NFL in London

National Football League in London

2021 Draft Preview

News of Nov

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Week 9 in the NFL felt like a year, with all of the news, injuries and bat crap craziness.

Let’s take a look at some of the storylines swirling around the league as we head into week 10, with our News of Nov.

Make sure you join us every Sunday at either the Sports Bar & Grill Old Street or Clapham, where we will be showing all of the games plus Redzone.

Josh Allen

Josh Allen was the star of Week 9, after not only sacking Bills QB Josh Allen, but also intercepting him and scooping up an Allen fumble.

The Bills too a major beatdown from Urban Meyer and the Jags on Sunday, in what seemed to be an equal shock to both teams.

The normally pedestrian Jacksonville defence looked to be the top of their game, as they held Buffalo to a frustrating Sunday of football.

Urban Meyer keeps his job safe for another week, despite a potential injury to Trevor Lawrence, while the Buffalo Bills need to have a talk amongst themselves to figure out what went wrong.

It was a good day for Josh Allen regardless.

Raided

What a bad week for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not only did Henry Ruggs III make a truly boneheaded move that resulted in death, but rookie Damon Arnette was also cut from the team for bad behaviour.

Arnette reportedly threatened to kill numerous people, as well as harm.

Whatever is going on in Las Vegas, it needs to change as the bad boy reputation of the team continues to drag them down.

Baker BJ

OBJ and his dad got their way, as Odell rode off to free agency after a disintegration of their relationship.

Baker Mayfield and the Browns responded in week 9 by absolutely trashing the Bengals in an ugly affair.

Cleveland has a great O line and a solid D, it’s the uo and down play of Baker Mayfield that makes this team hard to trust in the long run, especially the way that the Titans are playing.

Bear Mauled

In a true game travesty on MNF, the Chicago Bears were royally screwed by bad, bad refs.

In fact the refs were so bad, many Bears fans are tossing out claims of corruption and fix, after some truly biased calls by the refs.

A taunting call that had no taunting, and a ref leaning in to make contact with a Bears player, only so that he could throw a flag on the player for running into him.

Bears fans are livid, and the refs better watch their backs.

Rodger Me

Aaron Rodgers continues to have the spotlight shine on him, after it was revealed that he is not vaxxed and thinks he is smarter than everyone else.

Rodgers recent antics in the past few weeks must be a relief to the Packers, who will be losing the all star QB next season.  Why court that kind of drama when it’s going to overshadow the team every week?

Packers fans were hopeful that the new heir apparent Jordan Love would step up last week to offer some sort of heroics, only to look like a giant turd against a very weak Chiefs squad.

Green Bay fans can look to Boston to see what their future holds.

Just another average team, with an average QB.

Dem Boyz

Michael Irvin has been choking on his own spittle for the past few days, as his Dallas Cowboys laid a giant turd against a mediocre Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Teddy looked far superior to Dak, and the running game of the Broncos could not be stopped as they stole a W from the Cowboys.

Fans in Texas will wonder if this was just a blip, or if the Cowboys just aren’t that good.

Sports Bar Week 10

Make sure you join us for Sunday Funday at the Sports Bar and Grill Clapham and Old Street, as we host the biggest NFL parties in London.

Book a table so that you can watch the games on your own TV!

 

Nov News-1

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November is here in the NFL, which means injuries, struggles and of course the big Thanksgiving games at the end of the month.

If you’re an NFL fan in the UK, November brings not only the end of the London games, but also the start of fireworks season.
Anyone with a dog knows what ghoulish hell Fireworks Night can be as a dog owner.

Of course the NFL keeps chugging along with incredible story lines, which we will touch on here in our Nov News 1.

Rugg Pulling

Henry Ruggs has had his NFL career and life of freedom curtailed this week, after killing someone while drunk driving.

Ruggs had left a Las Vegas TopGolf in the wee hours of the morning to hop in his flashy Corvette while intoxicated only to crash into another vehicle, killing one of the occupants.

This is just sad all around not only for the families who lost, but also for the promising career of a young man.

The Las Vegas Raiders were quick to release Ruggs, who will most likely never play in the NFL ever again now that he is facing two felony charges for the accident.

It doesn’t get any easier for this Vegas team.

https://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/story/_/id/32538903/las-vegas-raiders-release-wr-henry-ruggs-iii-fatal-crash

Miller Time

The LA Rams just got a whole heck of a lot better after signing veteran Von Miller to their D.

