Then and Now: Falcons Entered 2021 with Better Super Bowl Odds than Bengals
Had you told us at the start of the 2021 season that we would finish with the Cincinnati Bengals facing the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, we wouldn't have believed you.
Yet here we are.
Oddsmakers considered the Bengals as a long-shot afterthought to win the 2022 Super Bowl. Think about it, going into only his second year, quarterback Joe Burrow was coming off an ACL tear that was expected to limit him. Plus, in his first two seasons as head coach, Zac Taylor's record was 6-25-1.
Nothing to suggest a miracle run into February was afoot.
Before Week 1 they were sitting at 150-1 Super Bowl odds. So had you bet $10, you'd win $1,500 (if they win Sunday).
The Rams, however, were a betting favorite at the start of the season, with preseason odds at 12-1, meaning had you bet $10, you'd win $120.
The Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, were middle of the pack when it came to preseason odds at 80-1, almost twice as likely as the Bengals. A 7-10 regular season, of course, ended their playoff hopes.
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Super Bowl LVI odds:
- Spread: Los Angeles -4
- Moneyline: Cincinnati +165; Los Angeles -200
- Total: 48.5
- Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: CIN 51%; LAR 49%
- LAR: The Rams are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven playoff games as favorites
- CIN: Bengals have covered in seven straight games
- Game Info: Sunday Feb. 13, 2022 3:30 pm EST | NBC
With the Falcons out of the big game for 2022, we might as well look forward to 2023, and right now their odds are trending better.
