Super Bowl 2022: Location, Point Spread and Picks for Rams vs. Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams entered the NFL playoffs in the same spot, each occupying its conference's No. 4 seed.
They'll finish it in the same place, too, as both punched their tickets to Super Bowl LVI with 3-0 sprints through their side of the postseason bracket.
Their similarities run beyond that, too. Bengals coach Zac Taylor is a former assistant of Rams skipper Sean McVay. Cincy quarterback Joe Burrow is playing in his first-ever postseason; Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford didn't have a career playoff run until three weeks ago. Both offenses have explosive playmakers at receiver, and each defense has proved plenty formidable during the playoffs.
So, who has the edge? We'll look to the opinion of the oddsmakers first before digging deeper into this matchup and putting our best bets on the table.
Super Bowl LVI Schedule, Odds
Who: Rams vs. Bengals
When: Sunday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles
TV: NBC
Spread: Rams -4.5
Total: O/U 48
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
The Matchup
The individual matchups in this contest are so intriguing you should already have your popcorn popper on standby.
While quarterback matchups might only exist in the media realm—since the players themselves never battle head-to-head—that's still the juiciest place to start. Stafford has been the more reliable of the two in these playoffs, but he has also been better protected than Burrow (12 sacks to Stafford's five). Cincy's offensive line must keep him upright and out of the hands of Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Co. to have a shot here.
Moving out wide, Ja'Marr Chase going against Jalen Ramsey is about as good as it can get. Chase is the best rookie receiver this league has seen, and Ramsey is arguably its top defensive back. Chase's blink-and-he's-by-you burst helps him turn short passes into monster gains. The question is whether he can get enough separation from Ramsey to find those openings.
Bengals running back Joe Mixon is more dynamic than his counterpart Cam Akers, so L.A.'s defense must stay disciplined in its assignments and tackling to contain Mixon. He has rushed for a playoff-high 190 yards so far, plus he added 13 receptions for another 106 yards.
Cincy has a good secondary despite not having name-brand stars back there. This defense, after all, just held Patrick Mahomes to a single field goal after halftime of their overtime win to secure their Super Bowl spot. Still, this matchup doesn't get any easier, as they now have to deal with Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr., who combined for 20 receptions, 255 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game.
Best Bets
While this matchup hasn't even been locked in for 48 hours, the odds are already moving.
The early support apparently likes the Rams (now -4.5) and the under (now a 48-point total).
L.A. earns our highest confidence here, as it's easier to fall in love with this roster on both sides of the football. Stafford has played better than Burrow this postseason and enjoys the statistical edge in virtually every category. The Rams defense has been stingier than the Bengals', too.
Normally, Cincy has the weapons to overwhelm opponents with offensive firepower. That's not the case here. Chase and Tee Higgins are top-tier targets, but they aren't quite on the level of the Kupp-Beckham tandem. Mixon, who might offer the Bengals their biggest on-paper advantage, could have trouble finding breathing room against a Rams defense that just limited the San Francisco 49ers to 50 yards on 20 attempts (2.5 per carry) and zero scores.
There isn't quite as much confidence in the point total, but if forced to choose, the under looks like the smart play. Between the strength of these defenses and the possibility of some early big-stage jitters for the Super Bowl first-timers under center, it could take long enough for these offenses to get going and keep the total score in check.
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