At the start of the playoffs, not too many people would have predicted that we would see this matchup in California for the Super Bowl, and even fewer would have predicted it at the start of the season, including us.
The Rams are looking to emulate what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did last season by winning the Super Bowl in their home stadium, and they have Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals looking to stop them.
We take a look at the game, which looks set to be decided by the battle between the offensive line of the Bengals and the defensive line of the Rams, with the Bengals needing to find a way to protect Burrow.
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The spread shows that the Rams are four-point favorites to win the game, and part of that is based on the fact they are playing with home advantage, even though the SoFi Stadium will be set up as a neutral venue.
Super Bowl LVI Team Analysis
Let’s take a closer look at the two teams involved in the Super Bowl, including how they have reached this stage.
* Odds have been provided by BetOnline and are accurate as of 11/02/2022
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have been impressive both with and without the football during the playoffs, but it is their elite defensive unit that is likely to be the reason they win this game if they do.
Let by Aaron Donald and Von Miller, the Rams will be looking to put a lot of pressure on Joe Burrow and force him into playing the game quickly. No doubt as part of their preparation for this game, the Rams will have watched the Bengals game against the Tennessee Titans from the Divisional Round of the playoffs, where the Titans sacked Burrow nine times.
Burrow didn’t face pressure like that when beating the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, but LA are certainly equipped to throw that in his face here. The matchup between the Rams defensive line looking to get at Burrow and the Bengals offensive line looking to protect him is probably the biggest matchup of the game and the one that could solely determine the winner of the game.
With the ball, we have seen Matthew Stafford show us his best and worse so far in the playoffs. He was electric against the Buccs, and even though they allowed their opponents back into the game, Stafford took the Rams upfield to score at the end and win the game.
In the NFC Championship Game, he struggled a little more, with the 49ers preventing the Rams offense from really firing.
When it comes to receivers, Cooper Kupp is the top target of Stafford, and will no doubt see a lot of the ball. The big receiver has had a fantastic season, has received over 300 yards combined from his last two games, and looks set to have another fruitful day.
Current Odds: -196
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have grown a lot over the course of this season. Whether they win here or not, this team has shown us enough to believe that they are in a good position and set up well for the future.
Joe Burrow asked the franchise to go and get him Ja’Marr Chase, to give him a number one receiver he can target, and these two have been excellent in their first NFL season together, following on from what they achieved in college.
The Bengals are not all about Chase though. With Joe Mixon in the backfield and the running capabilities of Burrow himself, this is a very varied offense that can catch teams out in many different ways. You cannot simply watch Chase and the throw with this team, otherwise, they will punish you with their run game.
To get to the Super Bowl, the Bengals have gone through the best two teams in the AFC. While the Titans were not at their best, they were top seed in the conference for a reason, and of course, everyone knows the quality of the Kansas City Chiefs. Given what they have done, don’t underestimate the Bengals, even though they are underdogs here.
Of course, the spotlight is going to fall on how the Bengals can protect Burrow in this game. While they managed to escape with a win against the Titans when Burrow was sacked nine times, that was lucky, and not something they will get away with here. If this team is serious about winning a Super Bowl, they simply cannot leave Burrow alone to be sacked time after time, he needs protection and a huge game from the offensive lineman that are in front of him.
Current Odds: +171
Our Prediction
Two battles look set to decide this game, with the main one being the battle between the offensive line of Cincinnati and the defensive line of LA. Alongside that, the battle between Cooper Kupp and Ja’Marr Chase will also be fascinating to watch, with these two both being capable of making big plays and taking their team forward.
In terms of the battles, we see the LA defensive line winning the big battle and being able to get to Joe Burrow and put him under pressure throughout the game. On top of that, if there is one player you would pick out to score a touchdown given his form this season, it is Cooper Kupp, and he has managed to keep his strong run going through the playoffs with four touchdowns in three playoff games so far.
With all of that pointing in the same direction, our pick here is that the Rams will come out on top and win the Super Bowl. They look to have a great chance with home advantage here in California.