AP: Super Bowl 56 could make history at kickoff before either the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals begin the opening drives.
The temperature two hours before kickoff was 85 degrees with the chance for the gauge to go even higher by the time the ball is kicked off. That would make this the hottest Super Bowl ever, topping the record of 84 set on Jan. 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
California has been dealing with a heatwave with eight locations in the region posting record temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s earlier this week.
The Cincinnati Bengals are the home team Sunday in the Super Bowl — technically. The home-field advantage belongs all to the Los Angeles Rams.
The NFC champions (15-5) will dress and work out of their usual locker room after spending the night before the big game in their usual hotel. The Rams’ logo is plastered all around and inside SoFi Stadium even with the banners making it clear this is the Super Bowl.
Yes, the Bengals (13-7) are represented inside the stadium with their name and “Who Dey!” mantra opposite the Rams.
This is the second straight Super Bowl where the home team has gotten to play on its own field after Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a championship a year ago in Raymond James Stadium. Before that, the NFL went 54 years without a team playing a Super Bowl in its home stadium.
Sports Illustrated: According to the ESPN Football Power Index, the Los Angeles Rams have a 66.3 percent chance of taking home their first Lombardi Trophy since their days in St. Louis as The Greatest Show on Turf.
That leaves just a 33.7 percent chance for Joe Burrow and the unlikely Cincinnati Bengals. But that’s nothing new for Joe Shiesty and the unlikely AFC North champs.
The Bengals have been doubted all postseason long, and they’ve proved the NFL world wrong every step of the way.
according to PointsBet, the Los Angeles Rams are this year’s favorite over the Cincinnati Bengals to win the coveted Lombardi Trophy.
- Point spread: Rams -4.5 (-105), Bengals +4.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Rams -210, Bengals +175
- Over/under total: 48.5 points: over (-110), under (-110)
