NFL in London

National Football League in London

2020 London NFL

Wade’s Week 10

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Like doing Charlie on a beach, the lines change as fast as the wind blows in week 10 of the NFL.
Having made my picks on our podcast for week 10, I have had to make some adjustments due to injuries, line-ups and weather for the games on Sunday.
Every good sports pundit should be watching the rosters and action prior to kickoff, even mediocre ones like me.
While I did take a bit of a beating in week 9, I’m still 24-4 on my upsets going into week 10.
Hopefully I can help you out here.

Week 10 is bringing some nasty weather with it. Predictions for middle America and the east coast point to strong winds and wet along the coast. Florida is also coming down from another late hurricane, which will make it moister than the front row of a Justin Bieber concert.

Here are some of my upsets for Week 10:

Texans (2-6) vs Browns (5-3)
Browns -4  +45.5

The line in this game has been changing all week thanks to the return of players on both sides.
Cleveland will have Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller back, which will help them immensely to get the ball down the field. With OBJ out for the season. Mayfield is going to need to find some rhythm at home, which is predicated to be very windy and wet. Not too many long passes in this game, which is why the over/under went from 55 points to 45.5.
The Texans struggled against Luton and the Jags in week 9, and needed last minute heroics from DeShaun Watson to save the day. They will probably require that this weekend as well. Bradley Roby is due to return to the Texans D, which will help them out immensely.
The Bengals were able to toss the ball all over the Browns, so DW will also be looking to do that as well.
My initial prediction was that Cleveland should have no problems at home, and should easily cover. With the Texans getting healthier and the need for a crucial win, I like the Texans for an upset here.
I’m taking the under as well, as the weather looks very nasty.
Texans 21 Browns 18 

Broncos (3-5) vs Raiders (5-3)
Raiders -3.5  +50.5

Denver continues to thwart the paths of NFL teams in their wake, disrupting and demolishing teams that should beat them on paper. Despite numerous injuries, the horsey’s have been able to stay competitive, even though they have a losing record.
The Broncos are missing most of their defensive line, while the Raiders are missing most of their O-line. Fair trade? Denver should have some corner backs returning, which will allow them to pick off Carr when he does downfield with his wobblers.
While I picked Las Vegas initially to cover this game, I am turning more towards the antics of the Broncos to mess up their mojo in this game.
I like Denver to cover this one, and continue to cause waves in the league.
Raiders 26 Broncos 23

Washington (2-6) vs Lions (3-5)
Lions -4  +46

It really is a truly craptastic week of games on Sunday. There is a real ugly mess of matchups, and as someone who likes to wager, am looking to lay off on Week 10 given how many factors are up in the air.
Washington has played well for a bad team, their D has kept them in contests, while their quarterbacks spend most of their time breaking their own legs for fun. They have solid running backs, and Gibson should hopefully have a solid day against a Detroit D who is weak against RBs.
Detroit is as messy as the city itself, and with injuries to Flowers and Golladay, they will have to rely on the other guys to make the big plays. This could be too much for Marvin Jones and Hockenson, as the Washington team actually believe that they have a chance to win this division.
Washington Team is just playing too loose right now, and I like them to cover against a Lions team who continually disappoints at home.
Lions 27 Washington 25

Betting it

If you decide to parlay these picks, we suggest you try Bet365 which has some of the best NFL odds, as they offer bonuses for bigger parlays.
When you wager £10 on the 3 picks I made; Texans (-105) Washington (+110) Broncos (-110), you can get a return of £80.99, which is a tidy £70 profit.
Don’t bet what you don’t have, bet responsibly, don’t be an idiot.
Have fun, and good luck on Week 10!

 

Callum’s Week 10

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Hello! Welcome back to another edition of the Picks Six. Last week, we came AGONISINGLY close to winning our first 5-Game Parlay, but the Patriots decided to play like idiots and make the Jets look somewhat competent and Joe Flacco look like Joe Flacco from 8 years ago. Ah well. Still – went 11-2 last week on the Full English and overall on picking games for the season we’re now 37-16. Stay positive. We go again. There isn’t really a BIG marquee matchup this week, but there are plenty of interesting ones to get the pulse racing on Sunday night. Let’s go. 6 sections, lots of picks and tips, have fun and enjoy. 

