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The Wildcat returns for his 25th season in The Post. Including the 1997-2021 seasons in the Bettor’s Guide, Cat’s record in print stands at 652-562 (53.8 percent) against the spread.

Once in a blue moon, an exceptional prodigy of an NFL signal-caller strolls down the pike, assumes his position and proceeds to take the sporting nation by storm. The top-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Joe Burrow has progressed as far and fast as his legs, arm and extraordinary pigskin common sense and sheer grit have carried him.

Burrow is squaring off against Rams commander Matthew Stafford, another No. 1-overall draft choice (2009) whose lengthy training regimen in the Lions School of Hard Knocks has served him well. Stafford was given a splendid opportunity in Los Angeles and hasn’t fumbled it. Blessed with all-universe receiver Cooper Kupp and a host of other All-Stars (including ex-Giant Odell Beckham Jr., whose swift development has made a critical difference in seasonal Ram fortunes), Stafford meets Burrow for the first time here.

The Rams are favored to the prevailing extent because they’re playing at home at SoFi Stadium, though oddly enough, further study of the 2021-22 schedule reveals that in games which matched Cincy with other league postseason participants, the Bengals won seven of nine of those affairs, failing to cover in just one of them.

The Rams rung up a .500 record in the 10 seasonal games they contested against such tried-and-true competition. We’re also concerned about the 14 turnovers the Rams have suffered since they encountered the Seahawks in late December. The Bengals have given the pigskin away but twice during the same time period.

Championship week: 1-1. 49ers (W), Chiefs (L)
Season: 21-20-1.