Football:

Who: Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) at Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
What: Super Bowl 56
Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
When: Sunday at 3:30

With Super Bowl 56 just days away, I wanted to reach out to the SGV area football world, and ask for their predictions for Sunday’s showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams.

Whether they made the projection with their hearts or with their heads, the Rams were the overwhelming pick among those I surveyed.

The overriding consensus is that LA’s defensive line is going to haunt Joe Burrow and his O-line.

The Rams are favored in Las Vegas by 4 1/2 points, and they’ll become the only franchise in NFL history to play a conference championship game, and then a Super Bowl in their own stadium.

Los Angeles is 7-3 at home, and the Bengals are 7-3 on the road.

The comparisons don’t end there, as Cincy and LA both scored exactly 460 points apiece in the regular season.

And they both lost their regular-season finale.

One thing all of our contributors had in common was their immense praise for Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow.

The 25-year old had what most believed to be the greatest year any NCAA quarterback has ever had, leading LSU to an NCAA championship, and Burrow won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide back in 2019.

He secured 2,608 total points, which was 1,846 more than second-place Jalen Hurts of Alabama.

And Burrow got 91-percent of the first-place votes.

In just his second year, Burrow has already made history by leading Cincinnati to its first playoff win since George HW Bush was in his second year as President of the United States (1990).

The Rams also have a solid quarterback, who, despite being in his 13th season, had one of his best years statistically.

Matthew Stafford’s 4,886 yards passing is his second best ever, and most since 2011, and his 41 TD’s ties his career mark in that same year.

If LA wins, they’ll make Sean McVay look like a genius, because the Rams head coach traded Jared Goff to Detroit after the 2020-21 season ended, and specifically because he felt Stafford would lead Los Angeles to a Super Bowl title.

In the duh, that’s obvious category, the Rams’ Cooper Kupp should and would play a huge part in an LA victory.

And that doesn’t necessarily mean Kupp has to put up monster numbers for Los Angeles to win.

He can be just as valuable if he’s being double-teamed, because it would allow Odell Beckham and others to work one-on-one against the Cincinnati defensive backfield.

Kupp leads the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and TD catches (16).

Towards the bottom half of this story, we asked our area players, coaches and sportswriters to answer three questions: Who wins? Why? And what’s the final score?

One way or the other, history will be made.

If the Bengals win, it will be the first SB title is franchise history.

And if the Rams leave SoFi Stadium with the Lombardi Trophy, it will be the first NFL championship for a Los Angeles franchise since Marcus Allen led the Raiders to victory in 1984.

For the record, Rio Hondo Prep coach Mark Carson is 5-0 in predicting the NCAA and NFL title games, and he has the Rams winning by a considerable margin.

But keep in mind, approximately one month ago, 90-percent of area players and coaches selected Alabama over Georgia.

Here’s hoping we see a competitive game, and that you all have fun with your friends and family.

By the Numbers:
Points Scored: Cin (532); LAR (544)
Points Allowed: (Cin) (435); LAR (426)
Most Points Scored in a game: Cin (41); LAR (38)
Most Points Allowed in a game: Cin (41); LAR (36)
Bengals Road Record: (7-3)
Rams Home Record: (7-3)
Current Win Streak: Cin (3); LAR: (3)

Over-Under Prop Bets:
Game Odds: LA Rams minus-4.5
Total Combined Points: 48.5
Money Line: Bengals (+165); Rams (minus-200)
Passing Yards: Burrow (C) 272.5; Stafford (LAR) 279.5
Rushing Yards: Mixon (C) 60.5; Akers (LAR) 60.5
Receiving Yards: Ja’Marr Chase 78.5; Cooper Kupp (LAR) 105.5

Playoff Scores:
Wild Card Round:
Bengals 26, Raiders 19
Rams 34, Cardinals 11

Divisional Round:
Bengals 19, Titans 16
Rams 30, Buccaneers 27

AFC Championship: Bengals 27, Chiefs 24
NFC Championship: Rams 20, 49ers 17

SGV Area Predictions:

Bonita coach, Steve Bogan
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams defense is my initial difference maker, but the second-half play of the Bengals against the Chiefs says otherwise … so the home-field advantage comes into play, and keeps me staying with the Rams.
Score: 28-21

Rio Hondo Prep coach, Mark Carson:
Winner: Rams
Why: I’m picking the Rams to win convincingly. They’re the better team, it’s their time and McVay will have them ready.
Score: 31-14

Charter Oak coach, Dominic Farrar:
Winner: Rams
Why: Nostalgia and childhood family memories always makes me root for the home team.
Score: 31-17