The 1st & Goal from the 1yd Line. (Season Record: 5-2) 

The Patriots managed to get me another win in this category last week… but also managed to kill my parlay by failing to dominate the Jets… we’ll get to that later. Anyway, I’m feeling good about the simple ones. This week, with the Jets on bye, I can’t simply pick whoever is playing them, so instead we’re looking elsewhere for our lock of the week.

But look no further than another team that is failing to win it’s game on a weekly basis. Enter: the Jaguars. Jake Luton put together a fairly impressive debut against Houston last week, but much of it came in an attempted garbage time comeback as the Texans – in a touching tribute to Bill O’Brien – did their best to throw the game away at the last moment. This week, the Jags face a much stiffer task, in Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Pack have – aside from a toothless performance in Tampa – been ruthless so far this year and I expect that to continue on Sunday. I even like the big spread (Packers -13.5), but for now let’s just take Packers to win. 

The 45yd Field Goal (Season Record 0-6)

This is admittedly becoming a little embarrassing… it’s almost impressive that I’ve managed to pick the wrong side of the spread six times in a row. Last week, I’ll say I was very unfortunate the Jake Luton somehow brought the Jaguars back into the game late against the Texans, and that the Cowboys suddenly decided to play some defense and hold the Steelers to a tight game. THIS week, things must change. I feel great about these choices. Two picks, let’s get two wins. 

Browns -3.5 (vs Texans) – I looooooove this one. I love this so much in every single direction. I love this so much it scares me a little (spoiler, this is also in the parlay) but let’s believe. The Browns – I’m just gonna go ahead and say it – are a GOOD football team. Not GREAT, but definitely GOOD. Baker has just had a week off to focus on this game, Nick Chubb is expected to be back, they’re getting some pieces back on defense… and they’ve still got Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper and more catching passes. Against the Houston defense who tried to let Jacksonville steal a game last week? By 3.5 points?! I wish the line was still -2.5 (like it was earlier in the week)… but… even so… yes pleaseeeeee Cleveland.

Saints -10.0 (vs “very injured” 49ers) – This line is high and maybe I haven’t learned my lesson from the Steelers last week… but ALSO the Saints looked grrrrrrreat against the Bucs and the Niners looked D.E.A.D…. DEAD against the Packers. I don’t believe in Jimmy G, let alone Mullens or Beathard, especially lacking weapons like they are right now. I’ll take the Saints to run up the score on Sunday. 

The Hail Mary Touchdown Treble (Season Record 0-1, Individual TD Picks 1-3)

This is my longshot from half field. Unlikely, but you never know. A Touchdown scorers Treble.

So I’m hitting the reset button on this segment, after going 1-4 last week on TD scorers, I’ve decided we’re gonna limit it to 3 selections and do a TD Treble each week. Shoutout Brandin Cooks for stepping up last week. You have my respect. This week, we’ve got a 

Antonio Brown (Buccaneers @ Panthers) – I reeeeeally liked how often Tom Brady looked to AB last week. Mixed results, admittedly, but with the amount of other targets available, Brady’s eyes being drawn by Brown bodes well long term. He’s also massively overpriced in my opinion, so let’s ride with him.

Henry Ruggs (Raiders vs Broncos) – I expect Carr and the Raiders to test the Broncos deep, early and often, like the Chargers tried to with Williams and Guyton a few weeks back. Ruggs’ speed is insane. If he catches one in just a single yard of space – he goneeeeeeee.

Mark Andrews (Ravens @ Patriots) – I think New England will sell out to stop the run here. Even though everybody knows Andrews is the clear #1 aerial target for Lamar in the RedZone, that doesn’t make him easy to stop. Gimme the big Sooner. 

£5 on this treble pays £150 depending on your bookmaker.

