Betting takeaways for NFL conference championship games - San Francisco 49ers thriving as underdogs

The NFL playoffs are now whittled down to the final four teams. The divisional-round action left us with a Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs matchup in the AFC Championship Game and a San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams matchup in the NFC Championship Game. Both of these games are rematches from earlier in the season, with the NFC West showdown being the third time the two teams will see each other this season. Here's how I rank the final four teams in my power rankings.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (+130)

This needs little explanation. Most people believed the team that emerged victorious from the epic Hagler/Hearns show put on by Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen at Arrowhead Stadium would be the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Mahomes is the most dangerous man in the sport. It also helps that the Chiefs have the «easiest» matchup of the four teams remaining.

2. San Francisco 49ers (+450)

The 49ers continue to win football games with a QB who is clearly not elite… but just keeps getting the job done. We all have heard ad nauseam about San Francisco's dominance of the Rams heading into the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers have six straight wins against them, including four straight as the outright underdog — which is where Kyle Shanahan thrives the most.

3. Los Angeles Rams (+210)

The approach by the Rams to go all-in on elite-level established stars appears to be paying off. Matthew Stafford has been the best QB in the NFC this postseason by a pretty wide margin. Von Miller has teamed with Aaron Donald to form a dominant duo rushing the passer and defending the run. Odell Beckham Jr. has capably filled in for the injured Robert Woods to provide Stafford another dynamic receiver to pair with Cooper Kupp. The only