NFL in London

National Football League in London

london NFL watch

NFL London Viewings

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The 2022 NFL is officially underway, and the big football energy as palpable across the UK with the promise of 3 homes games, a German game, and no COVID!

As a group that has hosted NFL viewing parties across the UK for the past 15 years, we are often asked ‘where are the best places to watch the NFL in the UK’?

Normally we work with pubs, bars and venues to host wicked, weekly NFL parties across the city, however this year is a bit different.
While we will be promoting some great NFL events around the International games, we won’t be supporting weekly NFL London viewings for a few reasons this season.

Pub Chains

As you may have noticed living in Britain over the past decade, that the number of independent, local pubs has dropped substantially.

Even if an independent pub or small chain of them does well, it’s only a matter of time before the big boys buy them up, and rip apart the uniqueness of the pub to maximise operating efficiency.

We have always enjoyed working with independent pubs, as they are limited to do more for their customers and not laden down by corporate double-speak or ridiculous growth projections.

Making matters worse is that many of these large pub chains ‘promise’ to show the NFL, in many cases it’s up to a manager-who might decide to keep the 8-0 beating of Man City of Villa on the screen, because ‘4 lads in the corner are watching it’, ignoring the 70 NFL fans queuing for the 6pm game.

These large pub chains don’t care about your NFL viewing experience, and constantly drill at us the need to ‘increase foot traffic weekly to show corporate that this is working’, while at the same time serving football food that tastes like someone went dumpster-diving at Iceland.

These pubs have also jacked their prices up ‘in line with the cost of living’, which we’re sorry-no one should be paying over £7 for a pint.

The pub industry has been struggling heavily post Covid, with Sunday nights taking a particularly big hit.
Getting a pub to stay open late has been like…well, trying to get a London pub to stay open late on a Sunday.

We have also had to recently shy away from late night Sundays in Leicester Square, Soho and Piccadilly Circus areas due to the rise in robberies, stabbings and assaults.
If you are going to be out LATE at night in these areas, be very careful, do not travel alone, nor under the influence.
Last year was very bad for some of our NFL fans in that area-so caution is cool!

Cost of Living

Smell that? Things are getting expensive again-as the cost of living crisis is making things way more expensive.

People and pubs alike are struggling, with pubs having to jack their prices to afford their bills, while the eye-balls of the nation are trying to focus on the thermostat to combat the heating crisis.

With a ’round’ of pints doubling over the past 5 years, we thought it would be better to point out the value NFL places, rather than trying to funnel fans into a maelstrom of minimum spends, deposits, and set menus that fell out of the fryer.

World Cup

Did we mention that every pub we talked to also said that they would only play the NFL after the World Cup was done? No-well there’s that.

With the World Cup crossing over to the NFL for the first time ever, British pubs couldn’t give a toss about your American football fascination. The trophy is coming home! (spoiler alert-it isn’t).

World Cup games will feature heavily on Sundays as, as well as culminating in a final a week before Christmas, effectively choking the NFL into TV submission.

So if you’re making plans to watch the NFL in November/ December-make sure to check that it hasn’t been given a yellow card.

Places to Go

Just because we aren’t working with venues, doesn’t mean that there aren’t places that will show the games.

It is highly unlikely that venues will show the 9pm game in its entirety, and no way that you are able to watch the 1:30am game in public.

That being said, there are casinos in Mayfair and Stratford that are open 24 hrs, and you might be able to get them to throw on Sky sports for a laugh.

We have also been informed by many venues that NFL Gamepass is no longer available for commercial sale, meaning that for many venues-the NFL just isn’t worth it.

There are NO pubs in London that show all the games every week anymore.
Sorry-the times they are a changing.

Social NFL

That being said, many of us have taken the pub online-preferring to stay at home, or a friend’s and shit-talk their fantasy fans from the safety of their phone.

If you’re looking to join some of our group chats across NFL, and Betting, just get in touch!

We’ll also let you know about events that we have on for the London games, Thanksgiving and the playoffs.

It’s great to have the NFL back everyone!

If you do have a venue that is showing the NFL every Sunday, please let us know!

 

 

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 Venues

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The 2021 NFL season is so close you can almost smell it, and we’re excited to announce some new London Venues that we are partnering with.

NFL in London is going ‘OG’, as we return to our roots with some wicked NFL parties at the Sports Bar & Grill-Old Street and Clapham.
We are thoroughly looking forward to working with their team again, and offering all the UK fans a great place to watch NFL throughout the season.

COVID has certainly changed the sports viewing landscape in the past few years, and we were pretty nervous as to how late night, live sports viewing would return.

We wanted to make sure that NFL fans in London could have:
-a dedicated venue to showing the NFL games.
-zones where NFL fans could sit outside of football
-open late enough to show the 9pm Sunday games in their entirety
-good sports food
-located to major transit hubs
-a destination for London game after parties.

TVs

There are over 25 TVs in Old Street, and 15 in Clapham-enough to watch all of the NFL games.
The Old Street location also has 8 tables with their OWN TV, so that you and your mates can have the game right at your table.
The bar will also have different viewing zones, so that you can watch the game that you want.

