NFL in London

National Football League in London

Play FREE Fantasy Football

la chargers

Picks Six-Wildcard Weekend

by

Welcome back to another edition of The Picks Six-Wildcard Weekend-the first postseason edition!! It’s SUPER WildCard Weekend, which means we’ve got back to back triple headers this weekend. 6 games, 2 days, a PLETHORA of storylines… What does that recipe equal? Chaos. And chaos… is a ladder. 

The playoff picture was murky up until the last minute, when Doug Pederson and the Eagles left all people with a logical brain (or a bet on the Eagles to win… like me) DISGUSTED with their Sunday Night Antics. I don’t want to go on about it, but it was absolutely shameful and I feel really sorry for the New York Giants coaches and players who gave it everything to win their game, believing they had a chance to make the playoffs. They did not. The Eagles coaches had zero intention of ever winning that game. It’s shameful. Jalen Hurts deserves better. Anyway… If we get half of THAT controversy this weekend, we’re in for a treat. 

Game Picks (Regular Season Record: 95-45)

Saturday 

Colts @ Bills 

Josh Allen and his offense are steamrolling their way into the Playoffs. A comfortable cut above the rest of the AFC East, they dispatched the FitzMagic-less Dolphins last weekend – resting their starters for the second half – and are sauntering into their first home playoff game in a loooooong time with confidence sky high. The Stefon Diggs trade is one of the best pieces of business done in this league in a while, and what the Bills lack in an explosive running back they make up for in their mobile maverick quarterback. On the other side of the ball… one of my least favourite teams in the league this year. I’m sorry, but I’m not really sorry. I’ve never had much love for Phil Rivers – trash talking aside – and their intensely boring mix of stout defense and 3.5 yards per carry run game is one of my least favourite mixtures in the NFL. The Colts have been inconsistent with their ability to score points offensively, and that’s not a good thing against a Bills defense that started slow but has picked up steam in the last month. As much as I believe in this Bills team, this pick is also personal preference influenced. #BillsMafia: enjoy your home game. You’ll have another one next weekend.

Pick: BILLS

Rams @ Seahawks

If the opportunity to see Jalen Ramsey vs DK Metcalf again wasn’t enough, the subscript to this game is just so tasty. Will Aaron Donald regret saying “that’s exactly what we wanted” when he was told the Rams were travelling to Seattle after their victory over Arizona last weekend? Will Pete Carroll let Russ continue to cook!? Will Jared Goff play? Could John Wolford pull off a miracle two weeks in a row? It’s all set to be WILD. And yet, for me, the most important player on the field on Saturday I haven’t even mentioned yet. I still cannot fathom why Seattle refuses to FEED Chris Carson the ball. He’s so explosive. Seattle’s offensive line can create holes for him and he has the ability to make the most of them. IF – and it’s a big if considering the Rams’ defensive line – Seattle can establish the run and control the game at their own pace, I think the Seahawks have everything they need to dispatch LA back to their home and move on to the Divisional weekend. With the question marks over Jared Goff’s thumb remaining, I can’t in good conscience pick the Rams this weekend. There are more ways Seattle can win. Even if they don’t do as I’ve advised (lean on Chris Carson), they can still win this game if MVP-level Russell Wilson shows up, which is always possible. The Rams HAVE to have their defense play to the best of their ability, and hope Kupp and Woods can make enough plays to get them some points. I’m choosing to ride with the path with the most options. 

Pick: SEAHAWKS

Buccaneers @ Washington

I’m going to keep this one short. I’ve never been a Tom Brady fan. I’m still not. I hate the New England Patriots… and yet… NEVER in my life would I be stupid enough to say “Tom Brady I’m coming,” a whole week before I had to face TB12 in the playoffs. If you think Tom didn’t see Chase Young’s sentiment… and hasn’t been religiously watching game film… think again. I have been loud and proud all season about how this Washington team are frauds and I believe they will be exposed as such this weekend, as they would and SHOULD have been last weekend, had Jalen Hurts been allowed to finish the job. Tom Brady is going to annihilate Washington. *Insert joke about a “Brady happy to see a leaky defense in Washington for the second time this week” here.* Don’t think I’ve forgotten who you campaigned for, Tom. Abhorrent. Enjoy this weekend before Aaron Rodgers shuts you down next Sunday.

