Best 2018 NFC Rivalry This NFL Season

The NFC has a number of exciting teams that are gelling at just the right time, as Philadelphia, Minnesota, Green Bay, the L.A. Rams, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carolina all look exciting going into the season — which means that when some of the great rivalries are renewed this season, NFL  betting will create a great deal of excitement thanks to the close nature of many of these contests. We’ve put together a list of rivalry games in the NFC coming up for the 2018 campaign for you to review as you consider how to wager down the road.

Best 2018 NFC Rivalry This NFL Season

Saints to the Super Bowl? @adamrank has one fearless take for each NFC teamhttps://t.co/jEutCqfmPA pic.twitter.com/qW6f4DKBqD

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) August 1, 2018

San Francisco vs L.A. Rams

• Sunday, October 21, 2018 (8:20pm ET), in San Francisco
• Sunday, December 30, 2018 (4:25pm ET), in Los Angeles

This rivalry is all set to rile up California after the Rams’ return after decades in St. Louis. The good news is that both of these teams are looking good at the same time, as the Rams won the NFC West with an 11-5 record last year and the 49ers finished with five wins in a row after the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo from New England. Both teams have young head coaches with Sean McVay in Los Angeles and Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, which could make this an epic rivalry for a while. Both teams will be gunning for the postseason — and for each other. This should turn into a pair of exciting matchups.

New Orleans vs Carolina

• Monday, December 17 (8:15pm ET), in Charlotte
• Sunday, December 30 (1:00pm ET), in New Orleans

New Orleans beat Carolina three times last season, winning two of them in convincing fashion. It’s hard to sweep your division rival and then beat them again in the playoffs, but the Saints were able to do it. Now that Carolina returns with the most offensive talent around Cam Newton that he’s had since he arrived at the start of the 2011 season, Carolina looks ready to make a run of their own in the division, and you can imagine that they are ready to test that New Orleans defense and see if they can push the Saints back into that pigeonhole of all-offense, no-defense that had plagued them until a year ago.

Minnesota at Philadelphia

• Sunday, October 7, 2018 (4:25pm ET)

Minnesota led Philadelphia 7-0 in the NFC Championship after the opening drive of the game and then would not sniff the end zone the rest of the way, as the Eagles cruised to a 38-7 rout. Now that Kirk Cousins will be leading the Viking offense, the Eagles will face a quarterback that they know well, from his time in Washington, but who has more talent around him — and a much better defense to back him up. It looks like Carson Wentz will be ready for the season opener, so he should definitely have his feet under him as he settles in for this NFC showdown. The Vikings are hungry for payback, so will the Eagles be hungry enough after winning the whole thing?

Minnesota vs Green Bay

• Sunday, September 16, 2018 (1:00pm ET) in Green Bay
• Sunday, November 25, 2018 (8:20pm ET) in Minneapolis

Aaron Rodgers returns from that collarbone injury to lead the Packers, with an eye toward getting them another division title. In their way stand Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings, who look to bring an even more potent offense this season as Cousins takes over for Case Keenum. The Vikings look better on paper — but it’s hard to tell what the Packers will have. They did lose Jordy Nelson, but they added tight end Jimmy Graham and could be a player in the Dez Bryant imbroglio, as that enigmatic wide receiver still remains unsigned and could add to the Packers’ offense (and to their locker room drama as well). These two games will tell the tale of the NFC North title, so you’ll definitely want to stay tuned.