Tag: Cincinnati Bengals

Most bettors are putting their money behind Bengals over Rams in Super Bowl 56

Cincy’s odds are apparently too tempting to pass on.

With the Super Bowl just three days away, it’s quite obvious which team the betting public is putting its money behind.

Bettors are fading the favored Los Angeles Rams, with 71% of the moneyline action so far being put on the Cincinnati Bengals. Bettors also slightly favor the Bengals against a 3.5-point spread, with 51% of those bets being placed in favor of Cincy.

As the underdog, the Bengals’ odds result in a bigger payout. That may have something to do with bettors favoring them. Their moneyline odds are +165, meaning a $100 bet would win $165. The same bet on the Rams (-200) would only win $50. The spread is much closer with -115 odds on the Rams and -105 on the Bengals.

Bettors also slightly favor the under on 48.5 total points, with 53% of bets going that way.

[listicle id=1843007]
[mm-video type=video id=01fvmqr9jy3xbqsf1gr6 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fvmqr9jy3xbqsf1gr6/01fvmqr9jy3xbqsf1gr6-9e79474e6a0864b96efc48e8db29cde0.jpg]

It will be up to these 3 players to push the Bengals past the Rams in Super Bowl 56

How can the Bengals beat the Rams? Here are the three most likely ways.

The Cincinnati Bengals got to Super Bowl 56 ahead of schedule. It was still entirely too late for their fans.

It’s been more than three decades since the Bengals Ickey Shuffled their way to the biggest game of the year. It’s also only two years since Cincinnati held claim to the league’s worst record and a spot atop the 2020 draft order. Joe Burrow’s arrival, alongside one of the league’s most explosive receiving corps, has defined his franchise’s rise from punchline to Super Bowl threat. Now he’s one win away from southwestern Ohio’s first major championship parade since the Reds won the World Series in 1990.

There’s more to this team’s dramatic rise than engineering one of the league’s most dynamic passing offenses. Trey Hendrickson leads a rebuilt defense that put the clamps on Patrick Mahomes twice this winter to eliminate the reigning AFC champs from contention. Jessie Bates and Mike Hilton have been a major part of that rise, leveling up in the postseason to ground opposing quarterbacks. The Bengals have also demonstrated a significant edge in special teams thanks to the icy demeanor of rookie kicker Evan McPherson, whose field goals have been a port in the storm against swirling defenses.

There are several ways Cincinnati can overcome the +4.5 point spread against it and topple the Rams in Los Angeles for the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. Here are the three most obvious ways it gets done.

ESPN looks back on Evan McPherson as a recruit ahead of Super Bowl LVI

McPherson was one of the top kickers in the nation coming out of high school, but he’s still managed to exceed expectations.

A lot of the talk about this Cincinnati Bengals team as it prepares to take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI centers around quarterback Joe Burrow, and for good reason.

He’s stepped his game up to another level in Year 2 despite coming off an ACL tear, orchestrating one of the more impressive turnarounds in recent years for a team that picked first overall just two years ago.

But there’s an argument to be made that the team’s MVP, at least in the postseason, has been kicker Evan McPherson. The former Florida star was the most accurate kicker in SEC history in college, and he was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the only placekicker to be selected.

He hit game-winning kicks in both the divisional and conference championship rounds, and Cincinnati has his leg to thank as much as anything for being in this position. With McPherson clearly being one of the Bengals’ top players, ESPN took a look back at where he stood as a recruit when he was the nation’s No. 2 overall kicker.

K Evan McPherson
Class of 2018 rating: Three stars (No. 2 K)
Florida

2021 stats: Made 28 of 33 FG attempts (84.8%) including a 58-yard and 46 of 48 XPA

High School scouting report: “McPherson is capable of making big kicks and has shown impressive consistency over the last year in many different events. He has the talent and confidence to play early in college.” (via Kohl’s Kicking)

Kickers don’t get much love on the recruiting trail, but McPherson (Fort Payne, Ala.) was a coveted talent in the 2018 class. The Under Armour All-American collected eight scholarship offers, rare for a specialist, including Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Rutgers and Army. After an initial commitment to Mississippi State, McPherson signed with the Gators. His production in Gainesville prompted the Bengals to use a fifth-round selection on him in the 2021 draft. Cincinnati received immediate return on its investment, as McPherson had a productive rookie campaign. Currently, he is having a record-setting playoff run with 12 made field goals on 12 attempts, including three from 50-plus yards, and game-winners against the Titans and Chiefs.

