Monday Night Football Prop Bets Week 1: Aaron Rodgers to Struggle in His Return

• Aaron Rodgers makes his return under center after suffering a season ending injury last year

• The New York Jets focused on adding production to their offensive line in the offseason

• The San Francisco 49ers enter the year as one of the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl

After Aaron Rodgers had his debut with the New York Jets cut short last year after suffering a season-ending injury, he is set to make his return under center in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Rodgers will look to give the Jets an instant boost in production at quarterback after Zack Wilson failed to keep them competitive, potentially turning the Jets into a viable Super Bowl contender should their offense be able to match their elite marks on defense.

Speaking of Super Bowl contenders, the 49ers look to pick up where they left off after falling just short of accomplishing their goal of hoisting the Lombardi trophy last season. They return a bulk of their production that carried them to a Super Bowl run last year, fielding an elite defense that excelled at limiting opposing pass production with their elite coverage and pass rush abilities. Expect their defense to continue to succeed, limiting Aaron Rodgers and the Jets' pass attack in the process.

As for where to wager on Monday Night Football’s matchup between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, FanDuel Sportsbook has been one of the best options for player props as they offer a wide range of markets and at very favorable odds. If you have not signed up yet with FanDuel sportsbook, you can claim $200 in bonus bets as well as three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket after creating an account and making an initial wager of at least $5.

Aaron Rodgers Under 239.5 Pass Yards (-114) at FanDuel Sportsbook 

While Aaron Rodgers days of being the front-runner for the NFL MVP Award are most likely behind him, he is still very much a major step up in production from what the Jets have fielded at quarterback over the past few years. Now back at full health, we finally get to see what Aaron Rodgers can do for this offense after having his initial debut cut short after sustaining a season-ending injury just four plays into last year’s season opener.

The issue for Rodgers in this contest is that he is set to face off against one of the best coverage units in the league. Limiting opposing pass production was a strength for the 49ers' defense last season, finishing the year ranked fourth in Def Pass DVOA, seventh in Def Pass Success Rate, and fourth in Def Pass EPA. Other than Garrett Wilson, the Jets receiving room is underwhelming on paper and may struggle to create separation from the 49ers secondary which limits the quality of passing lanes for Rodgers.

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Aaron Rodgers Under 22.5 Pass Completions (-122) at FanDuel Sportsbook 

Similar to our previously mentioned prop, the lack of high-quality passing lanes will dampen the chances of Rodgers making a completion. Worse yet for Rodgers, he may find himself under constant pressure against an elite 49ers defensive line with Nick Bosa, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd crashing the pocket. Even with a revamped offensive line poised to improve on last year’s disastrous metrics in pass protection, Rodgers will still be prone to throwing in a collapsing pocket for a majority of the contest.

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Breece Hall Over 62.5 Rush Yards (-112) at BetRivers Sportsbook 

While the 49ers' defense excelled at limiting opposing pass production, they shockingly struggled in their efforts of stopping the run as they finished last season ranked 15th in Def Rush DVOA, 21st in Def Rush Success Rate, and 25th in Def Rush EPA. This is due to their own defensive scheme as they anchor their linebackers in coverage at a high rate. This leaves them prone to conceding chunks of yards at a time to opposing running backs running up the middle as they have higher-quality rushing lanes to burst through.

Even with the 49ers adding more talent to their defensive line, their second level of defense remains prone to getting beat on the ground should they continue to drift away from the trenches. That plays right into star running back Breece Hall’s hands as he will find himself with more room to work to burn their linebackers with his elite speed. With their pass attack expected to struggle, expect the Jets to revert to a heavier dose of the run to the benefit of Hall and the over on his rushing yards prop.

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