Super Bowl LIV odds: 49ers underdogs vs. Chiefs, favorites vs. Titans

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South Beach is calling the 49ers' name, as Kyle Shanahan's club is one win away from booking a trip to Super Bowl LIV in Miami. 

A win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game at Levi's Stadium will put the 49ers on the doorstep of glory, with either the Kansas City Chiefs or Tennessee Titans standing between them and a Super Bowl title.

The Niners are heavy favorites over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but they aren't a lock to be the favorites in Miami should they get there. Early betting lines show the 49ers would be slight underdogs to the Chiefs, but would be favored over Ryan Tannehill and the No. 6-seed Titans.

Going up against the Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' dynamic offense would be a whole new challenge for the 49ers' stout defense. Mahomes and Co. can put up points in the blink of an eye, so it's understandable why they would get the edge. 

[RELATED: Super Bowl is 49ers' to lose with Lamar, Ravens out of way]

The oddsmakers know the public loves the flash of a good offense, but the smart money normally is on an elite defense with time to prepare.

The Seattle Seahawks and the Legion of Boom stymied Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Two years later, Von Miller and the Broncos dragged Manning to a Super Bowl title, bottling up MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in the process. 

Even last season, Sean McVay and the flashy Los Angeles Rams were completely shutdown in a defensive masterclass from Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. 

If they are going to give you points with the Niners, it might be smart to take them. 

But San Francisco has to get to Miami first.

Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers playoff coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday)

Also tune in at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for “49ers Pregame Live,” with Laura Britt, Jeff Garcia, Donte Whitner, Ian Williams and Grant Liffmann previewing the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on “49ers Postgame Live,” starting at approximately 5:30 p.m.

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