The NFL has some of the most iconic teams in the world that are known even by those who don’t follow the sport. Names like the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots have become the stuff of legend. But, do you know what’s even greater? NFL rivalries! Rivalries between teams that span decades make for some of the most exciting and highly charged games you can imagine.
Understanding these rivalries is vital as a guide for NFL betting as oftentimes the rivalries can alter the odds compared to what a team’s standing might indicate. A team might have the best record in the league, but when they face a divisional rival, their odds might be drastically reduced due to the occasion, history and significance of the game.
Rivalries are not only vital to know about when it comes to sports betting, as they also have a major impact on the game itself, including ratings, attendance and the quality of the game. Below, we look at these factors so you can understand just how powerful NFL rivalries can be.
Top NFL rivalries
Before we look at how rivalries shape the game and affect sportsbooks, let’s have a little fun and delve into some of the best-known NFL team rivalries. Below, we’ve selected five notable entrants:
- Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders
- Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Bears vs Packers is easily the longest-standing NFL rivalry as it started back in 1921 when the Packers joined the APFA. Since then, these two teams have played each other every year except for 1922 and 1982. These conference and divisional rivals have played each other a staggering 210 times with the Packers currently leading the all-time series.
Other rivalries typically come from inter-divisional matchups where teams play each other multiple times per season. Rivalries are also often heightened when the teams are from the same state or neighboring cities. The Ravens and Steelers share a cross-state rivalry with each team sitting on one side of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border.
Similarly, the rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints is often dubbed as the battle of the Dirty South with both teams fighting for bragging rights in the Deep South. One of the more notable state rivalries is the Rams vs. 49ers with both vying for dominance in California. The teams have played each other 152 times and the 49ers have a slim lead on the all-time series.
What NFL team rivalries do for the game
Rivalries make for some of the most entertaining NFL games of all time, and they can affect the games themselves in these ways:
- Fun build up before the games.
- Amazing atmosphere in the stadiums.
- Intense gameplay that often rivals playoff games.
- Unexpected results with underdogs winning.
You’ll find that the hype before the game is usually intense with news articles, videos
and social media posts all adding to the anticipation.
Once the game day arrives, you can guarantee that the stadium will be filled to capacity and the atmosphere inside will be unbelievable. Rival matches often sound and feel like playoff games and can even eclipse them in terms of the excitement.
Due to both teams being heavily invested in the game and caring about the rivalry, the standard of play is usually heightened and comparable to playoff matches. Lastly, it is not uncommon for a team that has been struggling to rise to the occasion to triumph against their higher-seeded rival.
How NFL rivalries affect sports betting
Rivalries in the NFL not only affect the games themselves, as they can have an impact on sports betting too. Due to the heightened atmosphere and unpredictability of the games, plus the intense hype surrounding them, sportsbooks often do things differently, including:
- Issuing more conservative odds compared to actual team performance.
- Special promotions such as bet boosts and odds boosts.
- Unexpected results giving huge payouts.
Firstly, you can expect more conservative odds considering the standing and current form of the teams. For example, although the Washington Commanders are seeded higher than the Cowboys and should be expected to win, in a game between the two you can expect to see lower moneyline odds for the Commanders, simply because of their rivalry and how it can affect the game.
Sportsbooks effectively become more cautious and hedge their bets by giving safer odds on rival games. Since fans love these rivalries and they are often some of the most anticipated games of the season, the sportsbooks also often offer special promotions. These promotions could include odds boosts, bet boosts or even special home-brew futures bets on a particular event happening in the game.
Lastly, rivalries can lead to unexpected results with underdogs overthrowing the expected winner. You’ll find that people often place bets on the underdogs of these rival games in the hopes that the occasion and atmosphere will spur them on to overperform.
Rivalries are what make sports great!
With the 2025 NFL Playoffs here and the brackets determined, we can hope for some new rivalries to develop and that historic ones continue to grow. Aside from the epic gaming action, and charismatic superstars, rivalries are what make the NFL great.
Rivalries can turn what would be a normal regular season game into a highly charged playoff-type battle between two teams who are both fighting to one-up the other and become the winner of the rivalry battle. The atmosphere, build-up and action of these games is usually incredible, and they often make for some of the most memorable games of the season.
Rivalries can also impact sports betting as typical odds based on teams’ performance can go out of the window, and upsets can make for huge swings and payouts. Sportsbooks often take caution with odds for rival games, and you can see the difference in the odds for moneylines and spreads.