The Overs (Season Record: 3-4-1)

So we went 1-1 last week… should have been 2-0 but Tompa Bay decided to score THREE points. That’s it. Awful. Thankfully the Raiders and Chargers combined for 57 for us. This week, I’m loving the biggest line, as well as a mid range one.

Over 56.5 – Bills @ Cardinals – Yup. It’s a huge line. Yup. It’s a risk. Yup. This is Josh Allen vs Kyler Murray. We’re getting points. I’m craving another desert shootout after the Kyler vs Tua duel we lucked into last weekend. Let’s ride. Give us points.

Over 50.5 – Buccaneers @ Panthers – Not only am I giving Mr. Brady a chance to redeem himself this week, but I fully expect him to do so. The Buccaneers have reacted to strongly to their defeats so far this season, throwing up point after point in seeming anger. On the other side, good Ol’ Teddy Bridge has an impressive knack for covering the spread (this game is TB -5.5), so even without CMC I think Carolina keeps this close and pushes the total up. This goes over. 

The Parlay (Complete Parlays 0-4, Correct Legs 11-8-1)

So close last week. 4-1. Just needed Cam and the Boys -8.5 against the Jets… ugh. You’re tacky and I hate you @ThePatriots. Let’s win it this week.

Browns -3.5 (vs Texans) – You already know.

Dolphins -1.5 (vs Chargers) – Miami are rolling. The Chargers always find a way to lose. Tuaaaaaaa.

Raiders -4.0 (vs Broncos) – Always hate these lines that are just over 3… but the Broncos are – for me – frauds, and shouldn’t even have the 3 wins they do. I’m not a Drew Lock guy. Give me Gruden and his Gang this week. 

Seahawks +2.0 (@ Rams) – Aside from the fact that the Rams are coming off a Bye… this line makes ZERO sense to me. I think the Seahawks will get back to normal and win this outright. I’ll take +2 to be safer.

Vikings -2.5 (@ Bears) – The Monday Night Game again… but I love how the Vikings are playing right now… by limiting Kirk Cousins’ involvement. I also think the Vikings D is strong enough to stress Nick Foles into a couple of mistakes, especially as it looks like they MIGHT be without David Montgomery. Let’s hope we’re all winning by 4am Tuesday morning.

£10 on this Parlay pays around £250 depending on your bookmaker. 

The Full English (Season Record: 37-16)

Texans @ Browns – Browns

Jaguars @ Packers – Packers

Eagles @ Giants – Giants (Underdog pick of the week… they’re scrappy and the NFC East makes no sense so let’s go with it)

Buccaneers @ Panthers – Buccaneers

Football Team @ Lions – Lions (all day long)

Bills @ Cardinals – Cardinals

Broncos @ Raiders – Raiders

Chargers @ Dolphins – Dolphins 

Bengals @ Steelers – Steelers

Seahawks @ Rams – Seahawks

49ers @ Saints – Saints

Ravens @ Patriots – Ravens (Lamar to start his late season kick on Sunday night?!)

Vikings @ Bears – Vikings

Week 11

Moving forward, week 11 starts with a bang on Thursday night with Seahawks vs Cardinals, though sadly that won’t be relevant for us here on Picks Six. But the Sunday slate has a few interesting revenge games, as the Ravens look to avenge last year’s playoff defeat to the Titans, and the Chiefs seek to erase their only loss of the season so far in the return match with the Raiders. Plus the Packers vs Colts could be interesting after the Colts decided to find some offense this week! Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts. As always, I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter & Instagram. Come chat and tell me why I’m deluded to think the Dolphins will be 8-3 in three weeks time. Believe in Tua!! Have a good one.

Callum Squires is a London based writer, and Miami Dolphins fan. 

Week 8 Podcast

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Halfway through the season, and what a journey is has been.
In our Week 8 Podcast, Wade & Ryan reflect on the season thus far, and some of the top stories that have dominated the league. (hint:Covid plays a big part).
The boys also look back at the Week 7 games in the league, with such storylines as ‘Patriots Piss Themselves’ ‘St. Justin Hubert’, and ‘Dalton Losses his Head’, leading the front pages.

