Best 2018 AFC Rivalry Games This NFL Season

Each year, we see a number of rivalries renewed on the field in the National Football League. The divisional rivalries, obviously, take place twice a season for each team, but there are also some intraconference rivalry games that only take place every few years. NFL betting tends to spike for those games as the fans want to put some additional skin into the game. Take a look at some of the best AFC rivalries — both divisional and otherwise — that we can expect to see in the coming regular season.

Best 2018 AFC Rivalry Games This NFL Season

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Indianapolis at New England

• Thursday, October 4, 2018 (8:20pm ET)

It’s kind of odd to see this game coming on a Thursday night, when it seems a lot of the throwaway games have come the past few seasons. However, there is plenty of intrigue at work in this matchup, as Colts quarterback Andrew Luck looks like he is finally back from a slough of injuries that have included a kidney laceration and extended shoulder troubles, and the Patriots have all sorts of drama going into this season, with Tom Brady continuing to show signs of difficulty getting along with his coach. Add to that the fact that Josh McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, had signed a contract to coach Indianapolis — and had hired several assistants as well — but then reneged on the deal to return to New England. There’s also the fact that it was the Colts’ accusation that set off DeflateGate in the first place. So there will be no love lost in this contest.

Oakland vs Kansas City

• Sunday, December 2, 2018 (4:05pm ET) in Oakland
• Sunday, December 30, 2018 (1:00pm ET) in Kansas City

This is a rivalry that dates all the way back to the days of Len Dawson and Daryle Lamonica leading the Chiefs’ and Raiders’ offenses, respectively, in the days of the AFL. This series is always a good one, but the return of Jon Gruden to the coaching sidelines for the Chiefs makes this a must-watch series. These matchups are always tough — in 2016, Oakland went 12-4 but lost both games to Kansas City and lost the division title, and in 2017, the teams met once on a Thursday night and produced an epic game. Oakland has gone 16 seasons without an AFC West title, and they have brought Gruden in to take their team to the next level. Their results in these games will go a long way toward determining whether he is successful.

Pittsburgh at Jacksonville

• Sunday, November 18, 2018 (8:20pm ET)

This is one of the newer rivalries in the AFC, but you can bet that the Steelers will head down to Florida looking for some redemption. Jacksonville went to Pittsburgh last year in Week 5 and delivered a 30-9 smackdown. Then the two teams met again at Heinz Field in the AFC divisional playoff, and Jacksonville pulled out a 45-42 barnburner as the Steelers’ defense simply lay down for the Jaguars. Can Pittsburgh get that redemption, or will Jacksonville establish themselves as a true AFC contender?

Houston vs Tennessee

• Sunday, September 16, 2018 (1:00pm ET) in Nashville
• Monday, November 26, 2018 (8:15pm ET) in Houston

The Tennessee Titans’ new head coach is Mike Vrabel, who left the Houston Texans’ staff to take the job. So the Titans have some inside information — and they also have a new offensive coordinator in Matt LaFleur, who should have the creative flair in his offense to take advantage of Marcus Mariota’s gifts. Deshaun Watson looks ready to start right where he left off when he blew out his knee last year, and the Texans have their sights on an AFC South title — if Watson’s offensive line can give him time in the pocket. Mariota is also looking for more glory after an abbreviated postseason run last year. Expect two terrific tilts out of these rivals.