Miller is a short-sighted beast on D, whose ageing presence will add much to the LA dynamic and pass rush ability.

Rumour has it that Miller wanted out of the Broncos because may of his team members had refused to contribute towards an annual Halloween party.

Miller has allegedly decided to host the party to help motivate the team after a series of losses, then became angry once his teammates refused to contribute financially.

What a petty way to lose an integral part of the team!

At least Von Miller will be able to party his way into the playoffs, something the Broncos won’t see for years.

Jets Down

Mike White the hero of the Jets?

It seems that way after the nobody White was able to lead his J-E-T-S to a crazy upset victory over the Bengals on Sunday.

Zach Wilson is failing to impress, as the Jets continue to suck on the tailpipe of the NFL for another season.

How about this bettor who thought Mike White would lead the league in Week 8?

Nice bet!

OBJ Sr

Odell Beckham Jr’s daddy is mad at Baker, and drama ensues.

Baker and the Browns have been more like Turd Ferguson’s this year than anything else, as Mayfield struggles every week to check the ball down field.

Beckham Sr finally had enough this week, throwing blades that Baker was ruining his sons career.

Beckham’s career has been ‘ok’, although you still get the feeling he is living off of that one amazing catch a decade ago.

OBJ probably has another good couple years to go, just not with the Browns.

Aaron Wick

Ego puffing Aaron Rodgers continues to let everyone know it’s ‘his year’, and to ‘look at me’, despite not having held a trophy in over a decade.

Rodgers revealed this week that the reason he had been growing his hair long for the past 7 months, was for his Halloween costume!

The guy can’t commit to his team or a fiancee, but he he has the dedication to prepare his fancy dress outfit way ahead of other priorities.

Class act all the way! 

DeSean Nothing

Veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson had enough with the winning ways of the LA Rams, and wanted out.

With all the passes going the way of Kupp and Woods, Jackson decided he would test his market strength by demanding a trade away from the Super Bowl contender Rams.

It didn’t work out so well for DeSean, as no team has come to his rescue, and it looks like he will sit out the rest of the season.

If you’re going to call someone’s bluff, make sure you have a good hand.

Week 9 London

Join us this week for some of the great games at our partner venues across the city.

Sports Bar and Grill Old Street is open until 12:30am, while the Sports Bar and Grill Clapham is open until 11pm.

See you Sunday!

 

Old Street Sundays

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If you’re looking for the best place to watch the NFL in London, you need to head to the Sports Bar & Grill for Old Street Sundays!

Located directly across from the fabled Old Street tube station, the pub is centrally located with access to the Northern Line, Network Rail, and oodles of late buses across the capital.
Best of all, it’s open late on Sundays and not as stabby as Leicester Square.
https://www.sportsbarandgrill.co.uk/oldstreet

If you’re trying to find the exact location, it’s:

174-180 Old Street, London – Old Street, EC1V 9BP
020 7336 8310

History

We have a storied history promoting the NFL at the Sports Bar and Grill’s, going back to 2007 at the olde Marylebone location.
Those of you who joined us back then might remember how difficult it was to stream games, not to mention dodgy wifi, leaky toilets, and a tiny room where we jammed Madden tournaments.

Martin the manager is back though, so all feels right in the world again as we look ahead to another great season of the NFL.

Sundays

Sunday funday brings us the NFL, as well as the inconvenience of the 4:30pm Premier League games.
Luckily, the SB&G has dedicated NFL areas for fans not into watching the north London teams taking a beating from a south London rival.

Don’t want to hear a Spurs fan moan? Move to the NFL side where the games are about to kick off.

Football is still the life blood of England, which means the 4:30pm match will still be on when the NFL kicks off.
Not to worry though, the bar still has a great selection of games, and once the match is over, EVERYTHING gets switched over to the NFL.

So if you walk and everything feels very ‘soccer-y’, have no fear, the games will be on shortly after.

The bar will show all of the 9pm games, with a 12am last call.
Make sure you get your booze orders in prior to then so that you can enjoy the end of the matches.

Food and Drink

The Sports Bar & Grill Old Street has a vast menu of fare to keep your stomach happy all night.
Add to that some cold pints on tap, and your Sunday just got a lot more chill.

