The Big Money In The Big Game Between The Bengals And Rams

We’re just a day away from Super Bowl LVI between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The Rams are playing for a championship for the second time in four seasons. The Bengals, meanwhile, hadn’t won a playoff game since 1991.

Still, this is a showdown worth tuning in for. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the big game.

The Matchup

This is a financial mismatch, pitting the NFL’s fourth-most-valuable team against its 31st. The Bengals are a family business. Behind the Rams is Stan Kroenke, one of America’s richest team owners with a full-fledged sports empire. He got to this point by taking big risks.

Players on the winning team will receive a $150,000 bonus from the NFL; players on the losing team will get $75,000 each. Here are ten other dollar figures to know.

The Players

The game won’t feature any of the NFL’s ten highest-paid players this season, but it will include a quarterback making $22 million: Matthew Stafford, who delivered in his first season in Los Angeles.

Stafford’s 40-year-old left tackle is eyeing a Hollywood ending, facing the team he played his first 11 years with. Odell Beckham Jr. is happy he chose the Rams over the Chiefs. Aaron Donald and the defense think they have a good matchup.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is poised for an endorsement payday, but at least for now, he’s not his team’s highest-paid player. Neither, for that matter, is Evan McPherson, who is as clutch as they come but suffers under the curse of the kicker.

The Spectacle

SoFi Stadium is a different sort of NFL field, and not just because of its $5 billion price tag. Here are six of its most interesting features.

The halftime show is set to feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. They’re all huge stars, but their combined paycheck for the performance will come out to roughly $0.

The NFL is seeing some of its best ratings in years, which is great news for the advertisers spending as much as $7 million for a 30-second commercial. Everything is smooth over at Busch Light, which commissioned a serenade from Kenny G.

One startup is trying to turn the game into a new category of sports social media.

The Bets

Americans are projected to wager $7.6 billion on the game, a 78% increase from last year. The Rams are 4-point favorites, and there are a slew of interesting prop bets. One legendary sports gambler has $9.5 million riding on the Bengals to win it all. But some sportsbooks are afraid to use the phrase “Super Bowl” even as they take bets on the game.

Just remember: Your Super Bowl squares pool could actually be illegal.

The Last Word

“I’m blessed.” – Al Golden

Al Golden has worked on both sides of the ball during his coaching career, in addition to serving as head coach at the University of Miami. That versatility helped him catch on with the Bengals as the team’s linebackers coach.