As It Happened: The Rams Are Super Bowl LVI Champions
FINAL: Rams 23, Bengals 20
The Rams went all-in.
And they’re now Super Bowl LVI champions.
Matthew Stafford's one-yard touchdown pass to Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp (+600 odds) with 1:29 remaining gave the Rams a 23–20 lead that held.
Aaron Donald, who easily could have won MVP, forced a bad pass on fourth down that resulted in a turnover on downs and all but sealed the game.
The Rams have mortgaged future picks and cap space in pursuit of a championship and this title validated it all. Their big-ticket acquisitions Matthew Stafford (26 for 40, 283 yards, three touchdowns), Von Miller (two sacks) and Odell Beckham Jr. (2 catches, 52 yards, touchdown) each played a massive role in this victory.
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This win didn’t come easy.
The Rams stormed to a 13–3 lead, but the Bengals rallied for 17 straight points to take a 20–13 with 10:19 remaining in the game. The Rams’ offense stalled, but their ferocious pass rush kept them in the game as they sacked Joe Burrow seven times.
Kupp clinched his MVP with performance on the 79-yard, game-clinching drive. Kupp secured a critical first down with an end-around on fourth-and-1 inside Rams’ territory, and caught passes for 8, 22, 8, 4 and 1 (touchdown) on the drive.
Bengals fans will forever remember a questionable pass interference called against Kupp on third down that changed the game. The Rams would have faced a fourth down at the 8-yard line and instead capitalized by taking the lead.
The Bengals drove the ball to the Rams’ 49-yard line, but some questionable calls stalled the drive. An incomplete pass on second down followed by a Samaje Perine run (where was Joe Mixon?) set up fourth-and-1.
Donald, who finished with two sacks, wrapped up Burrow on fourth down and forced an errant pass that all but ended the game.
The Rams won their second Super Bowl and first while based in Los Angeles. The Bengals are now 0–3 in Super Bowl appearances and have lost each by a touchdown or less.
This title marked the first for most of the Rams’ core, including Stafford, Donald, Kupp, Jalen Ramsey and head coach Sean McVay, among others.
All the win-now moves paid off. Flags fly forever.
The Bengals, meanwhile, are ahead of schedule and clearly know what they need to focus on: their offensive line.
They survived a nine-sack game by the Titans, but couldn’t pull off this upset while allowing seven sacks. The core of Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase (5 catches, 89 yards) and Tee Higgins (4 catches, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns) will likely have the Bengals in yearly contention. They just need to make sure they can protect Burrow.
In terms of betting: The Bengals covered (-110), the under of 48.5 cashed (-110) and the Rams won on the moneyline (-213).
The best bet builder at SI Sportsbook cashed at +510 odds that the Rams would win, cover 2.5 points in the half and Kupp would score 2+ touchdowns.
Stafford cashed the over on most of his props, while Burrow’s unders cashed. Higgins and Chase cashed the overs on their receiving props, while Kupp and Beckham (unfortunately an injury ended his game) cashed the unders on their receiving yards.
And for those interested in the Gatorade color novelty prop: Blue!
Thanks for following along and we hope you enjoyed our commentary and analysis!
Before you know it, we'll be betting Super Bowl LVII!
John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated
10 p.m. ET — The Rams are Super Bowl LVI Champions!
The Rams’ pass rush forced a bad pass on fourth down to force a turnover on downs, and are Super Bowl LVI champions via their 23–20 win!
The Bengals had a 2nd-and-1 at the 49, but an incompletion, a run for zero yards and an incompletion all but ended the game.
Cincinnati covered, while the under cashed.
We'll have plenty more soon!
9:53 p.m. ET — Rams Take the Lead—With Some Help
The Rams are back ahead and Bengals fans may never forgive these referees if this game ends in a loss.
A questionable pass interference on third down gave the Rams a first down, and they eventually scored on a 1-yard Cooper Kupp touchdown, his second of the game.
Kupp now has eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bengals now have 1:25 to try to tie the game or take the lead.
The Rams’ not converting that extra point is looming even larger!
