The Los Angeles Rams rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC Championship, and the Cincinnati Bengals stormed back from down 18 points to upset the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC Championship in overtime. The Rams head into Super Bowl 56 as the betting favorite over the Bengals, with the opening line at -4 and the total set for 51 over/under.
Joe Burrow led the Bengals to their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1989, and only their third trip to the Big Game in franchise history. They’ve never won a championship.
The Rams get to play Super Bowl 56 on their own turf at SoFi Field in Inglewood. They’re trying to become the second team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl in their home stadium after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers achieved the rare feat in Super Bowl 55.
| Super Bowl 56 Odds and Opening Line |
- Cincinnati Bengals (13-7 SU, 13-7 ATS) at LA Rams (15-5 SU, 10-10 ATS)
- Date: Feb. 13, 2022
- Kickoff” 3:30 pm PT
- Location: SoFi Field, Los Angeles
- Point Spread: LAR -4
- Total: 51 o/u
- Money Line: -185 / +165
The Rams locked up their second trip to the Super Bowl in the last four seasons under Sean McVay. The Rams are seeking their first title in Los Angeles. The 1999 Rams won Super Bowl 34 when the franchise was located in St. Louis.
NFC Championship: Rams 20, 49ers 17
The Rams lost six-straight games to the San Francisco 49ers, including both of their meetings this season versus their NFC West rival. McVay finally enacted revenge against Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers to win the NFC Championship.
With nearly half the stadium filled with 49ers fans, the Rams overcame a semi-hostile crowd to complete a comeback victory. The Rams were down 17-7, but waited until the fourth quarter to make their move with 13 clutch points, including a touchdown from Cooper Kupp and two field goals from Matt Gay. Midway through the fourth quarter, Gay knocked down a game-tying field goal. He drilled the game-winner with 1:46 remaining.
The stingy Rams defense limited the 49ers to only 50 rushing yards. They pitched a shutout in the fourth quarter and held the 49ers to zero points. On the final drive of the game, the Rams picked off Jimmy G to seal the victory.
Deebo Samuel was the only bright spot for the 49ers. The human flex combined for 96 yards and a touchdown, despite taking a huge hit during a midfield collision.
Matthew Stafford threw 337 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the victory. Kupp posted an MVP-like performance with 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Odell Beckham had his first 100-plus yard game since 2019 with nine catches for 113 yards.
The Rams were the #4 seed in the NFC and they defeated the #5 Arizona Cardinals, #2 Tampa Bay Bucs, and #6 49ers to win the NFC Championship.
Oddsmakers at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas installed the Rams as a favorite over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56 with the opening line at -3.5, but it quickly moved to -4.
AFC Championship: Bengals 27, Chiefs 24 (OT)
The Bengals were +7 underdogs and stunned the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium to deny Patrick Mahomes a third-straight trip to the Super Bowl.
Joe Burrow led the Bengals to one of the biggest comebacks in AFC Championship history after falling behind 21-3 in the second quarter. The Bengals took advantage of poor clock management by Andy Reid and one of the poorest performances from Mahomes (2 INT, 4 sacks) in the playoffs to get back in the game. The Bengals outscored the Chiefs 14-3 in the second half to force overtime.
The Chiefs won the coin flip, but instead of scoring a quick touchdown like last week against the Buffalo Bills, Mahomes threw a rare interception. The Bengals didn’t squander the takeaway and won the game in overtime courtesy of a 31-yeard field goal from rookie kicker Evan McPherson. “Money Mack” continued his perfect kicking streak in the playoffs with four field goals, including another game-winner to upset the Chiefs. He’s now 12-for-12 on FGs in the postseason, including 7-for-7 on extra points.
“It’s a special team that’s capable of doing special things,” said head coach Zac Taylor. “We’ve said that from the get-go, whether people believed us or not,” he added. “We believed. So we’re not surprised.”
With the #4 seed in the AFC, the Bengals picked off the #5 Las Vegas Raiders, #1 Tennessee Titans, and #2 Chiefs to win the AFC Championship. Who Dey Nation is going to Hollywood, but the bookies don’t give them much chance in Super Bowl 56 against the Rams because the Bengals were a +4 underdog when the opening line was released.