Expectations are sky high in San Francisco for the 2024 season…
but they have work to do ahead of Week 1’s matchup with the Jets.
Niners Have 99 Problems
What Happened: Yesterday was a bad day for the San Francisco 49ers.
First, word leaked that star left tackle Trent Williams is not posturing with his training camp holdout, and that the 36-year old is willing to miss regular season time unless and until his contract is adjusted to his liking.
Then, NFC rival Dallas paid their own star receiver CeeDee Lamb handsomely, giving the slot weapon four years and $136 million. Which means Brandon Aiyuk, the Niners’ other hold out, has a target he’ll surely want to surpass on his own next contract.
Why It Matters: None of this bodes well for the defending NFC champs, who open their season as sizable favorites (-210 on the moneyline, -4.5 -105 on the spread at BetMGM) against the New York Jets.
With Williams and Aiyuk’s statuses up in the air, not to mention all-purpose running back Christian McCaffrey nursing a calf injury, the Jets have a chance to make a statement. Their defense, coming off another stellar season, might catch a 49ers offensive unit not yet firing on all cylinders. If Aaron Rodgers can make it through more than four plays, maybe Gang Green even scores some points.
With Super Bowl aspirations again (+600 odds to win, bested only by the Chiefs) San Francisco needs its roster of elite talent present and accounted for to realize its only goal for the 2024 season. So far, it’s hard to say its on the right track.
What We’re Watching Today
US Open Tennis (All Day) – Time for some heavy hitters. The world’s top-ranked player on both the men’s (Jannik Sinner) and women’s side (Iga Swiatek) take the court at 12:00 EST today. At 7:00, Carlos Alcaraz and Jessica Pegula both look to advance. Bring your own steroids Sinner!
Astros at Phillies (6:40 PM ET) – You won’t find a better pitching matchup on the MLB slate today than this one. Justin Verlander flashed in his return from the IL against Boston, striking out six while taking a tough loss. He’ll be opposed by Aaron Nola, who hasn’t won a start since early July but put Philly in position to beat Washington and Atlanta in his most recent outings.
The Look Ahead
Gerrit Cole STRIKEOUTS – FCS subscribers know how we feel about the Yankees’ chances tonight (grab a package below to find out more!), so we’ll stay on topic and take the over on Cole’s strikeout line (6.5) for his start. New York’s ace has topped that mark in two of his last three starts, he’s rounding into form since making his mid-season debut, and the Nats are light-hitting enough that we think Cole will thrive in his fifth and final start of the month.
