The most interesting wagers to consider for Bengals, Rams in Super Bowl 56

There are hundreds of betting options ahead of Super Bowl 56 between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals in Inglewood, Calif. on Sunday.

To prepare you to make the most of the weekend, here are the wagers we find the most interesting, from spread and moneyline to some choice props. (All odds are via DraftKings and could change.)

Bengals to cover +4 (-115)

The Rams are favored but make no mistake, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are here to ball. Cincinnati has covered the spread in seven consecutive games. As we saw in the AFC Championship Game, even when the Bengals look out of it, they never are. 

We like that this isn’t narrower than 4 points; a 4-point margin occurs naturally in close games, e.g. 21-17, 28-24. It’s just hard to see a Rams blowout victory the way these Bengals are rolling. But do keep an eye on the spread line as it could move with oddsmakers expecting late money on Cincinnati.

Rams to win moneyline (-200)

That said, the Bengals may not have faced as complete a team as Los Angeles since their loss to Green Bay in Week 5. Burrow and his pack of weapons burned the Chiefs’ defense in the regular season and the playoffs, but the Rams have defensive stars like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey that could shape the story of this game. 

Los Angeles is more comfortable on this stage, in its home digs at SoFi Stadium, and most of the matchups favor the Rams.

Over 48.5 points (-110)

These playoffs, especially on the AFC’s side of the bracket, have been all about high-scoring games and quarterback heroics. 

You might be hearing that the Under is a popular bet this week, but here’s something to consider: No two teams are better at picking up yards in a hurry than the Rams and Bengals. They ranked 1-2 in the regular season in passing plays of 40-plus yards and have kept that up against playoff competition. The quicker you can get downfield, the more chances you give yourself to score.

Multiple oddsmakers have also told us they’re predicting late action supporting the Over.

Cooper Kupp to win Super Bowl MVP (+600)

In the past 20 Super Bowls, the MVP has been an offensive player 17 times. 

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (+100) and Burrow (+225) are the top two favorites in the MVP market, meaning you can get great odds on Kupp, who’s having one of the most productive seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history. 

The Bengals’ defense is not to be overlooked, but Cincinnati lacks a lockdown cornerback to cover Kupp. And with Odell Beckham Jr. on the other side of the field, it’s difficult to regularly dedicate a double team to Kupp. The last time Kupp faced the Bengals was during the 2019 regular season, when he caught seven passes for 220 yards and a touchdown while posting a career-high average of 31.4 yards per catch.

Both teams to have a lead in the second half (+155)

We’re predicting a close game. Burrow and the Bengals can charge back from any deficit as we saw against Kansas City. Meanwhile, the high-powered Rams can start flubbing things at a moment’s notice – they blew a 17-0 lead to San Francisco in Week 17 and let a 24-point second-half lead evaporate against Tampa Bay in the divisional round before escaping. 

The Bengals also outscored their opponents a combined 123-50 in the third quarter of games (regular season and playoffs) while holding foes scoreless in the third quarter 12 times out of 20. That indicates a strong possibility they swap leads with the Rams sometime in the final 30 minutes Sunday.

Yellow/Green Gatorade poured on the winning coach (+350)

Athletes love lemon-lime Gatorade. Trust us on this one.

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