Aaron Rodgers and the Jets will open their season in San Francisco as massive underdogs.
The 49ers are huge 6.5-point favorites at FanDuel for the season-opening “Monday Night Football” matchup, with the Jets’ moneyline odds coming in at +230.
Coach Robert Saleh’s defensive group is getting plenty of respect against the league’s No. 1 offense last season, as the total opened at 45.5 points for the game.
Of course, the Jets opened the season on Monday night last season against the Bills and Rodgers tore his Achilles on the first drive of the game, all but ending their playoff hopes before the season kicked into high gear.
However, the Jets will usher in a new offensive line in 2024 featuring Morgan Moses, Tyron Smith, John Simpson and rookie first-round tackle Olu Fashanu.
If all goes well, the Jets will be able to keep Rodgers upright from the first possession through what they hope will be a lengthy playoff run deep into the winter.
This matchup will be aired on ESPN again and called by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, and will have several unmistakable storylines.
Rodgers grew up in Chico, Calif., and was a first-round draft pick out of Cal in 2005.
He famously fell to No. 24 in that draft as the 49ers opted to take Alex Smith ahead of Rodgers No. 1 overall, a reality that has infuriated him throughout his career.
Furthermore, Saleh was a major part of an incredible 49ers defense as the defensive coordinator from 2017-20.
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If the Jets want to start the season out hot, they will need to challenge the reigning NFC champions, but oddsmakers aren’t trusting them quite yet.
Their over/under win total is 9.5 total wins with -142 juice towards the over, according to FanDuel.