NFL in London

National Football League in London

2021 NFL London Game

Deck the League

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And just like that…COVID is back in the NFL!
Did you miss it?

Still more entertaining than a Sex & the City revival, COVID is the Carrie Bradshaw of the NFL, shredding the careers of fully grown men.

So what does this mean for Week 15 in the NFL?
We will break it all down for you in our Deck the League podcast.

Wade & Ryan are back and virus free, as they offer you a Christmas Party of a podcast.
Don’t worry about missing out on the pub, just crank this up to 11 and see what knowledge drip feeds into your lineups.

COVID Games

Thus far, 3 of the NFL games for Week 13 have been moved due to COVID, but more could come.

Sean Payton is already out for the big game against the Bucs after testing positive, too bad the trailer for his new Netflix movie had no tests of positivity.

We will let you know anything that we hear about the games, and when they might be played.

Among some of the games the guys look at in the episode include:

Patriots (9-4) vs -2 Colts (7-6) +45.5

The Patriots are one of the few teams not to get sidelined by the virus this weekend, as we all know that Bill Belichick plans for the biggest threat against them.
See ya virus.

The Colts are favoured by 2 points, despite having a worse record than New England? What does Las Vegas know that we don’t?

Ryan and Wade both like the Pats to keep moving on here, as they seem to dink and dunk enough to get the job done.

Ryan thinks that the game will be a low scoring one, and Wade thinks it will be a back and forth, tight chess match that could get boring for a late night UK fan.

Ryan-Pats 21 Colts 17
Wade-Pats 27 Colts 24

Panthers (5-8) vs -10.5 Bills (7-6)

Oh how the mighty have fallen, a statement that echoes for both of these teams.

Carolina started strong on the back of Christian Mc, and a solid defence.
Now the Panthers are struggling to stay in games, and Cam Newton is atrocious.

Buffalo has gone from number one on the division, to hoping to make a shot at the playoffs.
They need to win this one to stay in it!

Ryan likes his Bills to blow out the lowly Panthers, and get back to their winning ways at home.

Wade struggles to see the Bills covering such a large spread given injuries, COVID and western New York weather.

Ryan-Bills 35 Panthers 13
Wade-Bills 24 Panthers 14

Seahawks (5-8) vs -5 LA Rams (9-4) +45.5

Russ is cooking once again on the back of a rejuvenated running game, and Tyler Lockett getting his groove back.
The Seahawks are in a deep playoff hole, and the chances of them making a post season run fall deeper every week.

LA Rams finally got a win, batting down the pesky Cardinals in a game that saw them still stay in contention for a solid playoff chance. They also got COVID. A lot of it.

Ryan thinks that Seattle will continue their winning ways, sticking it to Matt Stafford and his bad back of infected team mates.

Wade thinks that even an LA Rams team covered in COVID is still better than a healthy Seattle team.

Ryan-Seahawks 30 Rams 24
Wade-Rams 26 Seahawks 23

Sports Bar Sunday

Join us at the Sports Bar & Grill Old Street and Clapham this Sunday to catch all the NFL games.

Book a table in advance, and you can even watch your own game on your own TV.

Just make a booking and you’re good to go!

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

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

Sky Week 2

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For those of us that live in the UK, there is a tinge of sadness that we don’t get to watch all the NFL games.

To find out which games will be blacked out in England, we point you to the games on Sky Week 2.
Luckily, some of them stink so there are others to watch.

A true NFL fan abroad will invest in Gamepass, which is a way to watch MOST of the NFL games, as well as a whole host of replays, options and other programs.

Sadly, if Sky Sports is showing a game, it will be blacked out on Gamepass, forcing viewers to either fork out money for Sky Sports, watch another game, or just flip on the VPN.

The gang on Sky Sports bust their humps every week to push out of a broadcast from their Osterley studios.
For many viewers, they are a UK institution…for others….well, just read the forums.

TNF

Sky Sports shows TNF, as does Gamepass and Amazon.
To be honest, Amazon offers the bets show here, as the streaming quality and broadcast team are heads and tails above the rest.
With rumours circling that Amazon is planning on buying ALL the NFL rights, it seems logical that they play around with it to get it right first.

