The entire NFL season finally comes down to this one final game. The young and feisty Cincinnati Bengals are taking on the well-seasoned and star-driven LA Rams. Will Joe Burrow be giving us another great celebration cigar photo? Will Matthew Stafford finally see the ultimate success with LA after putting Detroit on his back for more than a decade? Who will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when the clock hits zero on Super Bowl Sunday?
The Line: LA Rams -4, Rams ML -198, O/U 48.5 as of Monday February 7, courtesy of FanDuel SportsBook
What would make someone take the Bengals?
The Bengals have risen to the top by facing some of the NFL’s best and delivered results when it came time to show up, starting with a win over the Chiefs to win the division late in the regular season. Pair that win with the playoff win in Tennessee and the come-from-behind win in the AFC Championship game over the Chiefs and you have a squad that defies all odds to reach their goal. Head coach Zac Taylor has gotten the most out of his young squad and is deserving of a Coach of the Year award for helping to guide his team here.
The Bengals have more than enough firepower to go toe to toe with the league’s best. Joe Burrow has shown this time and time again both through the air and through his legs, and last week’s win over the Chiefs showcased this. Even when Ja’Marr Chase is being locked down by opposing defenses, Burrow still has elite talent in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. All 3 are more than capable of working in space and causing fits for defensive coordinators. Joe Mixon has also had a bounce back season and showed everyone that he is still more than capable of being a workhorse back and a threat in the passing game when necessary.
But what about the Rams? Why are they the favorite?
Glad you asked. The reason that the Rams are favored by more than a field goal is two-fold. One of the main reasons that they are favorites in this Super Bowl matchup is their high powered offense led by Matthew Stafford. After being in Detroit and putting the team on his back for so many years, he finally ended up in LA with a star studded cast. Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr, and Van Jefferson have shown time and time again this season that despite a defensive coordinator’s best efforts, at least two out of the three will find a way to make a play if the other is in lockdown. Not only that, but Stafford’s offensive line has done an amazing job of keeping him upright throughout the playoffs, especially considering that they have played some great pass rushing teams in the Cardinals, Bucs, and 49ers to get to this point. Cam Akers and Sony Michel are viable threats both on the ground and in the passing game, adding new dimensions to Sean McVay’s high powered offense. All of this star power should be keeping the Bengals defense up at night.
The other reason that the Rams are favored in this game is their defense. Aaron Donald and Von Miller will run rampant over a Bengals offensive line that has struggled mightily to give Burrow a clean pocket. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has shifted Donald all around the line just to keep offensive lineman from coordinating double and triple teams, making him even more effective. Lockdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey will give Ja’Marr Chase his best, which more than likely means that Chase will have a tough time finding space to operate on Sunday. Safeties Taylor Rapp and Eric Weddle round out the stars in the back 7 that will contest every ball Burrow throws in the Super Bowl.
So who are you taking?
It’s extremely hard to not take the Rams in the Super Bowl. I think that one of the main reasons why will be the Rams’ pass rush dominating the Bengals offensive line. If Tennessee’s stellar D Line and Kansas City’s good D-line could get to Burrow, Donald and Miller will have no trouble causing mayhem in the backfield. On the opposite side of the ball, Stafford will go after whoever Eli Apple is covering and torch him over and over again.
Now with that being said, just because I think the Rams get the win doesn’t mean that they’re my pick. The theme for the Bengals this entire playoff run has been to battle back, even when the game seems out of hand, which is why I believe the Bengals will keep it wire-to-wire until the very end of the game. BENGALS +4
Are other writers going with your pick?
Hamzah, Joe, and Shawn are all over the Bengals ML for this game. Considering that the Bengals have beaten the odds before, it’s easy to understand why.
And just for some extra fun (and for the gamblers out there), we took a look at some of the prop bets out there too, courtesy of The Game Day. You can take a look at the sheet that we picked from by clicking on this link: Super Bowl Prop Bet Sheet. Below are the picks that we took:
| Writer | Prop Bet |
| Hamzah | Field goal over 44.5+ (Yes) |
| Joe | Over 1.5 INT’s (Yes) |
| Shawn | Either QB to throw for 300+ yards |
| Me | Rams to record most sacks + takeaways |
What are your picks for the game and what prop bets do you think will hit? Comment with your picks and see if you come out on top!