Let's see if Joe Burrow and Co. have some magic left.
9:46 p.m. ET — Two Minutes to go!
Super Bowl LVI is coming down to the wire!
The Rams now have the ball at the Bengals' 8-yard line with 1:55 remaining. They are now -188 on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook to win.
The over/under of 48.5 is still in question, while the Rams -4.5 doesn’t seem likely to cash at this point. Cooper Kupp also may not top his overs on his receiving yards and receptions, while Ja’Marr Chase’s receptions prop (79.5) is in question.
Buckle up for an exciting finish!
Cooper Kupp, meanwhile, has set the postseason receptions record with 32 catches.
9:42 p.m. ET — Huge Conversion!
Facing a 4th-and-1 at their own 30 with roughly five minutes remaining, the Rams went for it and converted on a 7-yard end-around by Cooper Kupp.
The Rams failing to convert that extra point early looms quite large...
But their season is still alive thanks to Kupp.
9:37 p.m. ET — Awful Time For a Drop
Tyler Boyd just dropped his first pass of the year (according to Al Michaels) at a critical juncture with 6:19 remaining. Had Boyd caught the pass, the Bengals perhaps could have converted a third down right around midfield.
Now, the Rams have the ball back at their own 21 with 6:13 remaining.
Joe Mixon has cleared his rushing yards prop of 62.5 at -125 odds. The Bengals are -213 on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook, while the Rams are +130.
The over/under can go either way at this point, but what the Rams do on this job will have a large say in whether the over cashes.
9:25 p.m. ET — Burrow Injury?
Keep an eye on Joe Burrow. He limped off the field after the last sack.
The Rams are now beginning at their own 35-yard line with 11:29 remaining.
9:15 p.m. ET — Sacks Galore Entering the Fourth
The Bengas are 15 minutes away from a Super Bowl as they own a 20–16 lead entering the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVI!
If you believed in sacks, we hope you bet at boosted +175 odds (up from +130) that both Von Miller and Aaron Donald would record sacks.
The Rams now have six sacks and the Bengals have two. Yours truly cashed the over on the Rams recording over 3.5 sacks.
Los Angeles will begin the fourth quarter with the ball at the Bengals’ 47-yard line.
The Rams are actually favored at SI Sportsbook to win with -120 odds on the moneyline to the Bengals’ -125 odds.
The over/under is 50.5, two points above the original projection.
Odell Beckham Jr. has been ruled out, which unfortunately will burn his backers since he won't clear his receptions or receiving props.
He finished with two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.
It should be a fun fourth quarter!
8:55 p.m. ET — Slicing it to Four
The Rams responded to the Bengals’ back-to-back scoring drives with a field cut that cut the Bengals’ lead to 20–16 with 5:58 left in the third quarter.
The Rams tried the Philly Special but Cooper Kupp overthrew Matthew Stafford.
The Bengals are now -175 on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook, while the Rams are +110. The over/under is sitting at 53.5, and the Bengals are 2.5-point favorites.
You can live bet at SI Sportsbook!
8:48 p.m. ET — Bengals Turn Interception Into Points
The Bengals turned their interception into a field goal to take a 20–13 lead with 10:15 remaining in the third quarter.
A few prop bets have cashed recently: Aaron Donald recorded a sack to cash the over on his sacks prop (0.5) at -188 odds, and Chidobe Awuzie's interception cashed the over on his interceptions prop (0.5) at +510 odds.
The Bengals are now -188 on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook, and the over/under is now 53.5, five points ahead of the pre-game total.
Evan McPherson also has cleared his field goals (1.5) and total points (7.5) props at -154 and -125 odds, respectively.
8:38 p.m. ET — One play, One Score
The Bengals needed one play and 12 seconds to take the lead.
Joe Burrow found Tee Higgins for a 75-yard score that gave the Bengals a 17–13 with 14:48 left in the third quarter.
Jalen Ramsey fell down as the ball was in the air, allowing Higgins to grab it and then run free for the score. Higgins cleared his receiving yards prop of 69.5 yards.
