Cincinnati Bengals v LA Rams: Super Bowl LVI predictions & NFL betting tips

Free American football tips, best bets and analysis for Super Bowl LVI between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles.

Where to watch

BBC One & Sky Sports Main Event, 11.30pm Sunday

Best bets

Under 48.5 points
2pts 10-11 general

Cincinnati Bengals +4.5
1pt 10-11 Coral, Ladbrokes

Super Bowl LVI preview

The Cincinnati Bengals' road to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles has more in common with a work of Hollywood fiction than it has with the often harsh realities of the NFL.

A franchise derided and ridiculed for much of its 54-year existence, seemingly without hope after six wins in two seasons, suddenly has its fortunes transformed by one man, exceeding all expectations to stand on the brink of glory.

No, this isn’t the plot to Tinseltown’s latest sports-related feature film but rather the story of Joe Burrow’s Bengals, the biggest surprise package in NFL history having started the season as 200-1 no-hopers to win a first Super Bowl.

Standing between the Bengals and a fairytale ending are the Los Angeles Rams, who are hardly a successful organisation themselves - the two teams have one Super Bowl win between them in 108 years combined - but one that’s assembled a dazzling array of superstars in a bid to change their fortunes.

The Rams are 4.5-point favourites to finally make good on their investment in big names with Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr arriving over the course of the last 12 months to push them over the edge.

On paper, the Bengals are out of their depth, and that’s before you factor in that the Rams are playing the Super Bowl at their home ground, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

And yet, this is a situation where Cincinnati and their unflappable quarterback Burrow seem most comfortable.

Burrow has been a winner throughout his footballing life, enjoying a decorated college career before being drafted by the Bengals in 2020. His self-belief and winning mentality has slowly spread throughout the franchise, transforming the entire operation.

Burrow appears unburdened by Cincinnati’s previous failures since their last Super Bowl run in 1988, shrugging off the ghosts of the past to end a 31-year wait for a playoff win against the Las Vegas Raiders in January. That was followed by wins on the road over the AFC’s top two seeds, the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs, against whom Burrow’s ‘Joe Chill’ moniker was put to the test. Burrow didn’t waiver in either.

Burrow enjoys the challenge of taking down the NFL’s big dogs, going 12-4 against the spread when facing teams with a winning record in his career. He’s thrived as the face of the franchise, finishing with the highest pass-completion percentage in the league by maximising the talents of a strong receiving core led by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

The weapons are there for Burrow to hurt LA but the protection to keep him safe is not. The Cincy superstar was the most-sacked quarterback in the league this year, going down 51 times behind an inadequate offensive line.

It’s an area of weakness the Rams are well-equipped to expose having racked up 50 sacks, third-most in the NFL. The Rams’ pass rush has the highest win rate in the league and the Bengals will need to get creative to stop the All-Pro double act of Aaron Donald and Miller. If the Bengals are the unlikely heroes of this story then Donald and Miller fill the role of bullies, capable of extinguishing the Super Bowl dreams of their opponents if allowed to get to Burrow.

Establishing a ground game against a Rams defence that ranks fifth at stopping the run won’t be easy either and the Bengals could be reliant on kicker Evan McPherson for a good chunk of their points.

McPherson is second only to Burrow on the Bengals roster when it comes to staying cool, converting all of his 12 field-goal attempts in the playoffs, including two game-winners. In contrast, Rams kicker Matt Gay has missed two post-season field goals and is tough to trust if this becomes a game of fine margins.

The Rams will hope they won’t have to rely on the boot of Gay to keep the scoreboard ticking over given they boast Cooper Kupp, the league leader among wide receivers for yards, receptions and touchdowns, and a rejuvenated Beckham Jr on offence. The pair have worked well with quarterback Stafford, who has been a huge upgrade on predecessor Jared Goff - the individual largely blamed for the Rams’ defeat the last time they made the Super Bowl three years ago.

The Rams wouldn’t have got this far without Stafford’s 47 touchdown passes but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The former Detroit Lion has stumbled in some key moments during the playoffs to go with throwing 18 interceptions on the year.

Stafford will give the Bengals defence a few opportunities to make big plays and they’ve proven adept at taking advantage when those situations have arisen in the playoffs, recording seven turnovers. Despite the two talented offences on show, a scrappy Bengals defence and a monstrous Rams defensive line will make scoring difficult for both teams.

If they can make this an arm wrestle and sink their claws into the Rams, the Bengals will prove tough to shake. Four of Cincinnati’s seven regular-season losses were by exactly three points and the layers may be underestimating them with one of the larger spreads in recent Super Bowls.

The Bengals aren’t supposed to be at the big dance but now that they are, expect them to make the most of their opportunity.

The lowdown

Venue SoFi Stadium
Surface Artificial
Weather Indoor
Vegas handicap Los Angeles Rams -4.5
Vegas points line 48.5

Key stat

The Bengals are 7-0 against the spread in their last seven games.

Not got a bet365 account? Bet £10 & get £50 in free bets

Open account offer. Minimum deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as bet credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Minimum odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude bet credits stake. Time limits/T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Pickswise is the #1 destination for US sports betting, covering the NFL, NBA, MLB and more in unrivalled detail.

Check out Pickswise for the latest US news and expert Super Bowl predictions