Order from one of the friendly servers, or simply download the app to make your night convenient.

Reservations

If you are looking to bring a group, we do recommend making a booking ahead of time.

With many tables having their own TVs, fans are quick to book ahead so that they can watch the game they want, where they want it.

If you want to book in with one of the staff, just click on this link here and you are on your way to getting your own piece of Sunday Funday in Old Street.

https://www.sportsbarandgrill.co.uk/oldstreet/party-booking

Games

Got a particular game you and your friends want to watch?
Get in touch ASAP and we will work to get that game across as many screens as possible.

With over 45 TVs, you will ALWAYS be able to see a screen from anywhere in the pub.

The TV schedule is planned ahead of time, so that the bar is set up so that fans get a healthy selection of games and Redzone.

London Games

Looking for place to party before and after the London games?
Join us at the Sports Bar & Grill Old Street!

The bar has a late license for the night, which means that we will be able to host an NFL party all night long!

We are planning on crazy busy nights, so make sure you book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Clapham

Can’t make it to the Sports Bar and Grill Old Street?

No problem! We also throw NFL parties at the Sports Bar and Grill Clapham.

Every Sunday the pub shows games until 11pm, so that you can catch the first series of games.

Get in touch if you would like to book a table at Clapham!

This Sunday at the Sports Bar & Grill, we are giving away a set of tickets to the Jaguars vs Dolphins at Tottenham.
All you have to do is enter our DraftKings contest to win big!

See you Sunday!

 

DraftKings League

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The NFL is back, which means so is our fantasy game, as we invite you all to join our NFL in London DraftKings League.

Every week we have a blast running loads of NFL daily fantasy contests, as well as giving away cash and prizes every season.
Membership has its privileges, and our league is no exception.

Throughout this 2021-2022 NFL season, we will be throwing fun DraftKings parties at pubs across London and the UK.
Just like previous years, players will have a chance to win big every week not only playing in our contests, but at the many live events, especially at the Sports Bar and Grill Old Street.

We are hosting a week 3 contest where the winner gets a pair of tickets to the NFL game at Tottenham in the Miami Dolphins vs Jacksonville Jaguars game.
You can ONLY win the tickets by playing in one of our contests.

To JOIN OUR LEAGUE, make sure you click here.
https://dkn.gs/r/JeTpJZadl0-vIhMhVV5Bfw

FREE

If you’re new to DFS and looking to play NFL fantasy without losing money, feel free to join our FREE contests.
Our ‘Sunday Funday‘ contests are free to join, and fun to play.
We run two of these contests every Sunday so that you have a chance to play around with a couple of line-ups.
If you’re not use to DraftKings, these free contests are a good way to gauge your skills, as well as compete against other DK fans who are also just playing around.

We still offer loads of great prizes when we host our free contests live, but if you’re looking to make some money, you’ll want the paid contests.

To enter this week’s Sunday Funday contest, just click here and play along!
https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/112956027

PAID

If money is what you’re after, then our paid contests will definitely tickle your fancy.

We know that many of our UK fans are new to DFS, so we try not to raise the stakes too high, as well as work to keep out the bots and wanks who make these contests a pain in the butt.

Our ‘Buck a Chuck‘ contest is an easy way to jump into our League, as well as enter some not too dear weekly contests.

To enter this week’s ‘Buck a Chuck’ just click on this link.
https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/112959250

Make sure you come down every week to the Sports Bar and Grill Old Street.
It is open late on Sundays, meaning that you can catch all the games you need.

Remember to join us Week 3, for your chance to win tickets to the battle of Florida at Tottenham.

 

Why do UK sportsbooks suck at NFL?

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With sports betting exploding around the world, we often get asked ‘what are the best websites for NFL betting’?
Surprisingly, there aren’t very many available to UK fans that actual focus on NFL games, odds and options.
In fact we always find ourselves asking ‘Why do UK sportsbooks suck at NFL’?
There are a few reasons for this, which we will explain, as well as point you in the direction of our Top 3 NFL betting websites. 

Betting Britain

Britain has been betting on sports for decades, so one would assume that the betting product would be sleek, slick and easy to navigate.
Nope.
Betting in Europe is more ‘football focused’ (aka soccer) meaning that many of the betting options and parlays simply aren’t available to the public.
While the NFL betting options accelerated during the 80s’ NFL boom in the UK, it didn’t really translate into dedicated product.
Even as UK sports books increase their offerings in the face of American growth, they still lack the gumption to tailor their products to North American sports. 

