Super Bowl LVI Preview
The matchup for Super Bowl LVI is all set between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. Having made it through a grueling 18-game regular season and three rounds of hard-hitting playoff football, these two NFL teams are just one more win away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as 2022 Super Bowl Champions. Odds makers have opened with the Rams as four-point favorites over the Bengals, but those odds are likely to shift over the next two weeks.
This year’s Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, February 13th at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. There are over 100 million people expected to watch the game live, making the Super Bowl the most anticipated sporting event of the year. As the final game of the NFL season, the Super Bowl attracts a ton betting action. Bovada Sportsbook is your best location for this year’s Super Bowl betting, offering hundreds of betting options for the big game: point spread, moneyline, total or props. Bovada has betting odds available on nearly any wager you can imagine.
With so much at stake on this game, now is the time to do your handicapping homework and study both sides of this year’s Super Bowl matchup. The Bengals and Rams each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses and the better you know both teams, the easier it’ll be to identify high-value bets in this year’s Super Bowl market. With that being said, let’s take some time to examine the Super Bowl LVI matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams based on the current betting odds at Bovada Sportsbook.
Cincinnati Bengals Preview
The Bengals punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVI with a thrilling win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Cincinnati overcame an 18-point deficit to force overtime before rookie kicker Evan McPherson ended things with a 31-yard game-winning field goal. Not many people expected the Bengals to make it this far but Cincinnati continues to defy the odds. It was only two years ago that this team went 2-14, but that miserable season provided Cincinnati with first overall pick and the opportunity to select Joe Burrow as their franchise quarterback. Burrow now has this team on the cusp of winning a Super Bowl in only his second season of NFL football.
The Bengals offense is running on all cylinders right now with Burrow looking like an experienced veteran under center. Burrow has thrown for 842 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions through his first three playoff games, but his performance goes far beyond the box score. The LSU-product has been clutch throughout the postseason, making big plays with his arm and legs when needed. It helps that he has one of the NFL’s most dangerous trio of receivers at his disposal in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Cincinnati also boasts one of the league’s most complete running backs in Joe Mixon, who’s proven to be a weapon on the ground, as well as through the air. One question mark for the Bengals leading up to Super Bowl LVI is the status of C.J. Uzomah, who suffered a sprained MCL during Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against Kansas City. If Uzomah cannot play, Cincinnati will have to rely on backup Drew Sample to take his place.
On defense, the Bengals have been getting great contributions from pass rushers Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson. Their ability to disrupt the Rams passing attack could play a pivotal role in this game. Cincinnati has also gotten excellent play from its secondary, namely cornerbacks Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton, as well as safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III. This defense matches up well with the Rams offense and could have a chance at slowing down their explosive passing game.
Los Angeles Rams Preview
Despite trailing the 49ers by 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Rams came back to win by a field goal in regulation and clinched their spot in Super Bowl LVI. Los Angeles has gone all-in on this year’s Super Bowl run, acquiring a number of veteran players and sacrificing future draft picks for the chance to win now. This is the Rams second trip to the Super Bowl during Sean McVay’s five-year tenure as head coach, with the previous appearance coming in a losing effort to the Patriots in 2019. Now back in the Super Bowl three seasons later, Los Angeles will enjoy a unique advantage with the game taking place on their home field at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams have been one of the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl ever since they traded for Matthew Stafford last year. The 33-year-old quarterback has been nearly flawless this postseason, throwing for 905 yards, 6 touchdowns and just 1 interception through three playoff games. Los Angeles’ rushing attack has been just average these playoffs with running back Cam Akers putting up just 2.8 yards per carry, but the Rams are far more effective with their passing game. Just like Burrow, Stafford has his own trio of dangerous receivers in Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson. Kupp continues to drive this offense forward and the dynamic receiver is leading the NFL in playoff receptions (25) and playoff receiving yards (386). NFL fans are also enjoying the recent resurgence of Beckham Jr., as the mercurial receiver exploded for 9 catches and 113 yards in the NFC Championship Game. Los Angeles has another solid receiving option in Tyler Higbee, but the tight end sprained his MCL and is now listed as questionable to play in the Super Bowl.
The Rams defense is downright scary and it all starts with defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year can dominate the line of scrimmage and frees things up for other pass rushers like Leonard Floyd and Von Miller. All of that pressure, combined with a secondary that features All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the recently un-retired safety Eric Weddle, is a recipe for disaster for opposing teams.
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