NFL Betting 2024/25: Some of the best stories in professional sport come from the great rivalries that develop between franchises over time.
In the NFL, divisional rivalries can make for intense matchups – and real interest for sports betting enthusiasts – because the teams play each other twice a year, every year. When two teams are both contenders in the same division, the stakes rise even higher.
One example was the rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins (as they were known then).
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, they were both strong teams in the NFC, and in 1979, Washington won the first showdown in a rout and added to the punishment with a late unnecessary field goal.
That motivated the Cowboys to prepare for the rematch, which they won, 35-34, in the last game of the season.
Afterward, Cowboys defensive end Harvey Martin took a funeral wreath that a Washington fan had sent to the Cowboys and tossed into their locker room – a powerful symbol of the death of Washington’s playoff hopes, which had vanished with the loss.
Let’s look at some of the great rivalries that will unfold this season as you plan your wagering calendar for the 2024 NFL campaign.
NFL Betting Divisional Rivalries, Analysis and Trends
Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
These are two fan bases that can’t stand each other – and these are the two oldest franchises in the history of the league.
Between them, they have 22 NFL championship titles, five Super Bowl titles, and 70 players in the Hall of Fame.
They have met 208 times, more than any other rivalry, dating back to 1919.
They have been in the same conference and/or division since 1933, but they’ve only met in the playoffs twice – in 1940 and 2010 – a testament to how one team has been playing much better than the other most of the time.
This season, things might be different. The Packers went to the divisional playoff last year and actually led the San Francisco 49ers on the road before things fell apart, while the Chicago Bears ended up with the top draft pick.
They chose Caleb Williams out of USC, and with Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore at wide receiver, they might have a credible passing attack.
So these are two games that could get exciting as the Green Bay defense is opportunistic and will grab turnovers, but they have a hard time getting stops otherwise.
2024 meetings: Week 11 (November 17) in Chicago, Week 18 (January 4 or 5) in Green Bay.
^Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
Blue-collar Philadelphia against fancy-pants Dallas. These are just two of four teams in the NFC East that can’t stand each other.
This rivalry has gotten more airings on Sunday Night Football than any other (16), with each winning eight times.
They have met in the playoffs four times, with Dallas winning on three occasions. This rivalry was especially hot in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when both teams were contending for deep playoff runs.
In 1990, Philadelphia head coach Buddy Ryan was said to have choked on a pork chop one night during the week before the game in Dallas, so Cowboys fans threw pork chops on the field.
Last year, Dallas won the NFC East with a 12-5 record, thanks to an epic collapse by the Eagles, who started 10-1 (including a rout of Dallas) but finished 11-6 (including a shellacking at the Cowboys’ hands).
Interestingly, of the 16 rivalries with the most meetings in NFL history, this is the only one in which no game has ended in a tie.
Dak Prescott is playing his contract year without an extension; Jalen Hurts is trying to pick up the mantle of team leader that had slipped during that skid that ended their 2023.
2024 meetings: Week 10 (Nov. 10) in Dallas, Week 17 (Dec. 29) in Philadelphia
^"He should be a fantasy superstar." 🔥
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 19, 2024
Marvin Harrison Jr. tops @FieldYates' top five fantasy rookie receivers list for the upcoming season! pic.twitter.com/M1acHt3ta8
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