Pick: BUCCANEERS

Sunday

Ravens @ Titans

This game is the biggest revenge game I’ve seen for a while. The last two times these two teams have faced off, the Titans have run the ball down Baltimore’s throat and sent them packing empty handed. Mike Vrabel and John Harbaugh almost came to blows pre-game before the regular season matchup that went back and forth before Derrick Henry walked it off in OT. The biggest criticism of Lamar Jackson is his record in the playoffs. I think that’s unfair; his incredible regular season record contains some losses as well. It’s just bad luck. Lamar will shine in the playoffs eventually, I’m just not convinced it’ll be this weekend… Yeah, the Titans defense is questionable at best… but if you have Derrick Henry running like he is, and Ryan Tannehill throwing to AJ Brown like he is, you have to feel good about your ability to put up points. I think this game is the biggest toss up of the weekend. This could go in so many directions, but I think it’ll be tight and probably come down to a late game drive one way or the other. The Ravens offense has woken up of late, with Hollywood Brown finding the endzone with consistency and JK Dobbins looking like one of the steals of last year’s draft. All that said… I think I’m sticking with Tennessee. This game is must-see however, whichever way it ends.

Pick: TITANS

Bears @ Saints

I can’t trust Mitch Trubisky to beat this Saints defense. I just can’t. David Montgomery has found a groove and the smartest thing the Bears could do on Sunday afternoon would be to lean heavily on their run game and try and get it going early. Brees is surely still some way short of 100%, but with their running backs on track to be back this week, the Bears linebackers are going to have to try and deal with “Mr 6” Alvin Kamara. The Bears defense could keep this close, but I think the Saints have enough weapons to pull away late. I can’t see the Bears offense having enough firepower to win this game. It’s gotta be NOLA.

Pick: SAINTS

Browns @ Steelers

The Cleveland Browns HAVE NOT won a single game in Pittsburgh in 17 years. S-E-V-E-N-T-E-E-N YEARS. Big Ben has NEVER lost at home to the Browns. Kevin Stefanski – likely Coach of the Year – is unable to coach due to COVID protocols. Alex Van Pelt is the play caller, for the first time in his NFL career. The Browns are the perennial losers and underdogs of the AFC North. The Steelers are the Championship pedigree empire. EVERYTHING about this game says “Thanks for coming, Cleveland, but the road ends here.” AND YET – that’s exactly why I think the Browns will win this game. Sometimes “it’s just meant to be” is the truth. Baker Mayfield has led the Browns to the promised land of the playoffs. I think the boost that gives this franchise, and the motivation of having their coaches out, and you’re playing your biggest rivals, and your rivals have been insulting you all week (JuJu said “the Browns are the Browns,” to suggest there was nothing different about their current crop of talent)… I am all in on the Browns bandwagon. Chubb, Hunt, Landry, Higgins, Hooper… TO THE MOON. Shake and Baker. Dawg Pound – you’re getting a win.

Pick: BROWNS

Parlay 

Using the above picks, this is my parlay for the weekend:

Titans -6.5

Seahawks -3.0

Buccaneers -6.5

Titans +3.5

Saints -9.5

Browns to win.

Depending on your bookmaker, £10 on this parlay pays around £620.

We’ll reunite here next week as we welcome the de facto 1 and 1A in the MVP race into the dance. Enter stage right: Mahomes and Rodgers. And here… we… go… Anyway, I hope you’re all staying safe and sane in the midst of this insane start to 2021. Fingers cross we can relax and enjoy a good time on this SUPER WILDCARD weekend. As ever, I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter and Instagram. Come say hey. Have a good one everyone.

Callum Squires is an ardent Dolphins fan, and a good friend of NFL in London. 

Wildcard Preview

by

Are you ready to get Wild? You’re already getting wild enough America, what about the rest of you? All kidding aside, stay safe USA, we love you, and don’t want you to cancel any NFL with all your anger. It’s time for our Wildcard Preview podcast!

After 256 regular season games, we’re finally ready for the playoffs, and oh what a year it’s been. From Covid to no crowds-thanks to Covid, the 2020 season will certainly be one to remember (and for many others-one to quickly forget).

Wade & Ryan look back at the crazy week that was 17 in the NFL, from the big wins to the near misses. The boys reflect on the scores, and the elements that were needed for teams to clinch in this fun romp through the scores.
They also look ahead to the Wildcard Weekend in the NFL, previewing the 6 big games slated for Saturday and Sunday.

