Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals - Super Bowl LVI
- February 13th
- SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- 18:30 EST
Learn more about how to bet on the NFL Super Bowl here.
Route to the Super Bowl
The Los Angeles Rams will be competing in their first Super Bowl since a 2019 defeat to the New England Patriots, but they got their revenge on quarterback Tom Brady en route to this year's event.
The NFC Champions earned a dominant win against the Arizona Cardinals in the Wildcard round with a 34-11 scoreline to set up a divisional final against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brady. A brilliant performance almost saw them throw away a double-digit lead, only to eventually leave with a 30-27 victory.
They completed their run with a 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the Conference finals thanks to a stunning comeback victory in the fourth quarter.
The Bengals on the other hand won the AFC North and entered the playoffs as the number three seed. There, they smashed past the Las Vegas Raiders via a 26-19 score, before a close 19-16 win against the Tennesse Titans.
Their path to the Super Bowl has been confirmed thanks to a stunning comeback win themselves against the Kansas City Chiefs, who were looking for a third consecutive appearance in the big one, thanks to a 27-24 win in overtime.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
Home field advantage
It's the second Super Bowl in a row where one of the teams will have home-field advantage and the omen bodes well for the Rams.
Last year it was the Buccs who had the game held in their home stadium and they cruised to a victory on the night, so the Rams will be hoping that history can repeat itself on February 13th.
This advantage means they've opened up as favorites for the game.
Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp have formed a partnership during the 2021/22 campaign that will go down as one of the most productive seasonal funnels of all time. but it was the arrival of Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr that really turned the season around for the Rams.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the return of Cam Akers from a torn Achilles too, which helped the team to expand their offensive potential.
Defensively they didn't get a single sack in their NFC Championship game, but the constant pressure they applied to Jimmy Garoppolo was enough to see them claim the victory they needed.
Duals between the Bengals' not-so-great offensive line and the likes of Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd, as well as the likely battle between Jalen Ramsey and Ja'Marr Chase, will likely be where this game is won and lost.
Destiny
If you believe in destiny, then you have to feel as though this is the year the Bengals finally get their championship. They're 0-2 in previous Super Bowls, having been beaten in both 1981 and 1989.
Joe Burrow was quieter than usual during the dramatic comeback win against the Chiefs, but he still boasts an extremely talented wideout in Chase as well as a deep supporting cast with Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon, and Tyler Boyd.
It was their outstanding defensive strength that saw them able to claim that win, regrouping after a tough start to hold the Chiefs to just three points in the second half while also snatching that vital interception which eventually led to the game-winning field goal.
That defensive unit is their ticket to victory here too, as they will hope to pressure Stafford into making several mistakes just like they would have watched him do against the 49ers. He was bailed out as San Francisco dropped a number of interception opportunities, but this Bengals side will not let him off the hook so easily.
Coach Zac Taylor will have to get all his play decisions correct on the day considering his offensive mindset, and his players are good enough to deliver when the chips are down if they get the chance.
They'll be up against the wave of Rams fans in attendance as well as the individual star quality that the Rams have, but with the better kicker in Evan McPherson on their team, I'd back them to come out on top in a close game once again to make history.
Learn more about how to bet on the Cincinnati Bengals here.