McPherson certainly was able to start early, taking over the kicking job in Gainesville the moment he set foot on campus in 2018. He’s been clutch throughout his entire career and is trustworthy from even 50+ yards.

He was regarded as one of the top kickers in his recruiting class coming out of high school, and that prediction has clearly panned out as McPherson is poised to be one of the best specialists in the league in the coming years.

[lawrence-related id=77314,77302,77300,77187,77188]

[listicle id=77099]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

8 Super Bowl prop bets we love for Rams vs. Bengals

If you’re looking to wager on Sunday’s Super Bowl, consider betting on these 8 prop bets.

Super Bowl Sunday is nearly upon us and as fun as it is to watch the game, betting on it adds to the excitement. While you can obviously bet on the winner, the spread and the over/under, prop bets are a great way to wager on the game if you feel strongly about a certain player performing well – or poorly.

We’ve laid out eight prop bets that we love for Super Bowl LVI, with picks for both the Rams and Bengals. All odds are courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.

Carson Palmer under fire for Joe Burrow comments ahead of Super Bowl

Former Bengals QB Carson Palmer caused quite a stir with Joe Burrow commentary before the Super Bowl.

Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer has some interesting thoughts on Joe Burrow.

Ahead of the Bengals playing the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, Palmer was one of the many media personalities making the rounds.

Asked about Burrow’s future with the Bengals during an appearance on NBC’s “Brother From Another” show, Burrow dropped the following quote:

“I think Joe’s gonna sit back after this game, win or lose and be like ‘man, am I gonna re-sign with this team? Are they willing to do what it takes to continuously build to get back to the next Super Bowl? Next year and the year after that and the year after that? How are they willing to structure salary cap wise to be able to afford me, but to also be able to afford Ja’Marr Chase when he comes up or Tee Higgins or maybe even re-do this offensive line?'”

Palmer probably could’ve delivered the quote better, undoubtedly. Burrow isn’t leaving Cincinnati and the Bengals won’t have any problems retaining him and the core — the front office has given off no hints this will be an issue to manage.

Still, there will be a due-process situation both player (and his reps) and the team takes when thinking about the future.

Regardless, days before the Super Bowl was a weird time to bring it up and given how Palmer’s time ended with the Bengals, fans were understandably not thrilled.

Here’s a sampling of the reaction:

B.J. Hill on Giants trade: ‘God had a plan for me’

Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman B.J. Hill said he trusted in God after learning the New York Giants intended to trade him.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end B.J. Hill is finally finding his way in the NFL. After three seasons with the New York Giants that saw him go from potential star to afterthought, Hill is in the spotlight as a key contributor along the Bengals’ offensive line.

Before the season, the Giants traded Hill, an impending free agent, to the Bengals in exchange for center Billy Price — a trade that would prove to be vital tot he Giants’ season after losing starting center Nick Gates to a fractured leg early in the year.

But for Hill, it was a new beginning after getting bounced around by the Giants’ coaching staff for three seasons.

“I’m truly blessed to be in this spot,” Hill said Wednesday as per NJ.com. “It was a blessing to be with the Giants. I came a long way. I knew God had a plan for me the whole time. I just had to be patient. At first, when I figured out I was going to get traded, I was down. I didn’t want to leave, because I knew this place [with the Giants] for going on four years.”

Hill was third-round pick out of North Carolina State back in 2018, selected with one of the picks the Giants received in the trade with Tampa Bay for Jason Pierre-Paul. After a solid rookie season that saw Hill set a Giants’ rookie record for sacks (5.5) in 12 starts, he lost playing time to Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams and became a back-of-the-rotation player.

Hill rebounded in 2021 with 5.5 sacks this season.

