Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend! The Cincinnati Bengals are set to face off against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams and Chargers. The Rams come into the matchup as 4 point favorites. But don’t underestimate the Bengals as they were 4 point underdogs against the Tennessee Titans and 7 point underdogs against last year’s AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bengals have exceeded many experts’ expectations this season. At the start of the season the Bengals were given 100-1 odds (+10,000) to win the superbowl this season. This was the fourth lowest odds given to any team in the NFL according to Foxsports.com. The Bengals won more games this year than the previous two years combined as they finished with a 10-7 record under the coaching of 3rd year coach Zac Taylor. Quarterback Joe Burrow and rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase have provided an offensive revival for this team and turned it from the 29th to 8th in points per game and 30th to 14th in yards per game. This high powered offense will provide a tough matchup for Los Angeles’ 10th ranked defense in points per game allowed. Ja’Marr, who won offensive rookie of the year, was selected with the 5th pick in this previous draft. He made an immediate impact as he had one of the most impressive rookie years in a long time. He finished the season with 81 receptions for 1455 yards and 13 touchdowns all of which led the Bengals. 

The Rams being favorites in this game comes as no surprise as they too have a high powered offense and a top 10 defense to add. Their offense finished 6th in points scored per game and 7th in yards per game. These rankings were largely in part due to new Quarterback Matthew Stafford who was traded for this offseason from the Detroit Lions. Stafford immediately elevated the Rams offense as they finished with their best end of season offensive rankings since 2018 when they made it to the Superbowl. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp finished with career best stats in yards(1,947), receptions(145), and touchdowns(16), all of which he led the NFL in. Playing alongside Kupp is new addition receiver Odell Beckham Jr who has seemingly revived his career after several lackluster years with the Cleveland Browns. On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams have several superstars such as defensive tackle Aaron Donald, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and edge rusher Von Miller. Ramsey and Donald both are widely recognized as two of the best players at their positions. With the addition of 2015 superbowl MVP Von Miller the Rams finished at 7th in total sacks. This could be a large problem for the Bengals offense as they have allowed 55 sacks this season which was 3rd worst in the league. 

This year’s Superbowl appears to be one of the best we’ve had in recent years due to the high scoring potential. The game will kickoff at 4:30 PM MST on NBC