The upstart Cincinnati Bengals are underdogs again.
Sportsbooks on Sunday installed the Los Angeles Rams as 3.5-point favorites over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. The Rams opened as -170 money-line favorites to win the game straight up at Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under total was set at 50.5 points.
The Super Bowl will take place Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the Rams. However, John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, told ESPN it did not include any home-field advantage in its opening line.
The line was growing Sunday night, with at least one big bet showing up on the favored Rams. Caesars Sportsbook reported taking a $180,000 money-line bet on Los Angeles on Sunday in Nevada.
Still, Cincinnati has overcome much longer odds already this season. The Bengals kicked off the season at 200-1 to win the Super Bowl at sportsbooks. Only the Houston Texans had longer odds than the Bengals. At some books, the Texans attracted more bets to win the Super Bowl than Cincinnati in the offseason.
The Bengals are the first team to reach the Super Bowl with odds longer than 100-1 since the 1999 St. Louis Rams (150-1), according to SportsOddsHistory.com.
Some bettors did jump on the Bengals’ bandwagon early. The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas reported taking 17 bets on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl at 200-1 odds, the largest for $200.
On Oct. 28, a bettor at Caesars Sportsbook in Michigan placed a $13,440 bet on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl at 35-1. According to the sportsbook, the same customer also put $13,000 on Cincinnati to claim the AFC crown at 16-1 and won $208,000 when the visiting Bengals rallied to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
While the Bengals were big long shots, the Rams entered the season at 14-1, among the top tier of teams in the odds to win the Super Bowl. The Rams have remained near the top of odds boards throughout the regular season and playoffs.
BetMGM offered odds on the exact Super Bowl matchup in the preseason. A Bengals-Rams Super Bowl was listed at 500-1.
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