Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVI after coming back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Over in the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals also pulled out of a double-digit deficit to defeat the two-time conference champion Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
The unlikeliest of Super Bowl matchups is now upon us with Los Angeles and Cincinnati doing battle at SoFi Stadium in Southern California on Feb. 12.
Odds have already come out for the big game. In what really can’t be considered too much of a surprise, the “home-standing” Los Angeles Rams open up as four-point favorites (via The Lines).
These odds track the lines of the nation’s largest online sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM. The over/under has also been set at 49.5 initially.
Related: Super Bowl LVI start time, halftime show and more
Los Angeles Rams as home favorites in Super Bowl LVI
After playing a dozen seasons with the downtrodden Lions, Stafford was traded to Los Angeles a year ago Sunday. The goal for the former No. 1 pick was to contend for a title.
Down 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game, Matthew Stafford did just that. He completed 11-of-14 passes for 121 yards with a touchdown in the final 15 minutes, vastly outplaying 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the process.
For a Rams team that has gone all in to win this season, ending a six-game losing streak to the 49ers was not small thing. Earning a trip to Super Bowl LVI in their home stadium added another layer to that.
Related: Sportsnaut’s NFL Super Bowl predictions
Despite the good feelings in Southern California, we wouldn’t discount the Bengals in the big game. Second-year quarterback Joe Burrow led Cincinnati back from a 21-3 deficit late in the second quarter to defeat the two-time defending AFC champion Chiefs on the road. He outplayed Patrick Mahomes throughout the entire second half and overtime.
With two weeks to go before the Super Bowl, these lines will change. However, it’s clear that the Los Angeles Rams are favored to win their first championship since relocating back to Southern California from St. Louis.
Go to Source
Author: Vincent Frank