Damien coach, Matt Bechtel:
Winner: Bengals
Why: (They have) Joe Burrow
Score: 24-20

Maranatha coach, Rand Holdren:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Bengals won’t be able to handle the Rams defensive front.
Score: 28-23

Glendora coach, Brandon Rohrer:
Winner: Rams
Why: I love Joe Burrow, but the Rams have too many playmakers. I think it ends in a blowout.
Score: 35-17

Arcadia coach, Antyone Sims:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams defensive line will be the reason why they will win Super Bowl 56.
Score: 31-24

St. Francis coach, Dean Herrington:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams pass rush will be too much in the second half
Score: 31-28

PCC assistant coach, Steven Mojarro:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams are playing great football right now. The defense is great and will do their part to win.
Score: 20-17

Northview coach, Marcel Perez:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams defensive line is going to be too much for the Bengals offensive line.
Score: 24-14

Charter Oak senior, Vincent Farrar:
Winner: Rams
Why: Although Joe Burrow is personally one of my favorite quarterbacks, I believe the hometown team will win. Due to the Super Bowl experience, roster, and the monstrous front seven, the Super Bowl seems destined to come to LA. The biggest games on the biggest stage are won in the trenches.
Score: 31-28

Rio Hondo Prep junior, Ryan McCulloch:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams dominant offensive and defensive lines will win them the game.
Score: 27-17

West Covina senior, Deven Muniz:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams have a better overall team on offense and defense, and they’re more experienced.
Score: 23-17

St. Francis senior, Myles Shannon:
Winner: Bengals
Why: I think Joe Burrow is going to ball out and get the win.
Score: 35-6

St. Francis senior, Mayze Bryant:
Winner: Rams
Why: I think it’s going to be a high scoring game, but Cooper Kupp is going to have a career game in the Super Bowl.
Score: 45-38

Northview senior, Erik Saiz:
Winner: Rams
Why: In addition to having home-field advantage, the Rams win the Super Bowl due to the amount of star power and veterans/experience on their roster, because in big games like these, that is crucial
Score: 27-18

La Salle sophomore, Mauricio Pavon:
Winner: Bengals
Why: Because of Joe Burrow
Score: 20-17

La Salle junior, Andrew Boecking:
Winner: Bengals
Why: I think the Bengals will win the Super Bowl, because they have Joe Burrow. Burrow has something to prove and he is a true champion at heart. I think with his leadership, they will for sure take the dub.
Score: 31-24

Glendora junior, Jake Denerson:
Winner: Bengals
Why: Joe Burrow is going to use his magic and get Evan McPherson in field-goal range. McPherson is going to make the game-winning field goal.
Score: 31-28

San Dimas senior, Teyondre Coleman:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams have more experience than the Bengals
Score: 35-28

Former Glendora two-way starter, Matt Gonzales:
Winner: Bengals
Why: They’ve proven they play good in big time moments, and if they execute on defense and shut Kupp down, I like their chances. They have many weapons on the offense side of the ball.
Score: 27-21

Ayala senior, Drew Merrill:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams defense has come up big and their pass rush will be too much to overcome for the Bengals O-line and defense wins championships.
Score: 27-21

Former Ayala two-way starter, Jacob Badawi:
Winner: Rams
Why: Joe Burrow is going to get swallowed alive by the D-line and that’ll set the tone the whole game.
Score: 20-14

Longtime SGV sportswriter, Art Wilson:
Winner: Rams
Why: The Rams experience will be the difference, and expect Aaron Donald to have a big game. That’s coming from a guy who is rooting for Cincy.
Score: 27-13

Longtime SGV area sportswriter, Steve Ramirez:
Winner: Rams
Why: Football is about matchups and the Rams have a sizable advantage with the defensive line, which is very good, vs the Bengals offensive line, which ranks in the bottom third tier, especially on the right side. The Rams have spread their line out to make it difficult to double team Aaron Donald. I think we will see the same pressure the Rams applied to Brady, which will make the difference.
Score: 31-21

Longtime Inland Valley/current Arizona Republic sportswriter, Michelle Gardner:
Winner: Rams
Why: I’m going Rams, because they have veteran players with more experience in pressure situations.
Score: 27-17

Glendora sophomore, Decker DeGraaf
Winner: Rams
Why: I don’t think the Bengals O-line can handle the Rams D-line.
Score: 31-21

Bonita senior, Hunter Grosenbach:
Winner: Bengals
Why: I think the Bengals win, because of Joe Burrow.
Score: 28-24

Northview senior, Cheo Medina:
Winner: Bengals
Why: Because Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow are young and star players that make a big impact. I think they’re going to make history.
Score: 31-28