Super Bowl Sunday is almost here and it should be a fantastic one as the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams meet in Super Bowl 56. The Rams are the current favorites (-4) and that’s not a surprise given that this game will be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. But can the Bengals pull off the upset and raise the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history?

That depends on who you ask. Some of the smartest and most plugged-in sports betting fans are leaning towards taking the Bengals and the points. That’s why we’ve seen the line now shift from Rams -4.5 to Rams -3.5 in some places. A lot of money is coming on the Bengals and several of the best sports handicappers are leaning towards making Cincinnati one of their NFL picks for the weekend.

One such example is Steve Maltepes, aka the Philly Godfather, who has been betting on the NFL for more than 30 years. He is considered one of the league’s best handicappers and has been a professional sports bettor for decades.

So what makes him optimistic that the Bengals can actually defeat the Rams in their own stadium? Well, it’s simple. Joe Burrow.

Bookies.com's Jasmine McKoy sat down with the Philly Godfather to get his take on the game, and on the second-year quarterback who's taken the Bengals to the Big Game.

“This Bengals team, it could be a team of destiny. Joe Burrow, I've been talking about him being the best quarterback in the NFL all year and now people are finally starting to believe me. This kid's unreal. The big stage never makes him nervous. His demeanor. He's so cool out there. I mean, he's won the national championship, won the Heisman, and now he's in the Super Bowl only a second year after a major injury last year.”

In most of these Super Bowls, the better quarterback wins out. And if Burrow really is the best quarterback in the NFL, maybe the Bengals are the best bet this weekend. Burrow led the NFL in yards per passing attempt this season (8.9) and had the second-best passer rating in the league (108.3), behind only NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. It may seem a tad early, but maybe Maltepes is right that Burrow is already one of, if not the best, quarterback in the NFL.

Philly Godfather Taking Mixon Prop

But what other bets is Philly Godfather taking this weekend? His favorite prop bet is the NFL line on Joe Mixon going over 27.5 receiving yards.

“I bet the over 27 and a half receiving yards for Joe Mixon. If you look at the playoffs, he had 28 against the Raiders, 51 against the Titans, and 27 against the Chiefs. And if you look at the pressure rate on the defensive side of the ball with the Rams and the Titans, they're very similar.

"They get a lot of pressure on the quarterback and with the team like the Bengals, who have a subpar offensive line, you might see Joe Burrow look to check to Joe Mixon and he can always break it for a little bit. So I went over 27 and a half yards with Joe Mixon.”

RELATED: Super Bowl 56 Betting Guide

Mixon averaged 19.6 receiving yards per game this season, but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Since Week 6, Mixon has averaged 27.7 receiving yards per game, which is likely why betting apps set the line where they did. In the playoffs, Mixon has totaled 15 targets in three games and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had six or seven targets in this game alone.

Super Bowl LVI will kickoff at SoFi Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 13. The game can be seen on NBC and various streaming platforms.

Bet $5, Get $150 Instantly

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 30 Times Today

21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in IA/KS/KY/LA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/TN/VA/VT/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: dkng.co/bball. Ends 1/5/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DraftKings. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).