The Bengals are now the in-game favorites at SI Sportsbook with -175 odds on the moneyline, while the Rams are -125.
The Bengals then picked off Matt Stafford when a pass went off Ben Skowronek’s hands, giving the Bengals the ball at the Rams’ 31-yard line.
Cincinnati has a chance to make this a 10-point game!
HALFTIME: Rams 13, Bengals 10
8:20 p.m. ET — Halftime Novelty Prop Bets
If you read SI Betting during the week, you knew the odds had massively shifted for the first halftime song.
Well, the shift matched the set as Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg indeed opened with “The Next Episode” to start the halftime show. That cashed at -300 odds.
Rapper 50 Cent made a guest appearance, cashing his bet as the guest entertainer.
Dr. Dre and Snoop closed the performance with the iconic, piano-based “Still D.R.E.”
None of the performers got lost in a mirror maze like The Weeknd, unfortunately.
SECOND QUARTER
8:10 p.m. ET — Rams Enter Half With a Lead
The Rams could not muster much on their last drive but will gladly take a 13–10 lead into the half. The Bengals will get the ball at the half.
While Odell Beckham Jr. did not return to the field for the last drive, he is listed as questionable to return.
The Rams are currently -225 on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook, while the Bengals are +155. The over/under has dropped to 46.5, a slight dip from 48.5.
The line is now 3.5, a one-point drop the 4.5-point line the game opened with.
The two teams combined for 339 yards in the first half, with the Rams totaling 184.
Matt Stafford has two touchdown passes and 165 passing yards, putting him on pace to clear the over on his passing yards (279.5).
Joe Burrow has just 114, putting him on pace for the under (275.5).
Joe Mixon (40) is trending to clear the over on his rushing yards (62.5), while Cam Akers is off to yet another slow start and faces an uphill climb to top 64.5 yards.
Cooper Kupp has just three catches for 40 yards and will need to pick it up to clear his props of 8.5 catches and 106.5 yards.
Ja’Marr Chase’s three catches for 62 yards has him in position to top 5.5 catches and 80.5 yards. Tee Higgins has 25 yards, while Tyler Boyd has 23.
Evan McPherson has one field goal and four points.
Now, it’s time to see what halftime show props cash!
7:55 p.m. ET — Rams Get a Shot
The Rams forced a punt and now have the ball at their 41-yard line with 30 seconds left and a chance to add to their lead.
7:50 p.m. ET — OBJ Helped Off Field; Bengals Intercept Stafford
The Rams’ last drive could be a game-changing one.
Matthew Stafford was picked off in the end zone (granted, it was essentially a long punt on 3rd-and-14 at the Bengals’ 43), and Odell Beckham Jr., who scored the first touchdown, was helped off the field earlier on the drive.
Beckham went down with a non-contact injury, which is never good to see. He has two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. His props are 5.5 catches for 62.5 yards.
Stafford’s interception cashed the over on his interceptions prop at -143 odds, Jessie Bates III cashed the over on his interceptions prop at +425 odds!
The Bengals will now try to tie the game or take the lead, and they also will get the ball to start the second half.
This could be a pivotal final few minutes of the half here.
7:37 p.m. ET — Joe Mixon Touchdown Pass!
Joe Mixon just scored—by throwing a touchdown pass!
Mixon found Tee Higgins for a six-yard touchdown pass on a trick play to cut the Rams’ lead to 13–10 with 5:52 remaining.
The Bengals’ 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive is putting the under in a rough spot, as the live spread at SI Sportsbook is currently 53.5.
The Rams are -275 on the moneyline, while the Bengals are +188.
Higgins’s touchdown cashed his anytime prop at +150 odds.
Worth noting: Ja'Marr Chase caught a swing pass behind the line for what is currently a four-yard rush that would cash the over on his rushing yards prop.
7:27 p.m ET — Flip Kupp
Cooper Kupp scoring is almost automatic at this point.
Kupp found the end zone on an 11-yard pass to give the Rams a 13–3 lead with 12:56 remaining in the second quarter.