Moneyline

One of the biggest issues for NFL betting fans comes down to formatting.
Europe and the UK prefer the use of ‘Decimal Odds’ or 

‘Fractional Odds’ when it comes to setting their weekly lines, whereas North Americans prefer the standard ‘Moneyline.’

For anyone not used to seeing odds formatted in ‘Decimal Odds’ style, it can be a confusing and intimidating style of play.
Many European sports books lazily refuse to add Moneyline odds, which essentially deprives them of a new, hungry audience.
North Americans are new to NFL betting, and intimidating them right off the bat is no way to sign up new customers. 

Options

Any NFL fan who has ever walked into the sports bar of a Las Vegas casino, knows that a magical experience is about to happen.
Not only do Vegas sports bars display countless betting options, the employees who work at sports books are all too happy to help with the numerous different ways you can wager.
UK casinos rarely even sports books, as was the case when we ran events at the Hippodrome in Leicester Square.
Fans who were desperate to wager on games were pointed to the Ladbrokes down the street, which benefited HUGE from the thousands of fans who wanted to throw down money each week.
Betting became so big there, that Ladbrokes employees from down the road would attend viewing parties because they had ‘so many people coming to bet on games’, they wanted to see what it was all about. 

Authenticity

Real NFL bettors usually have a weekend plan for success.
If you know which of the games on Sunday are ripe for betting, you will work out how many parlays, over-unders, and long shots you are willing to make.
Attempting to then make those wagers on a UK betting app then begins the problems.
Not only are the odds radically different from the US, but the ability to make ‘out there’ bets is only possible if you go into a shop, and find a competent worker.
While it is rewarding to burn a lazy bookmaker for not paying attention to NFL news across the pond, it’s frustrating to have to Scooby Doo down all the information from an app. 

Over the years we have tried to discuss the poor NFL betting options with bookmakers, but it has always fallen on deaf ears.
Either they don’t care about making money from a massively untapped market, to they’re just lazy.

So what betting websites would we recommend?
They’re pretty limited, but here you go.

1. Bet365

When it comes to NFL betting in Europe, Bet365 seems to be the only one with their head in the game.
Not only do they offer the best betting options for the NFL, but they also have a wide selection of parlays and novelty bets on offer.
Sure, the layout is a bit laborious, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy to get betting.
You can also switch between betting pricing, allowing players to compare moneyline vs decimal options.
The best past about Bet365 however is the ability to watch the games.
Provided that you have bet on some NFL matches, bettors have the option of being able to stream the game to their phone or device.
With limited viewing options in Europe, this is a ‘MUST HAVE’ feature for NFL fans, as it allows you to watch the game in real time, for no extra cost.
Expats in Europe have been raving about this option for years, as it also extends to MLB, NBA and NHL games, which are hard to find across the pond.
Bet365 has pretty good customer service as well, which is really helpful if you are looking to bet on specific options. 

2. Betway

Second on the list is Betway, which has seen a drop in its NFL product in recent years.
With a very simple and straightforward layout, Betway’s NFL betting is a far simpler option than that of Bet365.
Parlays are quite easy to manipulate, and the overplay is quite crisp and simple.
Betway’s NFL product dropped in quality in 2020, so we are curious to see if they are going to improve on it.
Customer service is slow, but effective once they’re on it. 

3. Paddypower

Remember when Paddypower use to be edgy and funny?
Good times.
The Irish lads have gone corporate, and it shows in their North American sports betting options.
Like Betway, the NFL offerings on Paddy are pretty straightforward.
Nothing too fancy, and there are some muddled parlays and novelty bets in the mix, although they usually look like they were assembled by a soccer fan.
Customer service at Paddy is hit and miss, and on a busy game day, you’re more likely to encounter snark than satisfaction. 

We are still holding out that one day a UK sports book will actually take North American sports in Europe seriously.
With bookmakers on the continent on a frenzied mission to gobble up as many American betting properties as possible, you would think that they would actually look at what is successfully stateside and try to replicate it in Blighty.
 
The NFL is only going to get bigger in Europe, which bookmaker is finally ready to take it seriously?