Teams featuring solid defenses look for an elusive Super Bowl title when the Cincinnati Bengals battle the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 2022 on Sunday. The Rams (15-5), who have bottled up opposing running backs this postseason to the tune of 54 yards per game, are looking for their first Super Bowl championship since 1999. They are making just their fifth Super Bowl appearance since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, going 1-3 in the previous four. The Bengals (13-7), who are giving up just 371 yards and 19.7 points per game this postseason, are looking for their first Super Bowl championship.
When is the Super Bowl 2022? Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Los Angeles is a 4.5-point favorite and the over-under for total points scored is 48.5 in the latest Super Bowl 56 odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before you make any Rams vs. Bengals picks, you need to see the Super Bowl 56 predictions and betting advice from SportsLine NFL expert Brett Anderson, considering the heater he's on.
A CBS Sports NFL editor, Anderson has been covering the NFL and other sports for 25 years, from the Midwest to Midtown Manhattan to South Florida. He joined his first NFL picks pool at age 12 and has been hammering home underdogs ever since. His strategy is a hybrid of data, game film and gut instinct.
For the past three seasons, Anderson has emerged as one of SportsLine's most profitable NFL experts and is looking to build on what has been another outstanding season. The NFL analyst has posted a record of 22-9 on NFL picks throughout the 2021-22 NFL season to net his followers a profit of more than $1,200.
What's more, he has gone 3-0 on his against-the-spread picks in the 2022 NFL playoffs. These picks include advising SportsLine members to take the San Francisco 49ers +3.5 against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. San Francisco squandered a double-digit lead, but still covered the number in the 20-17 loss. Anyone who has followed Anderson is way up.
Now, Anderson has locked in on Rams vs. Bengals from every angle and just released his Super Bowl 56 picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the NFL odds and betting lines for Rams vs. Bengals:
- Who is in the Super Bowl 2022? Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals
- Bengals vs. Rams point spread: Los Angeles -4
- Bengals vs. Rams over-under total: 48.5 points
- Bengals vs. Rams money line: Los Angeles -195, Cincinnati +170
- LAR: Favorite is 3-1-1 against the spread in the past five Super Bowls
- CIN: Bengals have covered six consecutive games against opponents with winning records
Why the Rams can cover
Cooper Kupp had a season for the ages in 2021, recording league-highs of 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches. The 28-year-old's reception and yardage totals were the second-most in a single season in NFL history, and his 13 combined 100-yard performances in the regular season and 2022 NFL playoffs are the most. Kupp is seven receptions away from breaking Travis Kelce's record for most in a postseason (2020) and needs 114 receiving yards to join Larry Fitzgerald (546 in 2008) as the only players with 500 in one playoffs.
In Los Angeles' victory over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game, Kupp had 142 receiving yards and Odell Beckham Jr. registered 113, making the Rams the fifth team in the Super Bowl era with two 100-yard receivers in a conference championship game. On the other side of the ball, Los Angeles has allowed the second-fewest total yards (274.7) this postseason and a league-low 54 on the ground. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has recorded 1.5 of the Rams' five sacks this postseason and notched 12.5 of the team's 50 during the regular season, making him the fourth player since the statistic became official in 1982 to register at least eight in each of his first eight seasons.
Why the Bengals can cover
Cincinnati's defense has been powered by linebacker Logan Wilson, who leads the team in postseason tackles with 30, including 18 solo. He has also made one tackle for loss, broken up two passes and registered one interception. He opened the 2022 NFL playoffs red hot against the Las Vegas Raiders, making 12 tackles, including nine solo, with one pass breakup. In the divisional round win over the Tennessee Titans, Wilson had eight tackles, including six solo, with one stuff, one pass breakup and one interception. During the regular season, he led the team with 100 tackles, including 57 solo, with one sack and five tackles for loss. He also broke up four passes, forced one fumble and intercepted four passes.
Defensive end Sam Hubbard has also been a huge part of the defense, making 14 tackles, including eight solo, with three sacks for 29 yards and three tackles for loss. He has forced one fumble and has one pass breakup. Against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, Hubbard had two sacks, one forced fumble and made eight tackles, including four solo. In 16 regular-season games, he was among the team leaders with 62 tackles, including 33 solo, with 7.5 sacks for 32 yards, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He also registered 12 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.
How to make Rams vs. Bengals Super Bowl picks
For Super Bowl 56, Anderson is leaning under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is, and which side of the 2022 Super Bowl spread to back, at SportsLine.
So, who wins Rams vs. Bengals? And which side of the Super Bowl 56 spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rams vs. Bengals spread you need to jump on, all from the expert who's hit 71 percent of his NFL picks this year, and find out.