Odds and prediction for NFL Super Bowl LVI: Rams vs. Bengals

One of the more popular weekends in America is right around the corner: Super Bowl Sunday. NFL Super Bowl LVI will feature two teams who have taken two different routes in getting to the biggest stage in sports.

Ever since Sean McVay arrived in Los Angeles, he established a winning culture. Over the last four years, the Rams have found tremendous success during the regular season, clinching playoff berth after playoff berth. Perhaps, what they are known for most, is going all in.

The Rams have made many blockbuster trades where they trade their draft capital to acquire a player who can help them win right now. Players such as Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, and former Ram, Jared Goff. They have mortgaged their future on many different occasions, but have a chance to earn their return on this investment on Sunday night.

The Cincinnati Bengals have taken a different approach. Their head coach, Zac Taylor is from the McVay coaching tree. Quite frankly, they remind me a little bit of how the Seattle Seahawks built their Super Bowl roster. Not only have they drafted well — Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, etc — but they have taken advantage of spending their money while their sensational young quarterback is on his rookie contract.

NFL Super Bowl LVI Odds

Some notable free agent signings: S Ricardo Allen, CB Chidobe Awuzie, Trey Hendrickson, Larry Ogunjobi. Also, they have momentum on their side. It felt like for three straight weeks most of America counted them out and yet, they found a way to stay alive and move onto the next round.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals look to cap off their Cinderella Story by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy this Sunday while the Rams look to cash out on their recent gambles.

Los Angeles Rams (-4.0) @ Cincinnati Bengals

For the second straight year, a home team will be hosting the Super Bowl. The WynnBet betting odds have the Rams as 4.0 favorite over the Bengals. This is the third straight weekend that the Bengals find themselves as underdogs on the road. They have +170 moneyline odds while Los Angeles has -195. The over/under for total points is set at 48.5 (-110 for the over/-110 for the under).

Betting the spread: If one were to bet on the Rams (-4), in order to win, they’d have to win by 5 or more points.

Betting the moneyline: If one were to bet on the Bengals (-170), they would have to just flat out win. For every $100 you bet, you win $170.

Prediction: On paper, the Los Angeles Rams have the better roster. They are pretty much better than the Bengals in every single phase. Matchup-wise, the Rams hold a strong advantage. Defensively, Aaron Donald — +1600 odds to win Super Bowl MVP — Von Miller and Leonard Floyd up front have the potential to wreck this game in facing the most sacked quarterback in the NFL. Jalen Ramsey can follow Ja’Marr Chase and they can double team Higgins.

But, there is something about this Cincinnati team. Sometimes in football, one team emerges in the playoffs and it just feels like it is their year. They took down the number 1 seeded Tennessee Titans. They overcame an 18 point deficit on the road in Kansas City in the AFC Championship. Where it is worth noting, they made Patrick Mahomes look quite pedestrian in the second half. Now, they are once again staring down a Goliath.

They remind me of the 2007 New York Giants. Week after week, everyone counted them out. Week after week, they advanced. In Super Bowl XLII against the undefeated New England Patriots, the New York Giants found a way to shock the entire world. With that said, I am rolling with Who Dey nation, predicting a Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl victory, 24-21 over the Rams.