The receiver’s anytime touchdown prop cashed at -175, and he now has two catches for 31 yards. The Rams then dropped the snap on the extra point.
Matt Stafford has now topped 1.5 touchdown passes at -250 odds.
The Rams are now -500 to win on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook and the spread is 8.5 points. The over has now 51.5, three points above the pre-game 48.5 mark.
FIRST QUARTER
7:15 p.m ET — Bengals Get on the Board
Ja'Marr Chase is a monster.
Chase beat Jalen Ramsey for a 46-yard catch to set up a 29-yard field goal by Evan McPherson that sliced the Rams’ lead to 7–3 with 28 seconds left in the first quarter.
Three straight incompletions forced the Bengals to settle for a field goal, and the Rams ran one play to end the quarter with their 7–3 lead.
The Rams are now -300 on the moneyline and the Bengals are +200, and the spread is now 6.5. The first quarter boded well for those who took the under.
McPherson continued his perfection postseason and could be on his way to topping his props. He was a popular target among our experts.
Some first quarter trends: The quarterbacks are off to slow starts, while Chase (52 yards) is on the way to cashing the over on his receiving yards prop.
Cooper Kupp has just 20 yards on one catch, putting his unders in good spots.
You can bet in-game at SI Sportsbook!
7:05 p.m. ET — Back-to-Back Stops
Following the Rams’ touchdown, the Bengals and Rams both punted. The Bengals will take over at their own 30-yard line with 2:09 left in the first quarter.
It's been a slow quarter, aside from the Rams’ 51-yard touchdown drive. We’ve already seen three punts and a turnover on downs.
The Rams are now -400 on the moneyline at SI Sportsbook, with the Bengals at +250. The over/under has dropped to 45.5 after closing at 48.5
6:53 p.m. ET — OBJ Opens the Scoring!
Odell Beckham Jr. has a flair for the dramatic.
Beckham opened the scoring with a fantastic, leaping grab for a 17-yard score that give the Rams a 7–0 lead with 6:26 left in the first quarter.
Beckham cashed his anytime touchdown prop (+120) and his first touchdown prop (+875). A touchdown opening the scoring cashed at -188 odds.
The Rams are now -350 on the moneyline and the spread is 7.5.
6:47 p.m. ET — Huge Stop!
The Bengals opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Bengals’ 49-yard line, but the Rams deflected Joe Burrow’s pass to force a turnover on downs. Cincinnati had a 2nd-and-2 but back-to-back runs netted just one yard.
The turnover cashed at +500 odds bets on the result of the Bengals’ first drive.
The Rams are now set up in prime position to potentially opening the scoring.
6:40 p.m. ET — Bengals Force a Punt
The Bengals’ defense started strong, forcing a punt on the first possession. The Rams registered one first down before a Bengals’ sack stalled the drive.
Matthew Stafford taking the first sack cashed at +150 odds.
The game’s first play was a rush (which lost a bet for yours truly).
The Bengals won the coin toss with heads, which cashed at -105 odds. A touchback on the kickoff meant the opening score for a touchdown (+6600) did not cash.
SI Sportsbook closed with the Rams as 4.5-point favorites and -213 on the moneyline, with the Bengals at +175 odds on the moneyline.
The Bengals received 56 percent of the bets and 74 percent of the handle, and 96 percent of the handle bet the under of 48.5 points.
6:22 p.m. ET — National Anthem Props!
We have one of first prop bets cashing!
Country singer Mickey Guyton easily cleared the over on 96.5 seconds.
Novelty props are always part of the Super Bowl fun. The SI Betting Team covered their favorites here.
5:15 p.m. ET — Welcome to Super Bowl LVI!
Thank you for joining us as the Rams face the Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The favored Rams are looking for their second Super Bowl and first since 2000, while the upstart Bengals are aiming for their first Super Bowl.
The Rams are 4.5-point favorites at with an over/under of 48.5 at SI Sportsbook.
Check the Latest Super Bowl LVI Betting Odds at SI Sportsbook
This championship game features a battle of a team with a “championship or bust” mentality versus a team that, well, most did not expect to make it this far.