Ryan and Wade then dive into their week 8 predictions, treading carefully not to touch on their own teams lest Lady Luck flick them in the nads.
Among some of the top predictions the guys make for Week 8 include:

LA Rams (5-2) vs Dolphins (3-3)
Rams -3.5  +46

The Rams are fresh after a beating of the Bears on Monday night, but are they really that good? Their D is fast and furious, but Goff and the O have been more of whimper.
Flores has taken Fitzmagic out of the magic hat, giving Tua his first shot at an NFL start.
Miami is at home, so it reckons that they have a plan for this one, as 4 wins would move them up nicely to second in the AFC East.
Ryan thinks that the Rams will dominate this one, but Wade smells a Miami upset.
Ryan- Rams 27 Dolphins 14
Wade- Dolphins 24 Rams 23

Patriots (2-4) vs Bills (5-2)
Bills -3.5  +44

These records would have been reversed a few years ago, as fans across the League are revelling in the Pats sucking off a start to the 2020 NFL season. The Bills have lost focus the last few games, with Josh Allen not looking like the beast he was to start.
The Patriots look like that they are in free fall, with rumours circling that they are having a ‘fire sale’ to get rid of some of their top talent to trades, in what looks to be a signal of a rebuild.
Ryan hates betting on his own Bills, especially on games where dildo’s are involved.
Wade likes betting on both teams, as he has no favour in either of them.
Ryan- Patriots 23 Bills 20
Wade- Bills 27 Patriots 21

Steelers (6-0) vs Ravens (5-1)
Ravens -3.5  +49

Teams coming off a bye usually have energy and focus to lay a beating on the first team that they face back, although the Steelers struggled with the Eagles a few weeks ago.
The Ravens spent their week off shoring up their D and adding Dez Bryant to their practice squad.
Pittsburgh has benefitted with a plethora of scoring options each week, with new receivers seemingly popping out of the woodwork to add TDs to the tally. Big Bloated Ben has been inconsistent, yet effective-which still gets wins.
The Ravens will be angry in this contest, which will make it tough for the Steelers to build up momentum on drives. They will need their D to stand on their heads in this one.
Wade & Ryan both see a big game here, with the Ravens ultimately coming out on top.
Ryan- Ravens 30 Steelers 20
Wade- Ravens 31 Steelers 26

Saints (4-2) vs Bears (5-2)
Saints  -4 +44.5

The Saints are marching in to Soldier Field, albeit with more injuries than they would have wanted.
The Bears are searching for their offence, which could use some Viagra as they could use a stiffening up.
Chicago is coming off a loss to the Rams, in which they were bloody awful at scoring. New Orleans is fighting some sort of drama, with Michael Thomas acting like a petulant wide receiver. One wonders if Thomas will ever really come back, as he seems more addicted to spreading misery.
Ryan is bullish on the Bears, and thinks that the Saints are not as good as they seem.
Wade isn’t as confident on his Bears, and sees things getting worse before they get better.
Ryan- Bears 26 Saints 24
Wade- Saints 30 Bears 22

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Have a great week 8, and make sure that you listen to the whole podcast.

Head Gase

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Adam Gase still has a job, which might be one of the more messed up things to happen in 2020. The Jets are the worst team in the NFL, which makes Gase the de facto worst coach in the NFL, so why is this happening?
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why:

Woody Johnson

Ambassador Johnson is a busy man. The Jets owner is not only an Ambassador to the UK, but also the scion to the Johnson & Johnson empire. Johnson has been busy working as a British interpreter to Donal Trump, as well as helping the US navigate the upcoming Brexit.
Johnson was supposed to devolve all Jets activities, but you have to wonder if his touch is missing on the team.
It’s like having your neighbours train your puppy. It might be convenient now, but what kind of dog are you going to get?
In the case of the Jets, a bad dog. A very bad dog.

