There are plenty of optimistic teams coming into 2024, but the experts love the New York Jets‘ chances of making a major leap. The team had these expectations heading into 2023 before Aaron Rodgers went down with a ruptured Achilles. Now, with the 40-year-old believed to be fully recovered, the hype train is full steam ahead.

Based on the 2024 NFL regular season schedule release, the Jets are tied for 12th in strength of schedule. The DraftKings sportsbook released early odds on nearly every game, and the Jets are favorites in a record-setting 14 of them at the time of writing.

After taking a closer look at each contest, one filled with countless primetime contests, let’s see just how high the hopes of the New York faithful should be for this year.

Favored Games the Sportsbooks Got Right

Things Are Looking Up for Saleh & Company

With one of the better rosters on paper, it’s easy to see why the Jets have been drumming up so much excitement around the league. But ultimately, none of it matters until the season kicks off and the team proves themselves. Here are the games that we at GIVEMESPORT agree with as should-be victories for New York.

Week 2: New York Jets (-4) at Tennessee Titans

Part of this game’s line will come down to how Will Levis looks in Week 1. But the Jets remain the favorite in this contest as their roster is very well filled out, and it should be early enough in the season not to worry about injuries. Not worrying about the spread, they should be able to beat the Tennessee Titans.

Week 3: New York Jets (-7.5) vs New England Patriots

Whether this will be Jacoby Brissett under center or not, expect this game to be a low-scoring and contested affair. Still, the Jets have the defense to match the New England Patriots, with the offensive advantage to take a victory back home with them.

Week 4: New York Jets (-6) vs Denver Broncos

2024 could be a rough start for the Denver Broncos, and for a Jets team that should be fully in rhythm by Week 4, this one could be a blowout. Denver has potential, but there will be some growth needed for such a young roster, while the Jets should be on their way to establishing themselves as a top team in the AFC. For what it’s worth, they should outperform the six-point spread here.

Week 5: New York Jets (-4) vs Minnesota Vikings

Early in the season, the Minnesota Vikings‘ under center will either be Sam Darnold or a young and inexperienced J.J. McCarthy. That plays to the favor of New York, but there is the risk of a Darnold revenge game sparking a great performance. Still, the defensive comparison between these two ball clubs strongly favors the Jets and should be enough to help them notch a Week 5 win.

Week 7: New York Jets (-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers

With Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith brought in this offseason, the hope for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that the offense takes a major step forward. If they manage to do so, this could be an extremely fun contest between two hard-nosed teams. With just a one-point spread, though, it’s better to roll with the safer bet, and that’s the Jets. They have the better overall roster to squeeze this one out.

Week 8: New York Jets (-4.5) at New England Patriots

Traveling to Gillette Stadium for their second showdown of the season, the Jets are once again favored against the Patriots, even on the road. Still, in the front half of the regular season, the starting quarterback could be either one of Brissett or Drake Maye. Things could change if New England is able to spark a big turnaround under new leadership, but for now they seem like the clear underdog coming into this one.

Week 10: New York Jets (-3) at Arizona Cardinals

2024 should be an exciting season for the Arizona Cardinals, but defensively, the team still has a lot of work to do. With Breece Hall handling the rushing workload against a defense that allowed the most ground yards all season, the Jets should be able to grind this one out and control the clock to comfortably win out in the desert.

Week 13: New York Jets (-4.5) vs Seattle Seahawks

With Mike Macdonald leading the charge, the Seattle Seahawks could be one of the greater unknowns this season. Still, the Jets have a very good team that, if healthy, should be able to outmatch them. In 2023, the Seahawks’ interior offensive line was a weak spot for the team. So a defensive interior like New York’s should be able to take advantage to put the game in their favor.

Week 15: New York Jets (-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars

So late in the season, it’s tough to gauge where these two franchises will be nearing the end of the season. However, the early outlook certainly favors the Jets. While the Jacksonville Jaguars have potential, they failed to take the next step in 2023 and got passed over in the AFC South. If they fail to rebound in 2024, there is a chance the campaign could fall off the rails.

Favored Games That Should Cause Hesitation

Not all 14 games are as clear-cut as Jets fans may like them to be

Of the fourteen games New York is favored in, there are some that will raise eyebrows. It’s inevitable for the books to get a few contests wrong, but here is our best stab at games that should get a second look from those thinking the Jets are going to win each of these contests in 2024.

Week 6: New York Jets (-1.5) vs Buffalo Bills

The sportsbooks seem to believe this will be a series split, and they’re depending on home-field advantage to dictate how teams will fare in each game. But the Buffalo Bills are certainly the safer bet of these teams. Obviously, we saw Josh Allen and company fall to New York in the season opener in 2023, but that is also fresh in their minds. Don’t be surprised if they come into Week 6 locked in with a chip on their shoulder to score the first victory of their season showdowns.

Week 9: New York Jets (-3) vs Houston Texans

It’s surprising to see the Jets favored going against a team with similar levels of hype, like the Houston Texans. C.J. Stroud can get a bit sloppy against pressure that New York will undoubtedly generate. But the Texans have the defensive firepower to make this one a slugfest, and the supporting cast definitely favors Houston. This is a line that should probably be flipped until we see further evidence that ‘Gang Green’ is meeting expectations.

Week 11: New York Jets (-4) vs Indianapolis Colts

Shane Steichen has quickly made a name for himself as one of the top offensive minds in the NFL. Anthony Richardson and this Indianapolis Colts offense has the upside to be one of the best teams in the NFL this year. Four points is a bit heavy here, even if the Jets end up winning this game.

Week 16: New York Jets (-3) vs Los Angeles Rams

This game could be one of the most exciting cross-conference matchups we get all season. The Jets’ lockdown defense against an electric Los Angeles Rams offensive attack could be an underrated potential Super Bowl showdown. While the Jets are expected to be good, there aren’t many teams that have the upside and talent of Los Angeles this season, so giving an unknown like New York a three-point advantage seems to be laying expectations on a bit thick.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

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