Following the conclusion of the NFL Conference Championship games on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams have opened as favorites to win Super Bowl 56, according to analysts TheLines, which tracks odds in the US-regulated sports betting market.
The Rams are favored by four points to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Big Game on February 12. The over/under total has been set at 49.5 points, according to a consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, and PointsBet.
The Bengals booked their spot in the Super Bowl after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in overtime in the AFC Championship game, while the Rams earned their spot after beating the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 with a late field goal in the NFC title contest.
“These playoff games have been as thrilling as any in NFL history and the stage is set for a similar Super Bowl, despite a matchup that not many expected,” said Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines.com.
“From Tampa Bay to Green Bay to Kansas City, the favorites dropped. This matchup is compelling from many viewpoints, including the quarterback battle between Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford will draw a lot of attention.”
The Rams have transformed their team over the past year, a transformation which began before the 2021 season with an offseason trade for Matthew Stafford, who previously played for the Detroit Lions for 12 seasons.
With a roster of veteran stars like Stafford, Aaron Donald, Odell Beckham Jr, Von Miller, and Cooper Kupp, the Rams are now playing in their fifth Super Bowl. The team has a record of 1-4 in the Big Game, with their sole victory coming against the Tennessee Titans in the 1999 season.
After opening the season at +1500 to win the Super Bowl, the Rams now find themselves favored to win and playing on their home field at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This is the second straight season that the Super Bowl is being played at the home stadium of one of the participants, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chiefs at their home turf, Raymond James Stadium, last year.
Only two teams — the Houston Texans and the Lions — had longer preseason Super Bowl odds than the Bengals, who opened the season at +15000. Cincinnati was a 150-1 shot at BetMGM after a Week 2 defeat to the Chicago Bears.
However, Joe Burrow and the Bengals managed to beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Wild Card Weekend, as well as the top-seeded Titans in the Divisional round, before upsetting the 7.5-point-favorite Chiefs on Sunday in Kansas City to earn their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1988 season.
Cincinnati is 0-2 all-time in Super Bowls, with both losses coming to the 49ers, and they are one of 12 NFL franchises who have never won the title game. Meanwhile, Burrow is looking to become the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, a college national championship, and the Super Bowl.
The consensus point spreads for the Super Bowl, as of January 30:
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams (-4); over/under 49.
Opening Preseason Super Bowl odds
- Kansas City Chiefs (+500)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+600)
- Buffalo Bills (+1150)
- Baltimore Ravens (+1400)
- Green Bay Packers (+1400)
- San Francisco 49ers (+1400)
- Los Angeles Rams (+1500)
- Cleveland Browns (+1600)
- Seattle Seahawks (+2500)
- Tennessee Titans (+3000)
- Los Angeles Chargers (+3300)
- Dallas Cowboys (+3500)
- Indianapolis Colts (+3500)
- New England Patriots (+3700)
- New Orleans Saints (+4000)
- Miami Dolphins (+4000)
- Arizona Cardinals (+4800)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (+5000)
- Washington Football Team (+5000)
- Denver Broncos (+5000)
- Minnesota Vikings (+5000)
- Chicago Bears (+6600)
- Atlanta Falcons (+8000)
- New York Giants (+8000)
- Carolina Panthers (+9000)
- Las Vegas Raiders (+10000)
- Philadelphia Eagles (+12500)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (+13000)
- New York Jets (+15000)
- Cincinnati Bengals (+15000)
- Detroit Lions (+25000)
- Houston Texans (+30000)
Current Super Bowl odds:
- LA Rams -190
- Cincinnati Bengals +160