Among some of their predictions include:

Colts (11-5) vs Bills (13-3)
Bills -6.5  +52

It’s looking like a windy and snowy Saturday afternoon in Western New York, as the Bills look to starve the wounded Colts on the barren plains of Buffalo.
Indianapolis had the best O line in the league, then the injury bug came, and claimed some of their big dudes. Rookie Jonathan Taylor has had an epic season, and will be needed in spades on Saturday. If the Colts fall behind however, they will need Rivers to light it up against a staunch Buffalo D.
The Bills ended the season with a beat down of the poor Dolphins, and it’s hard to not see them carry that momentum to the next week. The team is fired up, and the return of John Brown means that they can now open up more space on the field.
Ryan and Wade are both hot on Buffalo, although as a Bills diehard fan Ryan is pretty nervous about this contest.
Ryan- Bills 30 Colts 20
Wade- Bills 28 Colts 21

LA Rams (10-6) vs Seahawks (12-4)
Seahawks -3.5  +47.5

The Rams limp into the playoffs with lingering questions at QB. Wolford was able to get the job done against a weak Cardinals team last week, but he now has given up some tape to Seattle as to how to handle his style of play. LA has really only gotten by thanks to their defence, and they are going to need them here against a wicked corp of talented receivers. Even if Goff does return, how effective is he really going to be?
Seattle is ready to cook, and Russ has been to the playoffs enough times to not get rattled. He’ll be playing at home in the windy cold, and finally has an offensive line of returnable players. If he can get enough protection in the pocket, he will have time to carve up the Rams holes.
Having Jalen Ramsey back will also be huge for the Seahawks, as he will take down the long game and potentially pick off a rookie mistake.
The Rams have been winning thanks to great clock management, but it’s a whole different game when the opponent can score quickly and repeatedly.
Wade & Ryan both think that Seattle will finally find their footing here, although Ryan thinks that this one will be pretty close.
Ryan- Seahawks 26 Rams 23
Wade- Seahawks 26 Rams 18

As for full winners tags weekend, the boys are agreed on every team.

WINNERS-Bills, Seahawks, Bucs, Titans, Saints, Steelers. 

DraftKings

Why not make the NFL playoffs even better by playing along with us on Draftkings? You can join our League and immediately jump into some fun and easy FREE and PAID contests of your liking. We’re all pretty cool guys, and love a bit of banter among the games.
Click on the link here and you’re ready to roll.
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

That’s it for this week’s Wildcard Preview podcast. Have a listen, a laugh, and make sure you share it with your friends. We appreciate all of you for continuing to make the podcast rise up the charts.
Happy 2021, and a good NFL to you all!

Ekeler’s Millions

by

Oh to be an NFL player! You’re a physically fit, young man, earning millions….and 2 years after you retire there is a high chance you will be BROKE! Not unless you make the right decisions.
LA Chargers running back Austin Ekeler details what he spent his first million dollars on in this Ekeler’s Millions segment.

One of the first things that comes across when you watch Austin Ekeler is how humble and grounded the guy is. This probably has something to do with growing up in rural Colorado, and not really focusing on the NFL as a career.  Often the biggest financial busts in the NFL are the players who focus on status and prestige, as opposed to building the structure for financial stability in the future.  There is nothing more frustrating as a fan watching a talented young athlete blow their wad on ‘bling’, when their career could essentially be over within 5 years.
Sure Drew Brees can spend millions on trinkets and baubles, but look where that got him.

Among some of the purchases that Ekeler bought with his first million includes:

Chrysler 300

The essential vehicle for soccer moms, single dads with weekend duties, and of course NFL rookies. Austin smartly mentions that he bought a used car, as he wanted something reliable and affordable to get him to work, while many of his other teammates were focused on the flashy, European models.
It’s better to be frugal than a fool in a league where a sudden injury can change the trajectory of your future immediately.
Cost $30,000

Gaming System

Boys love their toys, and a single man in his 20s is going to spend a lot of money on gaming. Gaming is surprisingly popular and competitive amongst NFL players themselves, so many of the rookies are going to want to update their speed and graphics in order to compete with some of their elders on the team and league. Gaming is a massively popular industry, and many NFL players are eyeing it up as not only an investment post career, but also as a potential job. Hey, it works in ‘Ballers.’
Cost $10,000

