I don’t why some people are looking down on Leverkusen in this match; they should have 100% chance of winning the game because they had a better preseason games than Hoffenheim since they only lose to Chelsea, while Hoffenheim that win all their reason games played against smaller teams that Leverkusen will also defeat these teams.
However, checking the details statistically, Leverkusen will surely win this match without any doubt because they won their last five matches against Hoffenheim, and they will surely win this one because they don’t have good winning rate in the Bundesliga last season, they only won seven matches last season.
On paper, Leverkusen is indeed more deserving of being the favorite, and it's highly likely they will secure full points when they face Hoffenheim. I think this is an easy match for Leverkusen, and Ten Hag will certainly make the best use of their home game. Although Leverkusen has undergone significant changes within the team, the squad depth they have is still much better than Hoffenheim.
I assume the reason some people underestimate Leverkusen is that they believe Ten Hag still needs time to adapt and that they are no longer the same team inherited from Xabi Alonso. But even though Leverkusen is in a period of transition, they still have more advantages in many aspects compared to Hoffenheim. Overall, I think Leverkusen is still considered one of the trophy contenders this season.