the Bengals can win this game, but cover the spread, and I think they can. They have enough firepower on offense and have shown a pension to come back late in games. Take the Rams to win the biggest game of the year, but the Bengals to cover the 4.5 points given by most sports betting sites.

If you’re looking to bet the spreads for the halves, I like Rams -3 for the first half. They come out swinging, and Sean McVay does a good job of scripting the first few drives which allows the Rams to usually take a lead into halftime.

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Total Points

The total for this game currently sits at 48.5 which is relatively low in comparison to other recent Super Bowls. Four out of the last five games had an over/under of 54 points or higher. The only predicted point total lower than this one was 48 in 2017. That game saw the Eagles and Patriots combine for 74 points.

Maybe the top bookmakers are adjusting their lines based off of the last three Super Bowls where the under hit every time. Either way, I like the under here. As discussed earlier I think the Bengals offense will more resemble itself in the Titans game where they gave nine sacks and because of it only scored 19 points. The Rams for better or worse have shown they would rather play safe with a lead than try to improve upon it. That’s enough for me to like the under.

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Props

The Super Bowl is known for its props, you have the standard passing yards, rushing yards, and anytime touchdown scorers. You also have the wild ones like how long will the National Anthem take, what color gatorade bath will the winning coach get, and will Snoop Dogg smoke on stage? To see all the wilder props and their odds, check out our Top 10 Super Bowl Prop Bets. For the… more normal props, read on below for some of our favorites.

Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Mathew Stafford +650

Stafford’s no Lamar Jackson, hell he’s no Joe Burrow when it comes to running the ball. Still, the Rams have shown that they like to call QB sneaks when they’re down on the goal line. In fact, he scored two rushing touchdowns in his last three games doing just that. The heavy odds you get for this are just too good to pass up as well.

Over 5.5 Receptions: Odell Beckham Jr. +100

This number seems suspiciously low considering OBJ had 11 targets and nine receptions against the 49ers and eight targets with six receptions vs. Tampa Bay. His connection with Stafford has only grown the longer they’ve played together and there’s one big reason I really like this prop. Tyler Higbee has yet to practice since the 49ers game.

Higbee could miss this game, or at best not be anywhere close to 100%. His targets will need to go somewhere else and with the defense keyed in on Cooper Kupp, a void should be there for OBJ to capitalize.

Super Bowl MVP: Aaron Donald +1500

Don’t bet the farm on this one, but with odds this great, why not throw a few bucks that way. We know the Bengals O-line struggles, and we know Aaron Donald is an absolute freak. Will anyone be surprised if he takes over this game, and gets key sacks and fumbles that seal the game?