Alternate Line Picks for 2022 Super Bowl - Alt Lines, Odds, Spreads & Totals for Rams vs. Bengals

There's no shortage when it comes to the various types of wagers one can pursue on Super Bowl Sunday. For this piece, we're diving into the world of Super Bowl alternate line bets.

From alternate point spreads to first-quarter totals and everything in between, scouring the sportsbooks for alternate lines can be a fun and effective way to find an edge for the Super Bowl.

Relative to a plain old bet on the spread or total for a game, alt lines can represent significant odds boosts for those bold enough to imagine a script that veers wildly off course from the expectations in one direction or the other. If you can dream it, there's probably a way to bet on it. So let's take a look at some of the more imaginative alt line opportunities for the upcoming Super Bowl.

Here are the top alternate line plays for Super Bowl 56 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook unless otherwise noted; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Super Bowl Alternate Line Picks

Alternate spread: Rams -9.5 (+180) ?Alternate total: Under 37.5 (+390 via FanDuel) ?First quartertotal: Under 9.5 (-120) ??First quarterspread: Rams -1 (+120) ???

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Alternate Line Super Bowl Bets

Alternate Spread: Rams -9.5 (+180)

What's more likely: The Los Angeles Rams winning by double-digits or the Cincinnati Bengals pulling off the upset? Because I know my answer.

While the Bengals have had a wonderful run through the playoffs, I don't see any way it doesn't end here with a loss to the Rams. Los Angeles is loaded at every position group. The team matches up well against an exploitable Bengals secondary. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow will likely be under duress constantly. The game is played in the Rams' home stadium. Regardless of whether the stands are filled with L.A. fans, that's still a factor of comfort in their favor that should not be overlooked for a game of this magnitude.

Cincinnati doesn't have the talent to stop Rams star Cooper Kupp from doing what he does. To be fair, few (if any) teams do. But all this is to say, I think there's an argument to be made that the Rams are more likely to win in a blowout than the Bengals are to simply win the game.

Yet, the Bengals are +170 on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Rams are +180 at the alt line of -9.5. If you're looking for a solid plus-money wager, I'd rather side with the Rams to come up with that late turnover to seal a double-digit win than have to hope that the less-polished roster surrounding Burrow could keep its magic going for one more game against a superior opponent. DraftKings has the better odds on this wager at +180 compared to +175 at FanDuel.

SEE ALSO: 2022 Super Bowl Betting Guide

Alternate Total: Under 37.5 (+390 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Is a low-scoring slog the kind of game I'm expecting for the Super Bowl? Not necessarily. Both quarterbacks are capable of playing at a high level and both have elite offensive weapons with the ability to turn a game on a dime. As a result, I tend to lean narrowly toward the Over 48.5 for the game. However, if you're looking for a drastic alternate total bet for the Super Bowl, I think the script going way Under is more likely than one that destroys the Over by a significant margin.

During this postseason, both the Rams and Bengals have engaged in game scripts that resulted in lower-than-expected point totals. The Bengals found that defense and field goals were enough to dispatch the No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans from the playoffs in a 19-16 division-round win. The Rams won ugly against the 49ers in the NFC Championship, 20-17.

Both teams have shown a willingness and ability to prevail in that type of game. Additionally, Bengals coach Zac Taylor has been more conservative than aggressive through these playoffs. When your kicker is arguably your MVP through three playoff games, that seems to indicate an unexpectedly low-scoring affair is within the realm of possibilities. Though stopping the Rams outright seems like a tall task, the Bengals have had a penchant for timely turnovers that could suppress the scoring in the Super Bowl if the trend continues and both teams tighten up on the goal-line defense.

Another possibility is that the Rams simply overwhelm the Bengals in the game. In a scenario where the Rams just pester Burrow all night and keep sustained drives from occurring, a final score in the neighborhood of 24-13 or 27-10 Rams feel like realistic possibilities that would keep the total Under this alt line. If you have a sneaky feeling that points could be hard to come by in the big game, FanDuel is the place to bet this alt line at +390, compared to +350 at DraftKings.

SEE ALSO: 2022 Super Bowl Line Shopping

First Quarter Total: Under 9.5 (-120)

Even if the above alternate total bet isn't something to which you want to subscribe, it's likely that the offenses will get off to a slow start on Sunday.

The Bengals haven't necessarily started fast offensively in either of their last two playoff wins. They've been content to feel out the game in the early stages. Frustratingly lengthy drives have been a staple of the Bengals' offense. I could see another methodical trip down the field during one of Cincinnati's early Super Bowl possessions.

If Cincinnati kills six-plus minutes working its way into field-goal range, that's one acceptable way to slice it. That feels like the more likely path than the Rams starting out sluggish offensively. Then again, both the Rams and Bengals ranked in the latter half of the league this season in terms of red-zone touchdown percentage. And with the stakes as high as they get in the sport, I don't anticipate either coach wanting to be the one that makes a risky call in the first quarter of the Super Bowl to potentially put his team in a difficult position out of the gate.

Conservative decision-making is going to be the name of the game in the first quarter. This will be particularly true on the Bengals' side of the ball. Taylor has been content to work as the tortoise rather than the hare throughout these playoffs. If Cincinnati can get out of the first quarter with the game still at arm's reach, that should feel like a win for Taylor's team.

Even if that's not the way it goes down, there's also the possibility the Bengals' offense just falls flat. If the Rams find themselves back in the red zone with a 7-0 lead already in their pocket as the first-quarter clock expires, that's still a realistic way for the Under to land. For these 1Q totals, you don't necessarily need quality defense as much as fortuitous timing. Either way, I like the total to sneak Under 9.5 following the opening 15 minutes.

SEE ALSO: Super Bowl MVP Picks

Top Super Bowl Alternate Line Bet

First Quarter Point Spread: Rams -1 (+120)

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Rams are plus-money to have a lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. That's where a 1Q line of Rams -0.5 points is accompanied by +106 odds. Perhaps that's the way to go with this wager if you're expecting a 3-2 or 7-6 score out of the gate. However, I'm going to side with the higher profitability on the DraftKings line of Rams -1 at +120. That's a healthy return on what feels like a pretty likely scenario.

Whether it's a touchdown or a field goal, I expect the Rams to come out with enough purpose offensively to put points on the board in one of their first two possessions. Going up against a potent Rams defense, I don't have the same level of confidence in the Bengals. Which, again, if you don't subscribe to the same thought process on the degree to which the Rams are the team better positioned for success in this game, you'll probably disagree with this pick as well as the majority of this article. However, it's hard not to like the notion of Rams head coach Sean McVay having two weeks of prep time to scheme up a scoring drive for an offense that boasts Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr., operating at their peak levels.

Whatever the score after the first 15 minutes, whether it's 7-3, 7-0, 6-3, 3-0, 10-0 … I like the Rams gaining the early edge as my favorite alternate line bet of the game.

Where to Bet on the Super Bowl

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks for odds boosts:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBetBetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Super Bowl alternate line picks made 2/11/2022 at 1:16 a.m. ET