Madden’s eerily accurate Super Bowl LVI prediction says the Bengals will top the Rams

By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer
Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

    Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

    Electronic Arts, like most major video game publishers, has never let a good PR opportunity slip past. Still, it might be a mistake to dismiss the company’s annual Super Bowl predictions.

    The Madden franchise has an eerily accurate track record when it comes to predicting Super Bowl winners—and this year, the game says the Cincinnati Bengals will come out on top.

    A simulation of the game, run on Madden NFL 22, predicts the Bengals will beat the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 24–21. Joe Burrow will capture the MVP title, according to the game.

    Here’s how Madden sees the big game playing out. The first quarter will be a back-and-forth contest, ending in a 7–7 tie. Before halftime, though, the Rams will come back and be on top by a score of 14–7, thanks to a 32-yard catch from Cooper Kupp.

    The Bengals will tie it up again in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter will be an offensive explosion, like pretty much every postseason game has been in 2022.

    So why rely on a video game when deciding where to place your bet? Well, the Madden franchise has accurately predicted the Super Bowl winner in 13 of the past 18 years, including perfectly forecasting the score in Super Bowl XLIX. (You might not want to rely on it for the over/under, though.)

    Want some historical perspective before deciding how much faith to put into Madden’s forecast? Here’s a look at the game’s full track record to date:

    Super Bowl LV

    Madden: Chiefs 37, Buccaneers 27

    Actual Score: Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9

    Super Bowl LIV

    Madden: Chiefs 35, 49ers 31

    Actual Score: Chiefs 31, 49ers 20

    Super Bowl LIII

    Madden: Rams 30, Patriots 27

    Actual Score: Patriots 13, Rams 3

    Super Bowl LII

    Madden: Patriots 24, Eagles 20

    Actual Score: Patriots 34, Eagles 28

    Super Bowl LI

    Madden: Patriots 27, Falcons 24

    Actual Score: Patriots 34, Falcons 28

    Super Bowl 50

    Madden: Panthers 24, Broncos 20

    Actual Score: Broncos 24, Panthers 10

    Super Bowl XLIX

    Madden: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24

    Actual Score: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24

    Super Bowl XLVIII

    Madden: Broncos 31, Seahawks 28
    Actual score: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8

    Super Bowl XLVII

    Madden: Ravens 27, 49ers 24
    Actual score: Ravens 34, 49ers 31

    Super Bowl XLVI

    Madden: Giants 27, Patriots 24
    Actual score: Giants 21, Patriots 17

    Super Bowl XLV

    Madden: Steelers, 24, Packers, 20
    Actual score: Packers 31, Steelers 25

    Super Bowl XLIV

    Madden: Saints 35, Colts 31
    Actual score: Saints 31, Colts 17

    Super Bowl XLIII

    Madden: Steelers 28, Cardinals 24
    Actual score: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23

    Super Bowl XLII

    Madden: Patriots 38, Giants 30
    Actual score: Giants 17, Patriots 14

    Super Bowl XLI

    Madden: Colts 38, Bears 27
    Actual score: Colts 29, Bears 17

    Super Bowl XL

    Madden: Steelers 24, Seahawks 19
    Actual score: Steelers 21, Seahawks 10

    Super Bowl XXXIX

    Madden: Patriots 47, Eagles 31
    Actual score: Patriots 24, Eagles 21

    Super Bowl XXXVIII

    Madden: Patriots 23, Panthers 20
    Actual Score: Patriots 32, Panthers 29

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