The San Francisco 49ers were in the driver’s seat at the start of the fourth quarter, leading the Rams 17-7. The Rams scored a quick touchdown to make it 17-14 and then got the ball back on a punt. Matthew Stafford dropped back to go deep and threw a flutterball that hung up in the air like a punt. Jaquiski Tartt, a safety for the 49ers, sat under the ball waiting. However, he dropped what would have been his first pick of the year, and what could easily have turned into a long return, or even a pick-six. Perhaps he was already thinking several steps ahead before securing the ball, but he has taken his lumps in the press as a result. It wasn’t Tartt’s fault that the 49er offense fell off the table in the fourth quarter, but this was Kyle Shanahan’s second consecutive blown double-digit lead in as many playoff losses; the last came in Super Bowl LIV, when the 49ers led the Chiefs by 10 points going into the fourth quarter…and the Chiefs came back to win. So now the Rams advance to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
What are the Rams’ NFL betting odds of winning? Should you bet on them? Let’s take a closer look.
NFL News: Odds of Los Angeles Winning Super Bowl LVI
The betting is opening heavy on the Rams’ side of what was originally a Rams -3.5 line. At DraftKings, the line has already moved to Rams -4.5, but you can still find it at 3.5 or 4 at other books, a variance that you could leverage if you chose. The point total sits at 49 ½, but that could shift up to 51 or higher. The “under” is already an interesting bet, given the amount of sniffing that teams often spend the first half of Super Bowls doing, but if that point total passes 51 or even 52, the “under” gets a lot safer.
All of the accolades that Stafford is getting in the press today? You’d be hearing them about Jimmy G and the 49er defense if Tartt had caught that interception and the 49ers had turned that into enough points to add to the lead. A touchdown likely would have salted the game away. It didn’t help that the 49ers panicked on their next-to-last possession, throwing three times instead of chewing up some clock.
The Rams have an all-world defense on paper, with Aaron Donald and Von Miller leading the pass rush, and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the secondary. However, all Ramsey got noticed for in the NFC Championship was getting in an argument with San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould after Gould nailed a field goal at the end of the first half.
On offense, the Rams have a transcendent connection between Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Odell Beckham Jr has also seen his game take off. With tight end Tyler Higbee going down to injury in the NFC Championship, Kendall Blanton emerged both last week and this week, including a bizarre tight end screen on a flea-flicker that went for over 20 yards and kept a Rams drive going.
The issue has to do with the Rams’ mental strength as a group. In the NFC Championship, the Rams finally pushed through a difficult fourth quarter and emerged victorious. Stafford has always had the tendency to cough the ball up or make another big mistake when on the cusp of victory. Tartt’s drop, and the 49ers’ offense, let Stafford get back up off the mat. Will the Bengals? With two comeback wins over Kansas City since Week 17 and a statement win over Tennessee, it’s hard to see where the Rams win this by more than a field goal, if they win it at all.
Rams Winning Super Bowl : Bet the Game Today
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