“It was a great trade,” he said. “It just all worked out. I’m so thankful for all of this happening. I love Cincinnati. Hopefully, I’m here for a long time.”

He might, who knows? Hill will be a free agent next month and likely will be testing the waters. He is yet another success story of Giants player who go on to greener pastures after their days in blue.

[listicle id=688030]

Bengals CB Tre Flowers shares respect for Seahawks: ‘Everything just worked out’

That’s worked out well for Flowers and his new team.

Tre Flowers had his moments but never truly settled in as a reliable starter for the Seattle Seahawks secondary. After a couple of rough games to start the 2021 season, the team finally punted on trying to force a fit and waived him. That’s worked out well for Flowers and his new team.

The Cincinnati Bengals picked him up off waivers soon after and he has made some clutch plays for them during their improbable playoff run to the Super Bowl. Speaking with the media yesterday, Flowers shared nothing but respect for his former team and seemed thankful for the opportunity.

[lawrence-related id=84163]

[listicle id=84117]

4 Rams players to watch vs. Bengals in Super Bowl LVI

The Rams’ biggest stars will need to step up in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday. Here are 4 players to watch against the Bengals.

The time has almost arrived for the Super Bowl to finally be played, which will take the place of the hypothetical scenarios we’ve created in our heads on how the game could unravel. The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams both had interesting journeys to get to this moment, and there is no shortage of storylines entering Sunday’s showdown.

Andrew Whitworth has an opportunity to defeat his former team in the Super Bowl, Sean McVay is facing off against one of his former assistants in Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a Super Bowl in just his second year in the league despite coming off of a season-ending knee injury, and Matthew Stafford could finally silence his critics by winning it all, among other headline-worthy developments.

While some people watch the Super Bowl for the commercials or the halftime show, fans of both teams are nervously waiting to see if their favorite franchise gets to add a Lombardi Trophy to their collection. With the anticipation building up, here are four Rams players to watch in Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup against the Bengals.

NFL coaches poll split on Rams vs. Bengals Super Bowl pick

There are matchups to analyze…but also the Joe Burrow effect.

It would seem NFL coaches are just as split as everyone else when it comes to trying to pick the winner of Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

Over at The Athletic, Mike Sando polled four NFL coaches anonymously and the end result was a 2-2 split.

One offensive coach put it in a way that Bengals fans are sure to love:

“I’m so torn in this game. I bet L.A. gets up, they get to the second half and even though Sean McVay has lost only one game leading at the half, I just feel like Joe Burrow is going to be like, “This is exactly how I want it,” and then he’s just going to go win it.”

But another coach went with the Rams due to matchups and one went with the Rams due to Stafford’s likelihood of having a good game. The other Bengals pick came from a defensive coordinator who said the Bengals are simply the more physical team.

The biggest theme overall? Coaches can’t help but mention the Joe Burrow effect and how confidently the team keeps playing. Nothing seems to deter them.

And in a way, we’ve seen that before from eventual Super Bowl winners like say, the Eagles in recent years. That sort of aura sort of throws things for a loop no matter how much one dissects the matchup — and it would appear even pro coaches agree.

[listicle id=147725]

Zac Taylor has genius way of helping Bengals players avoid Super Bowl distractions

This alone should win Zac Taylor coach of the year.

Cincinnati Bengals players were adamant for two weeks that they wouldn’t succumb to distractions at the Super Bowl out in California.

By all appearances that has remained true, to the point Ja’Marr Chase was publicly showcasing some superstitions and he and Joe Burrow received major awards via telecast.

But if for some reason the sheer motivation of playing in the Super Bowl wasn’t enough to keep players away from distractions, it would appear head coach Zac Taylor has thrown an assist out, too.

Safety Jessie Bates told reporters that Taylor has offered to buy his guys a flight to Los Angeles if they win the Super Bowl, per NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala:

Not a bad way to sprinkle in some extra incentive, right? Presumably, the Burrow-led locker room knows that Los Angeles will always be there — a shot at a Lombardi could be a one-time thing.

[listicle id=147725]