Super Bowl LVI is just around the corner as the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams prepare to go head-to-head in the big game. It’s the Bengals’ third trip to the Super Bowl, and their first appearance there since 1989. This will be the fifth championship appearance for the Rams, as they’ve been there four times, with a win in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.
The game is set to take place on Sunday, February 13th at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The Rams will look to be the second team in a row to win the Lombardi Trophy at their home stadium, after the Bucs did it at Raymond James Stadium in 2021. Kickoff will hit at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast nationwide on NBC and airing via live stream at Peacock.
The Cincinnati Bengals shocked the league this season, going from worst to first in nothing short of record time. They won an NFL-worst two games in the 2019 season, followed by just four wins in 2020, finishing in last place in the AFC North. 2021 saw them go 10-7 throughout the regular season, finishing first in the division and making a miraculous playoff run that saw a huge comeback win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Second-year QB Joe Burrow had a fantastic 2021 season for the Bengals, and has performed even better throughout their postseason run. He averaged just over 288 passing yards per game through the season, up by almost 20 from his 2020 average of 268.8. His best performances in the regular season came in Weeks 16 and 17, when he threw for 525 yards against the Ravens followed by 446 yards against the Chiefs. He led the team through the playoffs with wins over the Raiders, Titans, and finally the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.
The Los Angeles Rams fared even better than the Bengals throughout the season, finishing 12-5 at the top of the NFC West. QB Matt Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp were lights out for a good chunk of the season, as Stafford averaged around 287 passing yards per game, with Kupp averaging just over 114 receiving yards per game. Kupp ended up with a league-best 16 receiving touchdowns in the regular season through all 17 games.
Now the Rams will look to win their second-ever NFL championship, but this time they get to do it on their home turf where they’re comfortable. One silver lining for the Bengals, though, is that the Rams were actually slightly better on the road this season than they were at home. They went just 5-3 at SoFi Stadium, while finishing 7-2 away from home. The Bengals went 5-3 on the road throughout the season, and they’ll hope to keep that away winning mentality alive through one final game.
Super Bowl start time, TV info: Bengals vs. Rams
Game date: Sunday, February 13th
Game time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: NBC
Live stream: Peacock
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams are favored to win by 4.5 points at home, priced at -195 on the moneyline. It’s not much of a surprise as they had a better overall record than the Bengals through the regular season, but there’s still not a whole lot to separate the two odds-wise. The Bengals come in at +165 on the moneyline, and the point total is set at 48.5 for the contest.