49ers vs Eagles

6pm GMT

20 years ago, this would have been one heck of a contest…in 2021…not so much.

Both teams are coming off of wins, but also coming off of a playoff less season.
Everyone is throwing heat at these two franchises early on, forgetting what a steaming pile that they both were only a few months ago.

In week 1, both of thee teams won…beating Detroit and Atlanta…dumpster fire central in terms of franchises.
Now they get to beat up each other…except it won’t go as easy, and as fun to watch as last week.

Sky Sports will be showing this game which looks to be a defensive battle of few points, turnovers and oodles of penalties.
Given this, there should be plenty of commercial breaks, which gives the Sky team a little more face time.

Like a child’s drawing, this looks good on paper, but there’s nothing else really to do with it.

Cowboys vs Chargers

9pm GMT

Dak & the boys head to the coast to take on the fast paced LA Chargers in a half empty stadium, in a game that really isn’t the best of the rest.

After getting humbled by TB12 & the Bucs last week, the Cowboys will be looking to use that extra time to plug some holes that Tommy boy shredded through their back side.

Justin Herbert and the boys will be smarting from a tough Washington game last week, that saw them rip Fitzmagic from the fabric of space, time and shoulder.
Joey Bosa and company are going to make Dak’s life hell for the second week in a row.

If you DO want to watch this game, just an FYI that it is on Sky Sports, and you WON’T be able to access it regularly through Gamepass UK.

Chiefs vs Ravens

1:30am GMT

Who stays up at this unGodly hour?
True NFL fans!

There won’t be too many places that show this game live in London on a Sunday night, and if you go, you might be missing an internal organ or two.
(Central London late at night gets stabby)

This game is also on Sky Sports as well as Gamepass.
You won’t have a delay on Gamepass.

That’s it for the Sky Sports schedule this week for week 2.

Hope you join us this Sunday at the Sports Bar & Grill Old Street for 40+ TVs of NFL action.

See you Sunday.

 

 

Week 1 Tips

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Sunday Funday is finally here, which means it’s time to get NFL serious, as we give you our Week 1 Tips.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull exhaust themselves every week breaking down every game, using enhanced super computers, tapping into dark crystals, and channeling dark energy from NFL players of old.

Week 1 is always a bag of cats as you have no idea what happens when everything gets loose, and it’s time to take the field.  It’s hard to predict how the offseason went, how new players have fit into the system, and who is hiding their injuries.

That being said, here are our top picks for the week.

Ryan

Texans (+4) -Houston, we have a problem…Ryan is betting on you for week 1. He thinks that Urban Myer and his group of kids is going to struggle against a nameless Texans squad.

Bengals (+3)-Ryan is Burrowing his bets on Joe in this tough match against the Vikings. With Zimmer being a mess at play calling, he is sure that Cincinnati kids will be able to rally together to overthrow the Minnesota menaces.

NY Giants (+3)-Who the heck would back Daniel Jones in his first game of the season? Ryan would! He loves Saquon and the boys to stuff if down the throat of Fangio and his fanboys in a low scoring affair.

Saints (+4) The Saints might not come marching in, but they will put up a homestead against the ready to rumble Packers. Despite a hurricane rocking the Saints away from home, they will be full Jameis’d for this affair, and Kamara will add to the woes of Green Bay. He doesn’t see the Saints winning, but covering-yes.

Raiders (+4) Late night NFL fans will be watching this Monday night contest with bleary eyes, as it doesn’t start here until the wee hours of the morn. Ryan is big on the bad boy Raiders to grab a win from the flightless Ravens at home.

If you’re smart enough to follow Ryan’s lead, you could rip home a lovely profit of, on a £10 bet.
Betting a tenner will win you £317.27 using Ryan’s tips above.
You ready to get lucky?

Wade

Despite besting Ryan in betting against the spread for the past few years, Wade is always cautious heading into week 1.
He does have some games that he has an inkling he thinks will go all wrong.
These include:

Cardinals (+3)-Tiny Kyler and his Cardinal Babies struggled last season to find their footing, but they should be fully planted for this contest. This will be a DFS bonanza, as both teams trade long balls all day long. The Titans traditionally start slow, and this game will demonstrate that.

