Super Bowl 56 – Barking Dog Bet

Date/Time: Sunday, February 13, 6:30 PM EST

Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

TV: NBC

Point Spread: LAR -4 / Cin +4

Over/Under Total: 48

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Super Bowl 56 kicks off in the City of Angels Sunday night with hometown Los Angeles Rams squaring off against the Cincinnati Bengals. Betanysports is making the Rams 4 point favorites and has set the game total at 48. The Bengals have won as underdogs in their previous two games, and I’m looking for them to keep rolling on Sunday, cover the 4 point spread, and possibly pull out an upset win. Here is the handicap.

Burrow Will Be The Best Player On The Field

Super Bowls generally come down to which quarterback plays best, and I expect that player to be Cincy QB Joe Burrow. Burrow has played better as the season has progressed and is hitting his peak in the postseason culminating in the AFC Championship when he outplayed Patrick Mahomes when all the chips were on the table. Burrow has thrown for 12 touchdowns in his last five games. All 5 of those games, starting with their Week 16 win against the Ravens, were must-win, and Burrow delivered the goods for the Bengals. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd form one of the best receiving trios in the league and will look to exploit the Rams secondary. C.J. Uzomah provides an underneath outlet for Burrow but sprained his MLC in KC, so look for Burrow to utilize Joe Mixon out of the backfield more this week. Speaking of Mixon, he is another key for the Bengals this week. Cincy has to help out their porous offensive line by having success on the ground, so Mixon will have to get going. He’s averaged 4.1 yards per rush on the season and should be able to maintain that pace this week. Burrow and the Cincy offense has been money over the past two months, so LA’s defense will have their hands full.

There is an impression coming into this game that LA’s defense will dominate this game, but they have not been a dominant unit. They managed to stifle Jimmy Garoppolo in the second half of the Championship game and have a front four that can wreak havoc and take over a game. They were 3rd in the league in sacks but 23rd in yards allowed per passing attempt. LA likes to play zone and keep the ball in front of them with the expectation of making a play before teams can get in the endzone. Their run defense rose to the occasion last week, but they face an elite quarterback this week – which will be a bigger challenge. Since week 11, they have given up 300 passing yards in 5 different games, generally to QBs not as talented as Burrow. LA is a streaky defense and can turn from hot to cold at the drop of a hat. LA’s defense can’t shut down the Bengals like they did Jimmy G of Kyler Murray. Burrow and the Bengals are going to move the ball and score this week.

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The Ram Offense Can’t Be Trusted

Matthew Stafford has played well in the playoffs, but the offense continues to sputter. They are a team built around their running game but have averaged less than 2.5 yards per carry in the last two games. They had four fumbles against the Bucs, then Stafford threw a pick last week – his 17th of the year. Cooper Kupp and OBJ will make the Bengals defend the whole field, but Ram tight end Tyler Higbee is also nursing an MCL injury and will probably be limited if he plays. The LA backs don’t get very involved in the passing game, so either Van Jefferson or Kendall Blanton will have to step up. I think the Rams will have success on offense, but they won’t run away and hide from the Bengals. Stafford was a liability down the stretch for the Rams but has turned it on over the last three weeks. He is hard to trust in the biggest game of his life.

Cincy’s defense is an opportunistic unit that will look to get turnovers or big plays to change the game. They were 17th in points allowed and 20th in opponents’ yards per play on the season. But they have played better over the past two months, not allowing 300 passing yards to an opponent since week 8. They will mix up their coverages and look for Trey Hendrickson to pressure Stafford. Cincy notched 42 sacks on the season and will need to make Stafford uncomfortable this week. The Cincy defense has risen to the occasion in the postseason, and I think they have another strong performance this week.

The Intangibles Favor Cincy

• The Bengals have lost six games this year that Burrow has started, only two have been by more than three points – and one of those was an overtime loss.
• Cincy is 8-3 ATS as underdogs, including seven outright wins. On the flip side, the Rams are only 7-10 as favorites.
• Evan McPherson has turned into an incredible weapon for the Bengals. He is 12 for 12 on field goals in the playoffs, including three from more than 50 yards. LA’s Matt Gay is reliable but has been hurt and has only been successful on 7 of 9 attempts in the playoffs and missed his only attempt beyond 50 yards.
• Sean McVay has been to the big game before and is definitely one of the premier offensive minds in the league, but his game management skills keep costing the Rams. Meanwhile, Zac Taylor has been taking points and staying in games, giving his team opportunities to win.

Play the Dogs in Super Bowl 56

Let’s count on Cincy’s Cinderella story continuing and take the 4 points with Burrow and the Bengals. Bet your Super Bowl 56 pick for FREE by taking advantage of a 100% real cash bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $300 at MyBookie Sportsbook! (Must use bonus code PREDICT100 when registering!)