Mommy Car

Every good boy wants to thank their mom for driving their ass to and from practice and games for almost 2 decades. Ekeler thanked his mama by replacing here ugly old van, with something more fitting of a matriarch. Austin’s mom is also a Colorado real estate agent, so she has actually been working for him to upgrade his portfolio. Investing in mom is always a good investment.
Cost $40,000

Corvette

The Corvette is a classic staple of Americana muscle car, this fibre glass beast is one of the biggest killers of drivers in accidents. But…Austin Ekeler loves the ‘Vette, so he bought a shiny one. It’s got to be hard to compete with teammates (and celebrities) in LA, so players do need a car that displays the fact that they ‘made it.’ When you’re a kid you dream of owning your ‘dream car’, and luckily Ekeler was able to do just that.
Cost $80,000

Wardrobe

Some NFL players go full peacock in their post game wardrobe (talking to you Cam Newton), so it’s always refreshing to hear from a normal guy that doesn’t spend his weekly budget on hats. Again, the competitive nature of other NFL players must set the bar high, but given what Ekeler spent updating his wardrobe, many women spend that easily making way less.
Cost $5000

Home

Home is where the honey’s are, and if you want lots of honies, you need a sweet home. Read that on a washroom stall once. Everyone in their 20s’ wants to get out of the rent-trap, and Austin wisely invested a large chunk of his cash into his first house. Listening to him speak about it, you get the impression this will be the first of many home he will turn over for a profit.
Cost $240,000

Australia

Austin Ekeler bought Australia for only $15k! Kidding, but the young man invested the sum into visiting his buddy there that was setting up a gym. Sure that this good looking, rich young American man had a great time down under for that amount.
Cost $15,000

Investment Property

OK, this is when you know that Ekeler is one of the smarty ones. Ekeler’s aforementioned mom helped him pick out 17 properties in Colorado to add to his investment portfolio. 17 properties? Wowza, even local boy John Elway must be impressed enough to give him a Papa John’s franchise.
Newby athletes need to learn from Austin Ekeler so that they don’t make silly mistakes with their money. After all, who wants to go from the NFL in your 20s’, to working at Sonic in your 30s’?
Cost $800,000

What would you do if someone handed you that kind of contract? Would you invest that same way as Ekeler’s Millions, or blow it all in a blaze of glory?

Things to think about. Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Week 15 Preview

by

The playoff picture is starting to come into focus as we head into our Week 15 Preview.
Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull hit the mic this week as they unleash their thoughts on a whole host of NFL banter.
The boys rant & rave on Fantasy Managers who fail to respond to emails, Fantasy playoffs, and all of the week 14 scores.
There were some big beat downs and upsets on Sunday, making for some interesting implications for the long cold winter ahead.
Wade & Ryan also make their predictions for all of the games in week 15, listen to the whole podcast so that you can make your bets for a great bunch of NFL games.
Among some of the games the boys make their picks on.

Panthers (4-9) vs Packers (10-3)
Packers -8.5 +51.5

Oh Carolina, what a season it’s been. Blowing out their C Mac early in the season took a toll on the Panthers as they just couldn’t put together all the pieces to salvage a winning season. They have had some great play from their wide receivers, and Davis has been a solid running replacement.
Aaron Rodgers is playing like an MVP, blowing away the opposition with countless torching touchdowns. Their D has some issues, as does their special teams, but they should bury the remainder of the regular season teams.
Ryan & Wade both like Green Bay for a win here, but the boys differ as to the spread. Ryan thinks this will get ugly, whereas Wade likes a close one.
Ryan- Packers 31 Panthers 20
Wade- Packers 30 Panthers 24

Patriots (6-7) vs Dolphins (8-5)
Dolphins -1.5  +41.5

Bill Belichick loves to muffle the flow of a rookie QB, so look out Tua! Cam Newton is a garbage toss-bag, so it won’t be likely for him to deep ball this game at all. Their D is another story however, so Tua will be forced into tossing the ball into their swift handed secondary.
Miami would be wise to make this a Fitzmagic match, as they can easily rest him for the next few tough matches to sneak that wild card slot. Buffalo will take the AFC East so Miami will need to b crafty in their next few games. Flores is known for his flair, so who knows what will happen.
South Florida is always tricky for New England in December, so who knows what this game will bring.
Wade & Ryan like wise old Bill here for an upset, although this will be close.
Ryan- Patriots 20 Dolphins 17
Wade- Patriots 21 Dolphins 20