Colts (+3)-Carson Wentz is back, said no one trying to intimidate another person ever. The Colts were a dominant team last season led by a ridiculous O line and fast D. There’s no reason that doesn’t change for week 1 as they battle a weak Seahawks D. Look for a home town celebration.

Eagles (+3)-Philly wasn’t so special last year as they struggled with a rotation at QB. By the time Jalen Hurts took over, there was a bit too much pressure for the youngster to succeed.
With a whole new support squad, this team can score, which is what they will do against the Falcons.

Dolphins (+3)-Mac Jones has the football, everyone be afraid! Bill Belichick has spent some time building his new squad out of clay, but that doesn’t mean that they will hold up to the toughness of the NFL. It’s one thing to do well in preseason. Miami starts the season strong, and Flores will have some mind games ready for little Mac.

Bengals (+3) -Not to win, but to cover. The Bengals can score if Joe Burrow has his head (and body) in the game. Minnesota is weak in back D, which should give the Bengals plenty of chances to torch them deep. A close game for sure.

Taking Wade’s picks, with a £10 wager will win you £310.66, a nice chunk of pocket change to start your Monday.

Come join us Week 3 at the Sports Bar and Grill Old Street to get a chance to WIN a set of tickets to the Miami Dolphins vs Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Stadium.

Have a great Sunday!

 

2022 Super Bowl Picks

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With the start of the NFL season, comes flurry of football speculation.
How will the extra games affect the season? Will injuries continue to dominate the league? Which team has the gumption to win it all?

Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull break it down with their Super Bowl picks for the 2022 game.

Yes, it is WAY to early to make such a bold prediction this early in the season, but that’s the fun in the NFL.
Take a punt based on some scraps of knowledge, stats, and mix it in with intuition and a dash of American network garble, and you have some half baked picks.

With LA being the host city for the February game, there is always a desire for one of the two Los Angeles teams to make it in front of the home crowd.
Sure, most of the crowd is made up of bloated execs and ass kissers, but there’s always those 10000 die hard fans allowed in to rally up the Chargers/ Rams.

Ryan’s Pick

Ryan is very cagey in his predictions thus far due to the potential implications of future ridicule from fantasy football chums.

One thing is clear though, is that this kid from Brantford, Ontario is sauced and baked in Buffalo Bills pride, and he believes this is the year that they make it to the Super Bowl.

Josh Allen is a ‘beast’, they have a ‘solid’ wide receiver group, and his praise is muted enough not to curse the potential gauntlet of AFC adversaries they need to overcome to get there.

Ryan has the Buffalo Bills win win the AFC Championship and move on to the Super Bowl.

Meeting them in the big show will be…the Los Angeles Rams.

That’s right, Ryan has drank the Matt Staffy Juice and thinks that the Rams with their bright new rocket, speedy sets of WR hands, and monster D will be the champs of the division atop the other imitators.

Prediction

Buffalo Bills vs LA Rams

Wade’s Pick

The AFC will be a blood bath, and with a relatively healthy group of teams ready to roar, it’s easy to pick a few contenders that have the stones to make it through a long season.

The Bills, Browns, Ravens, Steelers, Titans and Raiders all have the potential to rip it to the finish, but they don’t have the sustainability to endure themselves.

Kansas City has the team, the vision, the drive and the positioning to repeat as Super Bowl visitors, and that’s the pick for the AFC.

The LA Chargers will be plucky and fun to watch, and should be a great team to potentially make it all the way. Sadly, Justin and the team need another year in the grow room before they’re ready to bud.

As far as the NFC goes…it’s the Rams!

Yes, it’s a Los Angeles double set with the same lame pick as Ryan.

The Bucs are good, and they’ll be hot, but everyone will be gunning for them. That gets tedious after a while, just ask Captain America.

Green Bay’s Dream Machine will break down on the side of the road when they realise you can’t power a team on personal ambition and nostalgia.

The Bears will do great. People will be surprised. Justin Fields is a new messiah.

