Jets vs 49ers NFL Week 1 MNF picks

The Super Bowl 58 runners-up San Francisco 49ers begin their journey back to the big game with a home tilt Monday night against the New York Jets. The matchup will occur at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara at 8:20 PM ET.  

San Francisco has reached at least the NFC Championship game in four of the past five seasons but has not won the Super Bowl since 1995. Meanwhile, the Jets have missed the postseason for 13 straight years, the longest streak in the NFL. See below for our experts’ Jets vs 49ers predictions for this huge NFL contest.

Jets vs 49ers MNF picks

New York Jets +4.5 (-112)

Under 43.5 points (-110)

Breece Hall over 70+ rushing yards (+125)

Jets vs 49ers prediction: Jets +4.5 (-112)

The 49ers reached the Super Bowl last season, but they will start their 2024 campaign with several questions. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk just signed, but tackle Trent Williams is a holdout, and star running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with a nagging calf injury. On the defensive side, a unit that finished third in points allowed will be without Dre Greenlaw and could also be missing Talanoa Hufanga, Yetur Matos-Gross, and Leonard Floyd. 

Meanwhile, the Jets come into the contest with a wealth of optimism and are coming off a 7-10 season that looked like a disaster when quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down four offensive plays into the campaign. Rodgers is back and behind a vastly improved offensive line. Coupled with a potentially top-tier defense and a handful of emerging stars on offense, New York can smell an upset here. 

San Francisco closed the 2023 season in the Super Bowl but also finished the year 0-7 against the spread in their final seven home games. Look for New York to cover this 4.5-point spread Monday night. 

Jets vs 49ers pick: Over 43.5 points (-110)

It’s tough to picture the Jets with Rodgers throwing all over the field to Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, causing havoc everywhere, but that’s just what New York could do this season. In a season opener against a shaky defense, look for the Jets to unleash a healthy Rodgers in primetime.  

And despite the Jets’ superb defense, San Francisco should be able to keep pace, with Brock Purdy finding Deebo Samuel and McCaffrey again and again while also hoping that Aiyuk can shake off the rust quickly and create some opportunities downfield. 

Look for the teams to play to the over to start this season.  

Jets vs 49ers player prop pick: Breece Hall Over 70 rushing yards (+125) at DraftKings Sportsbook

The 49ers’ defense struggled mightily against the run in the postseason, surrendering 108 yards to Green Bay’s Aaron Jones and a combined 135 yards to Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Combine that with several missing pieces going into this season opener, and the Jets’ Hall should be elated. Hall closed last season on fire, rushing for 178 yards against New England and tallying more than 80 yards on the ground against both Cleveland and Washington. He totaled 1,585 yards from scrimmage, including 994 yards rushing. 

Look for Hall to rush for more than 70 yards against a depleted San Francisco 49ers defense.