The Los Angeles Rams will be playing in their home stadium at the $5 billion crown jewel that is SoFi Stadium in Super Bowl 56. The NFC champions are favored to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, but there are countless other fun ways to wager on the game.
There’s betting value to be had in Los Angeles, particularly when looking at prop bets. Here are three props worth watching on the Rams side on Super Bowl Sunday.
Cooper Kupp over 28.5 longest reception (-140 DraftKings)
Kupp hauling in a big play has been one of the steadiest player props of the 2021 NFL season, so there’s no reason to stop betting it in the biggest game of the year.
Kupp has gone over this total in 75% of his games this season, including two of three playoff games. That’s as good as it gets for a prop hit-rate.
There is an argument to be made that playing on their home turf is a big advantage for Rams players, especially for skill-position players who rely on quick cuts to gain separation.
Kupp knows how to play on this field, recording a catch of 29 yards or longer in seven of 10 games at SoFi Stadium this season.
Cincinnati’s secondary has also been vulnerable to big plays. The Bengals surrendered 65 receptions of 20-plus yards during the regular season, third-most in the NFL.
Matthew Stafford over 0.5 interceptions (-155 DraftKings)
Stafford has only thrown one interception through three playoff games so far, but he did tie rookie Trevor Lawrence for the league lead with 17 during the regular season. That included five games with multiple picks.
Stafford has thrown an interception in five of his past seven games, nine total in that span. And the Rams might not be in Super Bowl LVI had 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt not dropped an easy pick in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game.
This isn’t a knock on the Rams quarterback as a player, it’s simply following trends to consider for Sunday. And Cincinnati’s defense has been generating big plays of late.
Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions against Cincinnati in the AFC Championship Game. Ryan Tannehill tossed three picks against the Bengals in the divisional round. Derek Carr threw one in the wild-card round.
That’s as steady as it comes. This defense is just swarming to the ball in these playoffs, making huge plays in big moments.
Odell Beckham TD (+120 DraftKings)
Beckham has had a nose for the end zone since coming to Los Angeles, scoring six touchdowns in his 11 games as a Ram.
On the biggest stage, I like OBJ to make a big play and score for the first time since the wild-card round.
Beckham sees both a steady flow of targets in the passing game (15 catches in his past two games) and red zone targets.
The expectation here is plenty of scoring from the Rams against a secondary that did give up the seventh-most passing yards during the regular season. Kupp is a strong bet to score, but his -190 odds aren’t worth a standalone bet.
So, we pivot to WR2 in this high-flying offense, betting on Beckham to catch a touchdown in his first Super Bowl appearance.
The Bengals have surrendered at least one wide receiver touchdown in eight consecutive games, further suggesting that honing in on this position for Los Angeles is a sound betting strategy for Super Bowl LVI.
Gambling problem? There is help. Call 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling for help.
Griffin Carroll, Field Level Media. Griffin founded bettingwithdata.com and he can be followed on Twitter at @griffybets.