Sam Darnold

Gase chose a solid rookie QB in Sam Darnold, now we can all watch as Gase slowly crumbles the young mans career. Darnold is getting absolutely smoked with no O-line to protect him, and he is aging far too fast in NFL years. Giving Darnold to Gase was like giving a Fabrege Egg to a toddler. He’s just going to smash it up, then ask for a new one.

Player Vacation

The Jets are jettisoning players like someone threw a grenade in their fuselage. They have lost talent on every side of the ball, and it will take years to recover the amount of guys who had fled the sinking Jet. In doesn’t instils much confidence in fans when no one wants to play for your team, as well as thinking that you have the worst playable field in the league. Until Gase leaves, this haemorrhaging will continue to bleed New York of talent.

Play Calling

Someone needs to take Gase off the play calling role. He has too many fingers in too many pockets, which ultimately leads to step in and take the reigns away from him. The Jets plain old suck across everything, so it might make sense for him to take a step back and let someone else tank the team.

Adam Gase will probably make it until the end of the NFL season. The Jets are unlikely to fire the idiot, which means that they will be looking to destroy a new QB next year. Stay in school Trevor Lawrence.

 

The Picks Six

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Yo! Welcome to the first edition of The Picks Six. This is a new concept, so bare with me whilst I figure it out. But each week I’m gonna give 6 types of picks or tips for the upcoming slate of games. Each category is a little different; some are sure fire “this is definitely going to happen,” and some are long shots “this is a bit of a dream but it’s plausible at least.” Like for example last week. I thought the Dolphins had a great shot at upsetting the 49ers. And they did. Wish I’d started this column last week now… We’ll keep track of how I do in each category so you can know which ones to trust and which ones to laugh at. 

Anyway… for us Brits, this week’s Sky Sports Slate of games is absolutely electric. Steelers vs Browns, Buccaneers vs Packers, Rams vs 49ers (ehhhh okay not great), Bills vs Chiefs AND Cardinals vs Cowboys? 4 out of 5 are legitimately must see. But if I can avoid watching Jimmy G I will absolutely do so, so let’s just pretend that game isn’t happening for the rest of this article? Cool! Let’s get stuck into my picks. 

1) The 1st and Goal from the One 

This is my lock of the week. A sure fire winner surely. 

I’m very tempted to pick the Panthers to beat the (extremely fraudulent, sorry not sorry Wade) 4-1 Bears, but I’m not quite as confident in that as a couple other options this weekend. It’s two AFC East teams, and I just cannot see any way they lose this weekend. I’m talking about the Patriots and the Dolphins. New England have seemingly survived Cam’s corona scare… and he’s back this week to face the fairly unfortunate Broncos, who have been decimated by injuries and then this week had the story of Melvin Gordon getting a DUI. It’s not been great for Denver, and I don’t think their luck changes on Sunday. Belichick can see a glimmer of light at the top of the AFC East after the Bills lost on Tuesday night. I’m taking the Patriots to win in comfortable fashion. BUT – as a bonus for the first week of this column, I’m also taking the Dolphins, who face the newly LeVeon Bell-less Jets. Adam Gase man… where do you even start? Probably best to make this quick. Brian Flores has the Dolphins playing great football and winning games. The Jets are absolutely horrific. I feel (for once) very confident that my Fins get their 3rd win of the season on Sunday.

2) The 45yd Field Goal (around even odds)

This is my mid-range, toss up of the week. 

So my pick is going to Green to beat Tampa in the matchup I’ve dubbed “battle of the bays.” I’m sure that’s copyrighted by someone else but hey, it sounds good. Tommy B has been up and down since relocating to Florida, and AA Rod is in the middle of his “how dare you not rank me in the top 10 of the NFL 100” revenge tour. It’s hard for me to understand why the Packers are ONLY favoured by a solitary point here coming off a Bye last week. I know the Buccaneers defense is tasty, but Aaron Jones and the (hopefully) returning healthy Davante Adams are too electrifying to stop, and they’ll both benefit from having the other in the lineup. Let’s go for Green Bay -1.0.

3). The Hail Mary (4/1 or longer)

This is my shot from half field. Unlikely, but you never know. 

