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Aaron Donald Super Bowl LVI Props Rundown

Rams Star Defensive Tackle Should Dominate Weak Bengals O-LIne

While you might be able to quibble with the designation, Aaron Donald’s status as the best defensive player in the NFL — and one of the best players in the league overall — is pretty clear-cut. He’s a truly unstoppable pass rusher who has the speed and quickness of a defensive end with the size and strength of a defensive tackle. Donald is a major reason why the Los Angeles Rams are in the Super Bowl for the second time in the last four years. He’s even a legitimate Super Bowl LVI MVP candidate.

Donald is also going to be a nightmare for the Cincinnati Bengals to block, especially considering how Cincinnati also has to deal with Von Miller and Leonard Floyd on the Los Angeles defensive line. The Bengals struggled with pass protection against the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, and it likely won’t get better on Sunday.

Aaron Donald Super Bowl LVI Props Rundown
Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP

With that said, the BetUS sportsbook has a bunch of Donald-related prop bets currently available. Let’s take a look at some of them to assess where the best value is on the current NFL betting odds:

Donald to Have First Sack of Game (+400)

Of course, the “first” prop bets are tough because Donald could have four sacks, but if Miller, Sam Hubbard or Trey Hendrickson gets the first sack, then the bet doesn’t hit. However, since Donald is the most prolific pass rusher for either team, he’s a good value at +400. Also, as mentioned above, the Bengals’ offensive line is Cincinnati’s biggest weakness, so taking a Rams player here is the smart move.

Joe Burrow was only sacked once against Kansas City, but he narrowly avoided a few others just a week after he was taken down behind the line of scrimmage nine times by the Titans. The Rams are a different animal, though, as they were third in the NFL in sacks. If Donald gets his hands on a quarterback, he usually brings them down.

There is a concern that the Bengals will try to blunt Donald’s impact by double-teaming him. However, it’s tough to do that against the Rams with all of their other high-end pass rushers. So, overall, +400 for Donald to have the game’s first sack is pretty good value if you’re betting online.

Donald Over 4½ Total Tackles + Assists (-110)

This number doesn’t seem that high, but it’s important to remember that Donald is usually double-teamed by blockers and, technically, is a defensive tackle whose primary goal is to get to the opposing quarterback. So, his total tackle numbers aren’t as impressive as you might think.

Donald “only” had 84 combined tackles in the regular season, which equates to just under five per game. He’s averaging three combined tackles in the postseason thus far. Even though the 4½-tackle over/under makes sense in those terms, it feels a bit too low for someone as dominant as Donald against the Bengals, who allowed a league-high 51 sacks.

The Pittsburgh product is also stout against the run and the Bengals like to feature Joe Mixon out of the backfield a lot. There should be plenty of chances for Donald to get involved on Sunday and he should get at least five combined tackles, as he has done in nine of his last 11 games.

Donald Over ½ Sacks (-200)

Now for the most straightforward and least juicy Donald bet. Based strictly on numbers, since Donald averages less than a sack per game — he has 12½ in 17 regular-season games and 1½ in three postseason games — you might be compelled to take the under at +150. That’s not a bad bet because, even for the NFL’s top pass rushers, it’s asking a lot to expect a sack per game.

However, for a Super Bowl against this Bengals offensive line, you have to go with the over if you’re making NFL predictions. Donald is going to be amped up and knows that the Rams need him (and the rest of the defensive line) to make life hell for Burrow in the pocket. He also will be looking forward to making up for his subpar performance in Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots. Don’t overthink this one.

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