National Football League

Super Bowl 2022 odds: 3 reasons to bet on the Rams against the Bengals

Updated Feb. 12, 2022 12:06 p.m. ET

By Sam Panayotovich
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

And then there were two.

The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals will battle in Super Bowl LVI this Sunday for a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium.

And while my colleague Geoff Schwartz is busy waxing poetic about why the Bengals will finally win the whole thing, I like the favored Rams to take care of business.

Respected money immediately showed for Los Angeles last week at -3.5 and -4 to boost the betting line to the current number of -4.5 with a total of O/U 48.5. I still don't think the spread is high enough.

So when it comes to betting on the Big Game taking place Sunday, I have you covered. Here are three reasons why the L.A. Rams are not only going to win the Super Bowl but cover — with odds via FOX Bet.

SUPER BOWL LVI

Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals (6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC)

Point spread: Rams -4 (Rams favored to win by more than 4 points, otherwise Bengals cover)
Moneyline: Rams -200 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $15 total); Bengals +170 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $27 total)
Total scoring over/under: 48.5 points scored by both teams combined

The Rams' defense is built to stop high-powered passing attacks

Aaron Donald is just the beginning for a defense that's been building to this level for years.

Donald's ability to dominate the line of scrimmage makes life easier on his trench teammates. And the pressure the imposing front provides makes the linebackers and secondary that much better. If you really think about it, the Rams crave matchups against teams that aren't very physical. They prefer facing teams that drop back and pass because that plays into the strengths of what they do well.

There's a reason Los Angeles struggled against San Francisco – a power run team – but hindered Arizona and Tampa Bay (for three quarters). Adding pass rusher Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey via trades smoothened out the Rams' defensive weaknesses, and they now have a superstar player at every level.

Cincinnati's offensive line is a real issue

No quarterback has been sacked more this season than Joe Burrow (63).

It's not all that close, either. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the next guy on the list, and he was "only" sacked 48 times, 15 less than Burrow. The Bengals' offensive line gave up five sacks or more six times and facing Donald and Co. will be far from a walk in the park.

Los Angeles will undoubtedly bring extra pressure to force Burrow to make throws and decisions on the run. I expect this to be a defensive battle where one crucial mistake could be doomsday. If there's one team that can take advantage of this overmatched offensive line, it's the Rams.

The clock eventually strikes midnight on the popular underdog

It's pretty telling that the line is moving against a Cincinnati club that has covered seven straight games heading into the Super Bowl.

I spoke to professional oddsmaker Kenny White, who told me his true power ratings make the Rams a 5.5-point favorite on a neutral field. And that doesn't even account for the 1.5 to 1.8 points for home-field advantage.

Another Las Vegas bookmaker told FOX Sports that the Bengals' moneyline is getting very trendy. That's interesting because a couple of respected bettors I know got down buckets of cash on Rams -180 and -185 early last week. They were stunned that the Rams opened -3.5 (and -180) and struck fast.

And let's just say it's impossible to ignore their opinions.

The Bengals certainly deserve to be here, but it feels like they're about to turn into a pumpkin.

PICK: Rams (-4.5 at FOX Bet) to win by 5 points or more

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and NESN. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. He'll probably pick against your favorite team. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.

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