Super Bowl Odds Report: Conference Championships
The Favorites
Kansas City Chiefs (+125): The Chiefs saw their odds bump up from +450 to +350 when the Patriots were knocked off by the Titans, and move way up to +125 with the Titans upsetting the Ravens in Baltimore. Kansas City won in impressive fashion on Sunday. The Chiefs fell into a 24-0 hole to an inferior Texans team, but demonstrated just how much of a juggernaut they are with touchdowns on an NFL playoff record seven straight drives to pull away for a 51-31 win.
Kansas City showed obvious signs of rust early before coming back in decisive fashion. Andy Reid continues to devise great schemes and Patrick Mahomes makes the most of his ample weaponry. But the biggest difference for KC this year is a defense that’s allowed just 12.7 PPG during a six-game win streak. The Chiefs don’t have a lay-up next Sunday against a physical Titans squad that beat them earlier this year. Yet they opened as 7.5-point favorites and would have an edge over San Francisco in a potential Super Bowl matchup.
San Francisco 49ers (+150): Since the Niners demolished the Packers, 37-8, in Week 12, the expectation is for San Francisco to march into the Super Bowl as the NFC representative. The Niners were more impressive than any team during the Divisional Round, although they were facing a flawed Vikings team that played on five days rest with injuries to all of its key skill players.
Green Bay (+7) is being given a better chance than Tennessee (+7.5) to crash the Super Bowl party, which is surprising. The Niners do have a clear weakness in Jimmy Garoppolo, who contributed to some costly early turnovers before HC Kyle Shanahan basically took the ball out of his hands and ran it down Minnesota’s throats. Maybe SF can get past Green Bay with a run-heavy diet, but will that be enough to win a shootout against Mahomes and the Chiefs, or win a physical battle against the run-stopping, Derrick Henry-led Titans?
The Underdogs
Green Bay Packers (+470): A wing and a prayer, and Aaron Rodgers. That’s basically all the Packers bring to San Francisco for a chance at redemption this Sunday. Their offense is all too dependent on Davante Adams and Aaron Jones to be relied upon against a San Francisco defense and coaching staff that is far more talented and aggressive than their counterparts in Seattle. It is extremely difficult to picture this team winning a Super Bowl at its current roster construction and the streaking Titans offer more value.
Tennessee Titans (+650): We’ve seen it before in the NFL, albeit not since 2012. Sometimes a Wild Card team sneaks into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and rolls through the competition to set up a Cinderella Story in the Super Bowl. Mike Vrabel and his fighting Titans could do just that if they come up with more pivotal plays at Kansas City next Sunday. Tennessee would have every chance to beat the 49ers in a potential Super Bowl matchup given its strong rush defense. The Titans have already beaten the Chiefs this season and could press their advantage with Derrick Henry against a weak rush defense.