The Rams are the definition of an all-in team, mortgaging plenty of draft picks and cap space to acquire the likes of Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr.
Los Angeles lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl LII, but failed to even make the NFC championship game the next two seasons. That led to the seismic shift at quarterback with Stafford arriving to replace the maligned Jared Goff.
The Rams started hot before a midseason swoon, but they responded down the stretch to wrestle the NFC West from the Cardinals.
They then bested the Cardinals in the opening round, went to Tampa and knocked off the defending champion Buccaneers on a walk-off field goal and finally slayed the rival 49ers last weekend in the NFC championship game.
Stafford has played well this postseason, showing why the team made the move to upgrade from Goff. His passing yards prop is set at 279.5 yards and his passing touchdowns prop is 1.5, and he’s worth considering in a two-leg parlay.
The Rams would not be there, though, without the newly minted Offensive Player of the Year, wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Kupp produced one of the greatest receiving seasons in NFL history and has followed by being virtually unstoppable this postseason. He’s tallied 20 catches for 325 yards and three touchdowns spanning the last two weeks, including his 44-yard catch that set up the game-winning field goal against the Buccaneers. He scored twice last weekend against the 49ers to help the Rams return to the Super Bowl.
Here’s a small sample of some of the available Kupp bets at SI Sportsbook
• Receiving yards: 106.5
• Receptions: 8.5
• Longest reception: 29.5
• MVP odds: +600
• Anytime/first/last touchdown odds: -175/+490/+475
Kupp is also featured among three plus-money bets to target today.
Kupp and Stafford will need big games to take down a Bengals team that is playing for a title just two seasons after having the No. 1 draft pick.
Cincinnati finished 2–14 in 2019, but a pair of LSU stars have changed the trajectory of the franchise. The Bengals selected quarterback Joe Burrow—the Comeback Player of the Year—with the first pick in 2020, and then went against conventional wisdom by opting for receiver Ja’Marr Chase last year instead of an offensive lineman.
Well, no one is questioning that pick anymore.
Chase and Burrow have a certain rapport that can rival that of Stafford and Kupp. Chase caught nine passes for 116 yards to down the Raiders in the Wild Card round before hauling in five balls for 109 yards to help defeat the top-seeded Titans.
But the Bengals still had to go to Arrowhead Stadium to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the AFC’s Super Bowl representative the last two years.
And, well, things didn’t look good when they fell behind, 21–3.
But the Bengals pulled a historic comeback, with Chase contributing a receiving touchdown before Evan “Money Mac” McPherson booted yet another walk-off field goal. The Bengals are now in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1989.
Both Chase and McPherson are popular betting options today.
Here’s one Chase prop to chase (pun intended) today, while McPherson is a popular pick among our experts to top his player props.
Chase’s props are set at 80.5 receiving yards and 5.5 receptions, while McPherson’s props are 7.5 total points, 1.5 field goals and 2.5 extra points.
We also have novelty props to target today, MVP betting advice and relevant betting news on which song will open the halftime show. This is expected to be a record-breaking betting day, with Drake and Mattress Mack getting in on the fun.
Yours truly loves betting the first Super Bowl score!
Here are some other bets I've eyeing today:
• Under 48.5 points (-110)
• Cooper Kupp MVP (+600)
• Ja'Marr Chase under 80.5 yards (-125)
• Rams field goal first scoring play (+400)
• Rams over 3.5 sacks (-118)
• First play pass (+105)
• Parlay: Kupp over 106.5 receiving yards, Kupp anytime touchdown, Van Jefferson under 31.5 receiving yards (+410)
The SI Betting team has all the betting and fantasy news you need today in one convenient location.
So, sit back, relax and let’s watch someone other than Tom Brady win a Super Bowl!
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Check the Latest Odds from SI Sportsbook
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• How Aaron Donald Became Aaron Donald
• SoFi Stadium Went Up—and Then Everything Changed
• The Long, Strange Relationship Between the Super Bowl and Hollywood
• How One Cincinnati Bar Became the Epicenter of the Bengals’ Playoff Run