Seahawks (9-4) vs Washington (6-7)
Seahawks -5.5  +44.5

Russell Wilson cooked last week thanks to the return of some of his top linemen. Now that he has protection, they can finally give him a pocket as well as get a running game simmering as well. DK Metcalf is a beast to cover, which leaves Lockett & a slew of TEs open if he has the time.
Washington is horrible with Haskins at the helm, so they will need Alex Smith back if they have a hope. With Gibson out for the match, it will be even tougher to plan against a Seattle defence that is finding its rhythm together.
Ryan & Wade both think that this game will bring some big time excitement, but Ryan is inclined to favour the Team to keep it close. Wade sees this breaking wide open for the birds.
Ryan- Seahawks 27 Washington 24
Wade-Seahawks 34 Washington 21

Other picks

Wade & Ryan have also made some other top picks to look at for Week 15. Here are some of the top lines that they like to make your Sunday more profitable.

Ryan-Eagles Win; Bears Win; Texans Cover; Steelers by 21.
Wade-Bears Win; Saints Cover; Cardinals Cover; Rams by 20.

DraftKings ‘NFL in London’

Make sure you join our DraftKings League so that you can play along with us in daily fantasy every weekend. We have a mix of FREE & PAID contests, so do sign up-it’s totally free. We often host DraftKings live parties during the regular season, & hope to do so once this crap all ends.
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

Please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. We’ve seen a huge boom in listeners lately, so thanks for that. We love to talk NFL nonsense to share it with your friends this holiday season.

Wade’s Week 9 Upsets

by

There have been a few big upsets this week (looking at you America), so why not continue that hot streak, with some top Week 9 tips?
While none of my NFL picks will be as controversial or tied up in lawsuits as long as the American election will, they will distract you from the shit show in the USA, and hopefully win you some cash.
Every week I take a look at some of the best value upsets in the NFL, which usually involves the NY Jets.
Below is a video so that you can watch it in all of its glory for yourselves.

Since releasing my upsets tips every week, I’ve hit a record of 20-2, and going 9-0 over the past 3 weeks of the NFL.
Looking at some of the games this week, I am sure my trend will continue.

Here are some of my top upsets for Week 9.

Broncos (3-4) vs Falcons (2-6)
Falcons -4  +50

Atlanta sucks, and they have pretty much signalled that they are ready to trade anyone on the team moving forward. Matt Ryan is a good QB, but if all you give him to play with are broken toys, then you’re not going to get a very happy camper.
Denver is playing by the seat of their pants with no real driver at the wheel. Drew Lock is not the answer, but they have made some moves to get some solid receivers in need of a QB.
Denver is the better team of the two, as the Falcons are one loss away from collapsing into a heap and crying on the floor.
I like Denver for the upset here.

Bears (5-3) vs Titans (5-2)
Titans -5.5  +46.5

The Titans took a beating at the hands of the lowly Bengals last weekend, which was a bit of surprise to many teams. The tandem of Tannehill & Henry was meant to instils fear and domination in the league, but as of late-not so much.
The Bears have had a bit of a flaccid dick year, looking hard and rough at times, and limp and moist at others. Nick Foles is expected to do big things, but that also requires his players to hold onto balls, which has been a problem this year.
The Titans aren’t 5.5 points better than the Bears thus far this season. The Bengals tossed the ball all over them, and the Bears can have similar success.
With recent injuries to their O line, the furious Chicago D should have no problem causing headaches for Tannehill.
I like Chicago to cover.

Dolphins (4-3) vs Cardinals (5-2)
Cardinals -4.5  +48

If you listened to our podcast, then you’ll know I am not a huge fan of Tua. He looked like a kid out of his element, and his size and lack of downfield vision hampered any progress he was going to make against the Rams last week. I’m not confident him in this week either, but I am a big fan of the Dolphins D.
Kyler Murray has had a great year thus far, finding Hopkins in huge, long plays, and using Christian Kirk at will. He will struggle against a Miami D that is starting to find its rhythm as of late.
Arizona has a tough game ahead against the Bills next week, so they might not be fully charged in a demolition of the Dolphins.
Miami has nothing to lose, and they continue to play that way.
Miami to cover.

Those are my upsets for Week 9, here’s the video of all my reasoning. Make sure you subscribe to our channels and share. We also have plenty of DraftKings contests to play in, just find our League NFL in London to join in all of the fun. Lockdown sucks, but at least we have football to get us through it. Good luck this week.