Yeah we have had a rough postseason with our picks after a decent regular year considering King Sport was even crazier than usual. Need a cherry on top to make it better. This bows up our 31st season of NFL picks in the Miami Herald (since 1991), and we appreciate y’all being along for the ride. Now let’s close it out with a big win!
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Championship Round: 1-1, .500 overall; 1-1, .500 vs. spread.
Playoffs: 5-7, .417 overall; 4-8, .333 vs. spread.
Final Regular Season: 172-99-1, .635 overall; 140-130-2, .519 vs. spread.
Final 2020 Season: 166-89-1, .651 overall; 130-120-6, .520 vs. spread.
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GREG COTE’S NFL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND PLAYOFF PICKS
SUPER BOWL 56
BENGALS (13-7) vs. RAMS (15-5)
Line: LAR by 4.
Cote’s pick: LAR, 28-23.
TV: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, NBC.
Lots to love about this SB 56 matchup. Bengals’ Joe Burrow winning in his second season or Rams’ Matthew Stafford doing so with a new team would be great stuff. Jalen Ramsey covering Ja’Marr Chase could be epic (and game-defining). Aaron Donald bull-rushing a suspect Cincy O-line could turn the result. Cincinnati is the underdog and clear Cinderella here (never won, last in SB in 1988), but L.A. has much to prove, too. Rams Super Bowled in 2019 but lost badly, and before that haven’t been this close since the St. Louis years, last winning it all in 1999. Bottom line: Bengals go for Cincy’s first crown ever, in 55 franchise seasons. And Rams endeavor to win their first championship as L.A., for L.A., since pre-SB 1951. In that way you don’t often get two cities trying to end a combined 126-year drought. These are two No. 4 seeds, by the way. These are not two superpowers. They’re two teams trying to be that. Each won their last two playoff games by only four points each, so neither has been dominating. So, who wins? Much as my neutral heart might root for Cincy, I see Rams as better all-round. LAR’s offense is better than Tennessee's and its D is better than Kansas City's, making this the best team Bengals have faced this postseason. Rams also have their home stadium, and the experience of having played in a recent Super Bowl. Bengals are more the rags-to-riches tale here, but it’s the Rams’ time.
[Note: Betting lines are courtesy Caesars Sportsbook as of late-afternoon Thursday].
