Super Bowl odds: Chiefs doubted again, will lines flip?

The Super Bowl matchup is officially set as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will meet in Las Vegas in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV. That game went in favor of the Chiefs and all indications appear to suggest that this contest could be close as well.

In an interesting development, the 49ers were set as 2.5-point favorites by most sportsbooks, likely in deference to their roster's talent and the team's outstanding regular season performance. The public, however, doesn't appear to agree with Vegas' assessment of the matchup.

Could the Super Bowl point spread flip to favor the Chiefs?

Within hours of the spread being posted, it was quickly bet down to a 1.5-point margin for the 49ers. The spread has dropped again to San Francisco -1, where it currently sits as of post time, as a result of a heavy influence of public money on the Chiefs.

The fact that the line moved this quickly in favor of Kansas City is a clear indication that the public feels like the Chiefs are the better bet in the big game. There will need to be a lot more money coming in on the Chiefs to move the spread in favor of Kansas City, although a 1-point spread is essentially meaningless as very few NFL games end up with a one-point margin.

The 49ers' recent struggles have undoubtedly factored into the public's willingness to hammer the Chiefs since San Francisco has looked sluggish after a Christmas Day loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The playoffs have seen the 49ers fall behind by double digits in both of their games before rallying to win, which has undoubtedly shaken the confidence of public bettors.

There are still nearly two weeks before kickoff so there is plenty of time for the line to drop even further. Expect more action to come in on the Chiefs as long as they are underdogs since a +1 bet covers if Kansas City simply wins the game outright, although sharp action on San Francisco could leave us at a standstill.