Betting Trends For Bengals vs. Rams - ATS, H2H Analysis for Super Bowl 56

Scott Cullen

Last Updated: February 7, 2022 9:02 AM EST • 5 min 19 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

The Los Angeles Rams were supposed to contend for a Super Bowl, not favorites but it’s not a shock for them to reach the 2022 title game. The Cincinnati Bengals were long shots from the start. We break down the betting trends for the Rams and Bengals heading into Super Bowl 56.

The Rams will play Super Bowl 56 on their home field, the second straight season that a team has played in a Super Bowl that they were hosting. The Rams made the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five seasons. They jumped out to a 7-1 start before a midseason slump, but rebounded for a strong finish to the regular season.

While the Rams have been consistent playoff contenders, the Bengals came into the season as long shots after compiling a 6-25-1 record over the previous two seasons. Star QB Joe Burrow was coming off a torn ACL, suffered in Week 11 of his 2020 rookie season. Nevertheless, Cincinnati showed promise early in the season and improved throughout.

Below, we look at the betting trends for the Rams and Bengals heading into the 2022 Super Bowl.

Rams vs. Bengals Current Betting Action

The Rams have been favored with a line hovering between four and 4.5-points since the Conference Championship games. The consensus remains at 4.5, but FanDuel Sportsbook is one of a few offering a four-point spread.

That half-point makes a notable difference in the marketplace. At 4.5 points, 68% of the tickets and 61% of the handle sided with the Bengals but with the line at 4 that dynamic changes. While 57% of the tickets are still with the Bengals, 58% of the money rides with the Rams.

The total opened at 49 but is holding steady at 48.5, with varying prices from one sportsbook to another.

Los Angeles Rams Trends and Performance This Season

The Rams have been a playoff team or contender to some degree for a few years now, and they opened with +2000 odds to win Super Bowl 56.

Then, L.A., made an offseason splash by trading QB Jared Goff and draft picks to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford. At that point, optimism about the Rams picked up and the odds dropped to +1200.

With the Rams opening the season by winning seven of their first eight games, their Super Bowl odds had dipped to +650 by Week 9. That preceded a stretch of three consecutive losses, which resulted in odds climbing to +1100 by Week 13. Aside from the preseason, this was the value spot in the futures market.

Los Angeles added receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and pass rusher Von Miller midseason. They helped the Rams finish strong and win five of their last six games, so the odds had come down a bit further to +900.

Once the Green Bay Packers were eliminated and the Rams ousted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, L.A., emerged as the Super Bowl favorite in the NFC.

Rams-Bengals Trends: How L.A. performs against the spread at home

While the Rams are getting the benefit of playing the Super Bowl on their home field, they're the official road team of Super Bowl 56. They were 5-3 straight-up and 4-4 against the spread at SoFi Stadium during the regular season. Those records shift to 7-3 and 5-5, respectively, when accounting for two playoff home games.

A point spread ranging between 4 and 5 points is not all that common, so the Rams are 2-4 in five seasons as a favorite on such a line under head coach Sean McVay. That includes a 37-20 home loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 and a 31-10 loss at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 of this season. The Rams were favored by four points in both games.

Rams-Bengals Trends: How L.A. performs after bye week

The Rams have fared well coming off a bye week, going 3-2 straight up and against the spread during McVay’s tenure. However, they lost and failed to cover off a bye at Green Bay in Week 12.

Rams’ performance on totals

Including the playoffs, the Rams are 10-9-1 on totals hitting the Over this season. They ere an even 5-5 against the number at SoFi Stadium.

The Rams tied with the Bengals for seventh with 27.1 points per game during the regular season. They were 15th with 21.9 points allowed per game.

L.A., had a total higher than 48.5 in just one of its last seven home games and that was a 27-24 overtime loss to San Francisco in Week 18. That total was under 48.5 after 60 minutes.

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Cincinnati Bengals Trends and Performance This Season

Given the Bengals’ performance in recent seasons – they last reached the playoffs in 2015 and had not won a playoff game since 1990 – it was not altogether surprising that they were among the teams with the longest opening odds for Super Bowl 56. Those odds ranged as high as +15000 in the offseason.

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There was still plenty of value to be found with the Bengals during the season. Though a 41-17 victory at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 brought the odds down to +3000 to win the Super Bowl. They followed that with losses to the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, which sent the odds back close to +6000.

Cincinnati emerged from its Week 10 bye to earn a couple of lopsided wins against the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers; the odds again dropped to +3000. Home losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and 49ers sent the odds higher again, before Cincinnati beat the Denver Broncos, Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs to secure the AFC North title. By the time the regular season ended, the Bengals were +2000 to win the Super Bowl, which was still not bad value for a team starting the playoffs at home.

Nevertheless, the Bengals have been considered long shots all the way through. They beat the Raiders as favorites to open the playoffs but in road games against the Tennessee Titans and Chiefs, they were underdogs. Even going into the AFC Championship, at Kansas City, the Bengals were +800 to win the Super Bowl.

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Rams-Bengals Trends: How Cincinnati performs against the spread on the road

Cincinnati was 5-3 straight up and 6-2 ATS on the road in the regular season. The playoffs brought a couple of wins on both counts, so the Bengals are 7-3 straight up and 8-2 ATS on the road.

The Bengals were underdogs with a 4-5 point spread twice this season and won both games outright. The first was Week 17 at home against Kansas City, and the second was in the Divisional Round against the Titans.

Rams-Bengals Trends: How Cincinnati performs after bye week

The Bengals crushed the Raiders 32-13 following their Week 10 bye. In head coach Zac Taylor’s previous two seasons with Cincinnati, the Bengals were 0-2 straight up and ATS following a bye. Considering the Bengals won just six of 32 games in those two seasons, the losses were coming much more easily.

Bengals’ performance on totals

The Bengals were 8-8-1 overall and 2-6 on the road against the Over/Under during the regular season.

As mentioned above, the Bengals tied the Rams in points per game offensively. They were 17th during the regular season with 22.1 points allowed per game.

Rams vs. Bengals Trends for Head-to-Head Matchups

Taylor was on McVay’s staff with the Rams in 2017 as assistant wide receivers coach quarterbacks coach. There's plenty of familiarity between the two in terms of how to call a game; however, the Rams won 24-10 in Week 8 of the 2019 season in their only head-to-head matchup as NFL head coaches.