It seems like yesterday we all were getting hyped for the NFL season, and now here we are awaiting the last game of the year. While it’s a bittersweet moment, this year’s Super Bowl almost guarantees to have an abundant amount of story lines from the LA Rams hosting the Super Bowl in their “home” stadium to Joe Burrow becoming the first player to with a Heisman, college football national championship, and a Super Bowl, let alone in 3 years. Super Bowls are a great way to dip your toe into the sports gambling space, as 96.4 million viewers tuned into the big game in 2021, and it’s expected that nearly $8 billion dollars will be bet during the game. From the game, first half bets, and player props we have you covered on all things Super Bowl Betting. Here is our Super Bowl 56 Gamblers Guide brought to you by 2 Drunk Brothers and a Podcast!

Game Lines – Spread, ML, or total? What’s the play?

As it currently sits, the Rams are 4-point “home” favorites and the total over/under is set at 48.5. A lot of the public money in Vegas is on the Rams (76% currently), so if you’re into fading the public, it appears the Bengals may be the best bang for your buck, but let’s dive into some other trends to support betting on the Bengals. Since 2001, underdogs are 14-7 against the spread (ATS) in the Super Bowl, and underdogs of +4 or more are 6-0 ATS and 5-1 straight up in the big game. Both teams boast high-powered offenses, and if you don’t believe us just take a look at these statistics: 

• Points Per Game: Rams (6th in the NFL – 27.2 PPG); Bengals (8th – 26.6 PPG)
• Yards Per Play: Rams (2nd in the NFL – 6 YPP); Bengals (8th – 5.8 YPP)
• Passing Yards Per Game: Rams (5th in the NFL – 277.9 per game); Bengals (8th 257.6 per game) 

However, both teams seem to struggle to have a consistent running game as the Bengals rank 23rd in rushing yards per game and the Rams rank 25th. With both teams posting top 10 rushing defenses (Rams at 5th and Bengals at 8th) this game will come down to which quarterback wants to take over the game, and which offensive line can protect their QB better. It’s well-known that the Bengals’ offensive line has its issues, but they allowed just 1 sack in the conference championship game after allowing 9 the week prior against the Titans. In order for Joe Burrow and the explosive Bengals offense to be successful their offensive line will have to ensure that Aaron Donald and the Rams defensive line, which ranked 7th in sacks per game, don’t get to him too much. 

Ultimately, this game will come down to match ups. How will Eli Apple fair against OBJ or Cooper Kupp? Can Jalen Ramsey lock down Jamar Chase? If so, who will cover the other two Bengals wide outs, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd? Will Tyler Higbee or CJ Uzomah be available? At the end of the day, we like the Bengals and they feel like a team of destiny. They’ve been dogs in every playoff game since the Wildcard round and overcome the odds, including a touchdown underdog against the Chiefs. With the data we gave at the beginning of this blog, we are tailing Joe Brrr and the Bengals. 

Picks:

Bengals (+4) – 3 units
Bengals ML (+180) – 1.5 units 

Player Props

Outside of betting on the game, player props are a fun way to stay engaged even if the action isn’t 100% thrilling (thank god for player props in Super 54 because that was a snoozer). Here are some of our favorite player props to keep an eye on. 

Matthew Stafford over 35.5 passing attempts (-130)

Stafford has attempted 38 and 45 passes in the last two playoff games. He only had to throw 17 passes in the Wild Card game against the Cardinals since their defense took care of business there, but we already talked about how stout the Bengals’ run defense is and how lackluster the Rams’ running game has been this season. If the Rams want to stand a chance, then they’ll need to put the ball in the hands of the man they traded a massive haul for this past off season. 

Joe Mixon over 92.5 rushing + receiving yards (-115)

Mixon has been a BIG part in the Bengals’ offense this postseason. He ran all over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game for the tune of 88 rushing yards and added another 27 yards through the air. He’s eclipsed this total in 2 out of 3 postseason games, and will be big out of the backfield for Cincy. 

Odell Beckham Jr. over 5.5 receptions (+115)
Odell Beckham Jr. over 63.5 receiving yards (-115)

This one’s self-explanatory, but OBJ has been on FIRE this postseason! He’s caught a total of 19 passes in 3 postseason games for 236 yards. If you aren’t good at math we have you covered. That’s an average of 6 catches and nearly 79 yards per game. The receptions obviously is a bit more of a gamble, hence the plus odds, but the yards should be a lock. 

Joe Burrow Anytime TD Scorer (+500)

A bit risky? Sure, but what’s life without a little risk. We all know Joey B has some wheels and isn’t scared to get out of the pocket. We can easily see him scampering in the end zone on zone coverage from 7-14 yards away from the goal line. 

Super Bowl 56 Game Specials

What’s great about Super Bowl Betting is that even people who know absolutely nothing about football can get in on the action and bet on fun things like the coin toss. Both heads and tails are (-105) so there’s no advantage either way, unless you’re in the “tails never fails” crowd like us. What about the National Anthem? Mickey Guyton, who has only publicly performed the anthem once which came in at 1 minute and 26 seconds, and the over/under is set at 1 minute and 38 seconds, which is interesting considering every anthem since 2013 outside of Kelly Clarkson’s has gone over that time frame. It seems like Vegas may be baiting us to take the under, so use your judgment and be careful of this fun prop bet. (FYI – the official time is considered over once the singer completes the word “Brave” for the first time.) 

You can also bet on plenty of other things during the Super Bowl including: 

• How many commercials will feature a dog in it? Over/Under 6.5
• Will Snoop Dogg smoke on stage during the halftime show? Yes (+110)/No (-145)
• How many times will Commissioner Roger Goodell be shown on screen? Over/Under 1.5
• How many times will the chains be used for measurement? Over/Under 1.5
• Plus many others! 

Everyone can get in on the fun of Super Bowl Betting with fun props, player props, and much more, so be sure to be safe and responsible while gambling on the big game!