The AFC North is fast confirming itself to be – alongside the NFC West – the best division in Football. The Ravens, Steelers AND (surprisingly) Browns are all proving themselves to be playoff calibration teams, with potential SuperBowl aspirations. Big Ben’s comeback player of the year campaign is off to a flyer, and rookie WR Chase Claypool set the Fantasy Football world on fire last week with 45 points in his 4TD demolition of the Eagles. Cleveland faced their toughest defense (since the Ravens in week 1) and dismantled the Colts with relative ease. Baker looked good, Kareem Hunt is running like he did in Kansas City, and OBJ has maybe got his mojo back. I’m so excited for this matchup. BUT I think this really means a lot to the Browns. They’re used to getting eviscerated by Pittsburgh and, after the “contentious” ending to last season’s second matchup (you know, the one with the attempted murder??), I think Myles Garrett will be out for… errr… sacks!? Cleveland are the underdogs but if they can get the run game going they can limit the Steelers’ time of possession. Ben will always air it out to try and catch up but I think the Browns have enough to not only upset the Steelers but win by a wider margin than expected.

We’re gonna go Cleveland Browns to win by 7-12 points. 

4) The Over

I like points. Sue me. Give me 45-44 over 17-14 every day. I’m a Big XII guy. Points points points. Throw the ball. So, I’m using this section to look at the points totals and pick an over that I like. 

Cardinals @ Cowboys – Over 55.0

Yeah, it’s a high line, but this has “shootout” written all over it. I love the Cardinals. I absolutely love them. They’re so exciting. Kyler is a speed demon. Hopkins is – for me – the best receiver in the league. Their run game has struggled but we all know Kenyan Drake could just turn it on one week and blow people away again. And then you’ve got Dallas. Firstly, get well soon Dak. Secondly, Andy Dalton is… not Dak Prescott, but has a better set of weapons in Dallas than he EVER had in Cincinnati. Lamb, Cooper & Gallup can cause Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals DBs a lot of issues, creating space for Zeke between the tackles, especially now Chandler Jones is done for the year. But Kyler and Hopkins will feast on a suspect Cowboys secondary that made the Giants look like an offensive powerhouse at times last week. I’m excited to see these two offenses beat up on the defenses on Monday Night. 

5) The Parlay

A little 5 team accumulator for the people. 

Titans -3.5 (how are Tennessee, who are 4-0, only -3.5 against a 1-4 Houston team?!)

Dolphins -10.0 (yeah, it’s A LOT of points for the Dolphins and Fitzmagic to cover… BUT… I mean… have you SEEN the Jets?)

Patriots -9.5 (Cam’s back, and the Broncos are broken. Even if Drew Lock plays, the New England defense is nasty enough to give him nightmares)

Browns +3.5 (I think they win outright, but the FG + a half point here makes this feel like a safe bet)

Lions -3.0 (Golladay back, Sacksonville ain’t what it used to be, Lions managed to beat the Cardinals – a GOOD team – earlier this year. I trust Stafford to win this game)

£10 on this pays about £260 depending on your Bookmaker.

6) The Full English

This is just gonna be my straight up, nice and simple, prediction for who wins every single game each week. We’ll keep a rolling total and win % for me and hopefully it’ll be a number significantly higher than 50…

ATL vs MIN – Atlanta

BAL vs PHI – Ravens

CHI vs CAR – Panthers

CIN vs IND – Colts

CLE vs PIT – Browns

DEN vs NE – Patriots

DET vs JAX – Lions

HOU vs TEN – Titans

WAS vs NYG – Giants

NYJ vs MIA – Dolphins

GB vs TB – Packers

LAR vs SF – Rams

KC vs BUF – Chiefs

ARI vs DAL – Cardinals

And that’s it! Can’t wait to get absolutely none of these right this week. Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts. Fingers crossed you come back next week. I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter and Instagram if you wanna chat further. Have a good one!

All Lines and Totals accurate as of Friday 16th October at 15:00. 

Callum Squires is a London based writer, Dolphins fan and regular contributor to NFL in London.