49ers are being disrespected despite position as favorites for primetime opener with the Jets

It's no shock that the San Francisco 49ers are favored for their 2024 season opener after it was announced they will host Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

The surprise is that they are not favored by more.

DraftKings Sportsbook has the Niners as 5.5-point favorites against the Jets.

Given that homefield advantage is said to be worth around 2.5 to 3 points, that line can be construed as the bookmakers only making the reigning NFC Champions at best a 3-point favorite on a neutral field against a team that finished last season 7-10.

The Jets, of course, played but all four offensive snaps last year without Rodgers, who will have extreme levels of confidence in his ability to quickly get back to his best coming off a torn Achilles.

But his presence alone should not be enough to make the Jets under a touchdown underdog on the road against the Niners. The reality is that he is a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a serious injury playing behind a perennially shaky offensive line against a 49er defensive line filled with premium talent.

Upsets happen all the time in the NFL and Week 1 can be especially weird, but that is not a recipe for an evening in which the Jets keep it close with the 49ers.

That is not to say they won't but, over three months out from a blockbuster primetime opener, the 49ers are worthy of more respect than they are getting.