Who will win the rematch of the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl is history – long live the rematch. While this is obviously just a preseason game, it’s still interesting to see these two teams back on the field against each other so soon. Albeit without their two top quarterbacks.
For both Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford will not play on Saturday. Burrow because of his injury history, Stafford because Rams head coach Sean McVay is a strict opponent of using starters in the preseason.
That might tempt one to think the Bengals are favourites here, as they’re sure to send a slightly lesser starter or two onto the field. But that’s not the case. McVay in particular has developed an excellent strategy to push his second guard to the maximum.
Accordingly, his preseason record of 7-10 wins is better than Zac Taylor’s 2-7. All in all, our forecast for Bengals vs. Rams is a duel of equals with slight advantages for McVay and his Rams.
Kickoff of the first meeting between the two teams since the Super Bowl is Sunday night at 00:00 in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals – Statistics & current form
The Bengals will meet their defeater from the Super Bowl in February. However, there will be no real desire for revenge, because hardly any of their opponents will be on the field on Saturday. Only kicker Matt Gay is likely to be recognisable.
Nevertheless, after two losses in the preseason, Cincinnati finally wants to get their first win. So far, they have a 23:36 against the Cardinals and a 22:25 against the Giants on their scoreboard. However, it will not be easy against the Rams.
Browning or Allen?
While quarterback Jake Browning was the man who got the most snaps against the Cardinals, that changed against the Giants and Brandon Allen got more to do. He was able to use this time a little better, as he is also considered the number 2 behind Joe Burrow.
With 14 of 20 passes and 105 yards he was the better of two average quarterbacks so far. That mediocrity could also be their undoing against LA, who will already have an NFL experienced backup in Wolford.
Running game as big strength
So the running game will have to do it again against Los Angeles, with running back Trayveon Williams leading the way. He ran for an average of 3.1 yards and a touchdown against New York, whereas Chris Evans, who was ranked ahead of him on the depth chart, only managed 0.6 yards per rush.
They also have another good backup running back in Jacques Patrick, who has scored a touchdown in both preseason games so far and could quietly become the new No. 3.
If they can get the running game going again, they can get their first win against LA. However, we see their weaknesses at the QB position as too severe to favour a tip on them. Thus, for Bengals vs Rams, a bet on LA is our preferred betting option – at better value.
Key Players:
QB: Brandon Allen
RB: Trayveon Williams
WR: Kwamie Lassiter II
TE: Thaddeus Moss
K: Evan McPherson
Los Angeles Rams – Statistics & current form
The reigning champions have been running a bit under the radar this preseason. There are very simple reasons for that. On the one hand, their off-season has been rather quiet and without scandals, on the other hand, Head Coach Sean McVay traditionally spares his best starters.
But even with the second guard, he always succeeds in the preseason. This year they already have another win (29:22 at the Chargers) on their record and were also very close against the Texans (20:24).
Two top quarterbacks in the backfield
The Rams have two really good backup quarterbacks in Bryce Perkins and John Wolford, both of whom have already proven their NFL worthiness. Perkins in the win against the Chargers a fortnight ago, Wolford even in two games in the Regular Season and the NFL Playoffs.
For Saturday, we expect the designated No. 2 Wolford to get a little more playing time, which should give the Rams a slight advantage over Cincinnati. If their run defense holds up, we consider them the favorites in this game.
Defense still with question marks
The weal and woe in this duel, however, will depend on the Rams defence. Against both the Chargers and the Texans, the Rams were especially susceptible to the run. With 86 and 115 rushing yards against them, they were pretty shaky for a preseason game.
Since this is also the Bengals’ strength, things could get tricky on Saturday. But McVay knows that, too, and he will certainly focus on that. Thanks to his experience, the odds on the Rams in Cincinnati vs. LA are still good bets, especially since the bookmakers see them as underdogs.
Key Players:
QB: John Wolford
RB: Trey Ragas
WR: Lance McCutcheon
TE: Brycen Hopkins
K: Matt Gay
Cincinnati Bengals – Los Angeles Rams Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
As already mentioned, the last duel was not too long ago. However, this 23:20 victory of the Rams in the Super Bowl can hardly be used as a comparison for Saturday. The teams will look completely different.
But other balances are also slightly in LA’s favour. In this year’s preseason, the Bengals are 0-2, while the Rams are 1-1. In addition, Cincinnati under Head Coach Taylor is 2-7 in the preseason, while the Rams under McVay are 7-10 – another slight advantage for Los Angeles.
Overall, it will certainly be a duel of equals, which generally speaks in favour of preferring the higher odds. In the case of the Bengals vs. Rams, the odds of 2.27 on LA are much higher than on Cincinnati, which is the deciding factor for us in the end.
Cincinnati Bengals – Los Angeles Rams Tip
Summary: The preseason is not the Bengals’ thing, winning just a full two games there in recent years. For the Rams, their last win was just a fortnight ago. In addition, Sean McVay is a master at recruiting a second guard.
So for Bengals vs Rams, a bet on the slight underdogs from Los Angeles is our No. 1 betting option, followed by bets on over-points, as both teams have not performed at the highest level defensively so far.
Alternatively, bets on a high-scoring fourth quarter are also on the list. In all four preseason games between the two teams so far, at least 14 points have been scored in the final period, with an average of 17.5.
