Super Bowl betting tips: Rams relying on experience

The Rams are the 1/2 favourites to be crowned champions for the second time in the Super Bowl era while the Bengals are the 13/8 underdogs to win the Super Bowl for the first time in their history. The match is 11/1 to be decided in overtime.

Super Bowl form guide

The Los Angeles Rams finished top of the NFC West with a 12-5 record but performed better on their travels, with three of their five defeats coming at home to suggest hosting the Super Bowl may not be quite the advantage that some are claiming.

They then thrashed the Arizona Cardinals 34-11 in the wildcard round before effectively ending Tom Brady’s career by holding on for a 30-27 win against the Buccaneers, having been 27-3 up in the third quarter.

It was another nail-biter in the NFC Championship game when the Rams scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to snatch a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bengals have been the surprise package of the NFL season and are preparing for their first Super Bowl in 33 years.

The kick that sent the @Bengals to the Super Bowl!@McPherson_Evan is CLUTCH! pic.twitter.com/9Obcy6rrQq

— NFL UK (@NFLUK) January 31, 2022

Having topped the AFC North with a 10-7 record, they have upped their game in the post-season, starting with a 26-19 win against the Las Vegas Raiders before a 19-16 victory on the road at the Tennessee Titans.

The Bengals then faced a daunting trip to Arrowhead in the AFC Championship game but held their nerve agaisnt the Kansas City Chiefs to claim a 27-24 win in overtime thanks to Evan McPherson’s 31-yard field goal.

They had trailed by 18 points but Joe Burrow was the star of the show again as he denied Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs a third successive Super Bowl appearance.

The Bengals are receiving 3.5 points on the spread and are evens to lose by a field goal at worst, while they are 8/1 to win again after trailing at half-time.

Key battles

The contest between the two quarterbacks at Super Bowl LVI is a fascinating match-up.

In the blue corner, Matthew Stafford spent 12 years with the Detroit Lions before being brought in by the Rams this season and he has made an immediate impact.

He has thrown for over 330 yards in the last two matches and, looking at the Super Bowl odds, he can be backed at 11/8 to throw at least 300 yards on Sunday night.

Stafford’s experience contrasts with that of his opposite number Burrow, who is the first quarterback to make it to the big game within two years of being drafted as the number one pick.

His inexperience has not shown though, especially in the play-offs, with the 25-year-old throwing two touchdowns against both the Raiders and Chiefs.

Starting QBs taken #1 overall in the NFL Draft meet in the Super Bowl for just the second time (Peyton Manning & Cam Newton at SB50).

Who are you backing to shine at #SBLVI? pic.twitter.com/cahMqyPZIh

— NFL UK (@NFLUK) February 7, 2022

Burrow to throw at least two touchdowns in a Bengals win is priced at 7/4, while both quarterbacks to throw at least two touchdowns can be added to Super Bowl betting tips at evens.

The one worry for the Bengals is that Burrow has been sacked more times than any other quarterback in the NFL this season, although so far it has not proved costly.

He was sacked nine times against the Titans and still led his team to victory against the top seeds but he could be put under pressure by the Rams defense.

Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd have the speed to force Burrow into making mistakes and have the potential to keep the Bengals’ main man quiet.

Touchdown scorer odds

The Rams will hope that having a more experienced line-up plus more support in the stands helps them settle into the game quickest.

Given they are also the favourites, it is little wonder that Cooper Kupp is the 5/1 favourite to score the first touchdown having scored 16 during the regular season and four more in the play-offs, including two against the 49ers last time out.

70 YARD TOUCHDOWN TO KUPP!@RamsNFL are ROLLING. #RamsHouse

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/k0euIJvFV9

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

Bengals running back Joe Mixon is next in the same market at 7/1 while team-mate Ja’Marr Chase looks good value at 8/1, having scored an NFL-best eight touchdowns on passes from 20 yards or more this season.

Looking at the alternative touchdown scorer markets, Kupp is available at 15/8 to score at least two touchdowns while Chase to score in a Bengals win is priced at 12/5.

Total points odds

Ladbrokes offer odds on plenty of different options in this market but the spread is set at 48.5.

Backing over at 10/11 looks the way to go for Super Bowl betting tips with Stafford and Burrow firing on all cylinders.

The Bengals defense is their biggest weakness so this has the potential to be a high-scoring thriller and both teams to score 30 points or more is available in the GetAPrice options at 5/1.

Super Bowl LVI info

Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

When: 23:30, Sunday 13th February

How to watch: BBC One/Sky Sports NFL

View the latest American football odds

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication