The 49ers’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals ended in disaster. Despite a poor Week 1 showing, San Francisco is favored by 7 points to bounce back on the road against the New York Jets according to Bet MGM.
It makes sense that the 49ers are heavy favorites after their rough outing in the opener. One game doesn’t define a team, and San Francisco was in the Super Bowl just last season. They’re still on track to be very good. Jimmy Garoppolo’s bad day doesn’t erase all the very good showings he had a year ago either.
One thing worth keeping an eye on is George Kittle’s health. The 49ers’ offense is much less dangerous on the ground and in the air when he’s not on the field, and he’s dealing with a knee sprain. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the line move a little if he’s officially ruled out.
On the other hand, even without Kittle, the 49ers should be favored big. The Jets were a couple Bills fumbles from getting beat by three-plus scores last week. They’ll also be without running back Le’Veon Bell, and could be without leading wide receiver Jamison Crowder who’s dealing with a hamstring injury. Their roster was already lacking for talent. Now injuries and opt outs have probably left them without enough talent to hang with the 49ers, even without Kittle.
This is a game San Francisco has to have if they’re going to right the ship. It’ll still count as a win if they don’t cover, but they shouldn’t have a problem pulling away by more than a touchdown.
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