I'm not sure it's the mainstream view. Most people I know prefer to accelerate their mortgage payoff even if it's less safe for many years until they manage to reach the finish line.

As for the deduction, sure. They limited it to $750k mortgages a few years ago, and more and more areas are getting expensive enough to make that a concern, since they don't index the limit to inflation or the real estate market. Still, it's a good chunk of change.