There is nothing more exciting than a rivalry game. Years of bad blood from historic matchups add an extra level of drama and passion. These are the games that simply mean more to players and fans alike. NFL rivalries are set to take center stage once again as the 2023-24 season is under way.
Action Network has looked at its data to uncover which NFL rivalry has been the most wagered on since sports betting was legalized with the repeal of PASPA in 2018. Results were broken down into two categories: NFL rivalries with the most total wagers and the biggest NFL rivalries based on total handle. See how your favorite rivalry games stack up.
Biggest Rivalry in the NFL by Pick Volume
The most common NFL rivalries stem from inter-divisional matchups. It’s no surprise that divisional games are most likely to produce hard feelings between organizations due to the frequency in which the teams play each other. Action App data supports this notion, indicating that 8 of the 10 most wagered on rivalries have been between divisional foes.
Chiefs vs Raiders
The Chiefs/Raiders has been the most bet on NFL rivalry in the Action App over the past five seasons, raking in a total of 423,913 total wagers. While this may come as a surprise to some, the popularity of betting on this rivalry is likely based on the Patrick Mahomes effect. The rise of the Kansas City Chiefs has corresponded with the rise in legalized online sports betting. Mahomes and the Chiefs have had more primetime matchups than most teams in recent seasons, so it makes sense that they would garner significant bettor attention, especially when squaring off with a longtime rival like the Raiders.
49ers vs. Seahawks
This NFC West rivalry is one that does come as a shock for how much betting attention it has received since 2018 from Action App users. Accumulating 421,402 total bets, San Francisco vs. Seattle is the second most popular NFL rivalry wager by total pick volume. What makes this case most interesting is that online sports betting is not legalized in either of the two states that house these franchises. So, that means this rivalry is being buoyed by fans outside of the respective home states as well as bettors not affiliated with the teams as fans. The 49ers have been a consistent NFC force the last several seasons, making them a compelling team to bet on, especially when playing a weaker divisional foe like the Seahawks.
Eagles vs Cowboys
For all of the hype this NFC East rivalry gets, Eagles vs Cowboys only comes in at third for most bet on rivalry with 393,986 total picks in the Action App since 2018. Aside from the past two seasons, the NFC East has largely struggled, even sending a team with a losing record to the playoffs as the division winner in 2020. For that reason, it is not necessarily surprising that sports bettors were not keen on putting their money down on two teams that simply were not good. Things have definitely changed in the last two seasons, though, as the Eagles and Cowboys are both poised for a second consecutive double-digit win season.
Cowboys vs Giants
Another storied NFC East matchup breaks the top five most bet on NFL rivalries with the Cowboys vs Giants bringing in 388,763 total picks on Action Network. It is a similar story with this long-standing rivalry as we saw with Eagles vs Cowboys. Simply put, the two teams have not been great on the field since the repeal of PASPA in 2018. Would you blame either fanbase (or the casual sports bettor) for avoiding making many wagers on these two teams for three of the last five seasons? We fully expect to see the number of bets made on this rivalry tick up in the coming season, as each team made the playoffs a season ago.
Bears vs Packers
Two of the original football franchises round out our top five list of most bet on NFL rivalries with 374,315 Action App picks. Although, many may argue that this particular matchup is not much of a rivalry in recent years, as the Green Bay Packers have handled the Bears fairly comfortably. That could change in 2023 with the departure of Aaron Rodgers to the Jets. The door may be opening for the Bears to restake some claim in this NFC North rivalry moving forward.
Money Talks: Biggest Rivalry in the NFL by Handle
Just because one rival has more total picks than another does not necessarily mean it accounts for the most money wagered. In fact, our analysis of Action App BetSync data shows that the third most popular NFL rivalry by picks actually accounts for the most handle compared to any other matchup! See for yourself.
Eagles vs Cowboys
This rivalry’s 23,480 picks accounted for a whopping handle of $1,494,947 since the 2021 NFL season. That amounts to an average of $63.67 per bet on Eagles vs Cowboys games. It is also interesting to note that in many cases, bettors are making more than a single wager on this NFC East showdown. According to BetSync, the 23,480 bets tracked since 2021 were made from a total of 13,749 unique bettors. That is an average of 1.7 bets per individual for games featuring the Eagles and Cowboys.
Chiefs vs Raiders
The top NFL rivalry by pick volume did not fall far down the list in regards to total handle. Chiefs vs Raiders raked in $1,465,075 in BetSync wagers since 2021. Notably, this NFL rivalry brought in less handle than Eagles vs Cowboys, but had more picks overall at 30,202. The average bet per user was only worth $48.51, which is $15.16 less than Eagles/Cowboys. Chiefs vs Raiders also tended to garner more than one wager per bettor. There were just over 2 wagers made on average per individual bettor for the Chiefs/Raiders rivalry dating back to the 2021 season.
Cowboys vs 49ers
We finally break the divisional mold with a storied rivalry between NFC opponents of old. Cowboys vs 49ers is a matchup that had its heyday in the 90’s, featuring marquee names like Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and so many more. This NFL rivalry is currently split 19-19-1 all time, so it always makes for an exciting wager. Dallas vs San Francisco handle proves this point, accruing $1,046,573 in handle since 2021 on BetSync. With 18,791 unique bets placed on these games, that gives an average of $55.70 per wager. Users are placing an average of 1.9 wagers on Cowboys vs 49ers games overall.
Bears vs Packers
Chicago and Green Bay find themselves in the mix for most handle by rivalry with $1,031,019 in total wagers placed dating back to the 2021 season. These games come in on the lower side of average bet size compared to the other matchups at $49.94 per wager. Similarly, bettors are only wager 1.6 times per Bears vs Packers matchup, which is lower than other rivalries with the most handle on this list.
Cowboys vs Giants
The Cowboys are featured once again, rounding out the top five of most bet on NFL rivalries by handle. Cowboys vs Giants is the first rivalry to miss out on the $1M+ club, coming in with $978,664 in total handle since 2021. Dallas/New York also comes in with the lowest average bet total per user in our top five at $49.70. At 1.7 bets per user on this rivalry game, Cowboys vs Giants find themselves in the bottom half of this category as well.
How to Bet on NFL Games This Season
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