Prediction

Kansas City Chiefs vs LA Rams 

That’s it for our 2022 Super Bowl Picks, hope you can use them.

Sadly, there is no betting sites that are good in the UK to allow us to make those picks, but we thought we would throw those out there.

Who do you have winning it all? Let us know.

 

London Hotels

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The NFL games in London are almost here, and many of you will be looking to book your London-staycation to watch the games.
If you have never been to London, then we have a little advice to help you on your search for hotel rooms.

Tottenham

The Tottenham Hotspurs stadium is located in North East London, a little further afield than Wembley-if that’s where you are use to going.
The area around the stadium is ‘up and coming’, which translates as a bit nasty after dark.
We would NOT recommend staying in the area, as not only does it not have much of an atmosphere (yet), it will be dead as a door knob after the game.
That being said, it is easily accessible via numerous tube, train and bus routes.
We should note that Sundays are notoriously bad for transit in London, as this is when service is often reduced.
Travel around London is usually impacted.

North London

There are loads of great neighbourhoods close to Tottenham stadium to consider for the October Sunday games.

Archway

Archway is on the Northern Line, and has numerous links to the stadium via bus, train, and is under £15 for an Uber.
As of this article, there were numerous rooms at the Premier Inn (Archway) for £35 per night.
Archway is close to most London hubs, and has a vibrant and safe atmosphere at night.
Book via the website https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/home.html

Wood Green

You can literally walk to the Tottenham Stadium from Wood Green.
This area is up and coming, and has added some funky new bars and pubs as of late.
There are plenty of sports bars on the main drag, and ‘The Mall’ is always worth a look.
Rooms were currently at £122 per night, but some sleuthing should be able to get you a good deal on rooms.

Kings Cross

Centrally located and boasting more transit connections than any other area of London, Kings Cross is the ‘hub’ for accessibility.
There are plenty of hotels around the KC junction, and you should be able to score a great deal on a hotel if you want to book.
The area has plenty of hotels and a thriving nightlife.
A word of caution that in some areas of KC get quite sketchy at night, so stick to the main drags and avoid any ‘heroin looking’ folks.

Crouch End

More of a local neighbourhood than a tourist destination, this leafy ‘village’ is a quick bus ride (or 30 min walk) to the stadium.
Known as the place where celebrities live, Crouch End has some NFL plans for the London games.
We work with the Princess Alexandra pub, which will be open until 4AM on both Sunday nights.
It’s a great place to eat, drink, watch the games…and you never know which cast member of Harry Potter will be sitting at the table next to you.

 

Old Street

Old Street is one of the hippest locations for your London stay.
20 minutes by transit to the stadium and on the edge of Shoreditch, staying in this area is hip, safe, and bound to offer plenty of adventures.
We are working with the Sports Bar and Grill Old Street, so you can pop in before and after the game for a wicked party until 4am.
Home of the famous Silicon Roundabout, the area is full of bars and cool restaurants.
There are LOADS of hotels there, and we have already found a few for cheap.
The hipster CitizenM has rooms for under £120 per night.

Areas to Avoid

Like any major city, there are places that might not be the best for your London or NFL experience.
Some of these areas include:

West London

Chiswick, Richmond and Chelsea are all wonderful places to visit…just not stay if you’re hitting Tottenham. Notoriously far away and difficult to access on gameday.

Leicester Square

A steady decline in recent years have made this place a shady place to be at night.
Post COVID the Leicester Square area has become very dark at night, and loads of news stories of robberies, assaults, and even worse are increasing.
It’s ok to be there in the daytime, but we would NOT recommend walking around the Leicester Square/ Oxford Circus streets at night time unless you have a stab vest.

Wembley

Wembley stadium is a far toss from Tottenham, and a huge pain in the butt to get to from Tottenham.
Sundays are not fundays for transit to this hub, so you will deffo need Ubers (which will be busy) on a Sunday night.

South of the River

Unless you’re ‘living in a van by the river’, anything south of the Thames will be a ball ache to get from on a Sunday.
Be prepared for a long journey.

We will keep you updated on all the travel and hotel issues we see as they arise!