History

Our history with the Sports Bar and Grill goes back to 2008 in the olde Marylebone location, and was the original London venue.
Those who visited us ‘back in the day’ were treated to comedy shows, Madden tournaments, and celebrity appearances.
We are working with some new partners to bring all of that stuff back again!
Just watch this space, and we will let you know the latest news.

Locations

We are proud to be working with the team(s) at the Old Street and Clapham locations, who will be pivoting both branches towards Sunday Funday’s of NFL.
Both bars will be showing loads of NFL games, Redzone, as well as offering burger, wing and beer deals for you hungry fans.
Old Street will be open EVERY SUNDAY for NFL, with a ‘last call’ at midnight, so that you can enjoy the end of the 9pm games (and not get rudely rushed out).
Clapham will not be open late EVERY Sunday, but we will be working with them to create special events, and viewing parties for fan takeovers.
Want to book the joint to watch your team dominate?
Get in touch!

Reservations

If you want to come down one Sunday, or have a particular Sunday in mind, you’re going to need a reservation at one of our London venues.
These help us let the bar know how many people are coming, as well as plan seating, staffing, and in general makes the whole process flow better-so please contact us if you want a table.
Initial bookings should be targeted to us, and we will work with the bar to get you in front of the TVs you are looking for.
You will need to provide the SB&G with a credit card to hold the table, which is standard and fair.

London Games

Yes! We will be going hard for the London games.
Both matches start at 2:30pm GMT (9:30am EST), so we will be offering before and after options for you and your crew.
The Old Street location will be open LATE for both games, so make sure that you get in touch with us so that we can guarantee you a table for all the action.
We will have more information for you over the next few weeks.

We are very excited to be working with the team at the Sports Bar & Grill once again, and look forward to welcoming you to our parties at both Old Street and Clapham.
More exciting news to be announced over the coming weeks, watch our spaces.

 

Week 11 DraftKings

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If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that fantasy is way more satisfying than reality. The whole year has felt like trying to unstick your unit from a rusty zipper, while baby new year watches in the corner ready to yell ‘we got a bleeder!’
Or maybe I just had a rough week 10 in fantasy.

Tom Brady was on fire in week 10, which was surprising for old man TB12. Dalvin Cook also played on Monday night, which could explain the lack of 40 points on your DK sheet.
Who will be the beasts of week 11? Here are some of the top players I am looking at for my DraftKings line-up.

QBs

Justin Herbert $6800

Who’s playing the Jets this week? Well it’s none other than rocking rookie Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Granted NYJ has made themselves less ‘sucky’ in recent weeks, but they are still the worst team in the league. Their D has made some strides, and could give Herbert some pressure in this game, but not enough to win. Herbert should have plenty of time to hook up with Keenan Allen in this one if you are looking for a tasty stack.

Taysom Hill $4800

WTF did Jameis do to get benched in this contest? Word on the dirty streets is that he had a run in with Sean Payton, and it wasn’t pretty. Speaking of pretty, stud-hunk Taysom Hill will see if he’s more than just a ‘sneak it up your bottom’ type of QB, or if he actually has some depth. Luckily Hill is playing the Falcons, who have gushed points in every contest. Will Hill prove his value, or be shown to be a bit of a starter fraud? Either way, he’s cheap at $4800.

RBs

Dalvin Cook $9000

Hey big spender, watcha got cooking? Dalvin Cook has been incredible since returning from injury, and should be able to continue gashing yards against a helpless Cowboys team. Dallas kept it tight against the Steelers a few weeks ago, but Cook is a different animal. His explosive speed and great RB vision should pay off in a few TDs.

Salvon Ahmed $4800

Who? This Miami rookie gets his first start on Sunday thanks to injuries to the Dolphins running game. Despite playing in his first year, Ahmed has shown signs of promise and should factor in the Dolphins relentless attack against an injured Broncos squad. Tua will also look to Ahmed in slot options, and a great steal at $4800.

WRs

Keenan Allen $7400

His DK price continues to rise each week, as he continues to demonstrate dominant plays. Allen and Herbert have really found a solid rhythm, and you can imagine Allen is going to feast all over the poor Jets with plenty of time and space all day. Sure, he’s pricey, but paired with Herbert he is definitely worth it.

Jakobi Meyers $4900

Meyers is quickly becoming the go to favourite for Cam Newton in this mess of a Patriots squad. After a solid win against the Ravens last week, the Pats will be looking to continue their winning ways against a weak Texans defence. He’s incredibly cheap at $4900 and should be able to get you 15 fantasy points on Sunday.

TEs

Eric Ebron $4000

One of the many shining lights in a sea of Steelers, Ebron is one of the few guys Big Ben can hit within a 10 yard radius. Jacksonville has a fast from which gave Rodgers trouble last week, but Tonyan was able to find some gaps in the armour. Ebron will have plenty of time, as the Jags will be focused on the slew of Pittsburgh receivers who will also be open.

DEF

Saints $3200

After coming back from a bye, the Saints have been on fine form-unless of course you count losing Drew Brees for 3 more weeks. Their D played with fire last week, and you can expect that to continue against a division rival. New Orleans will look to get to Matt Ryan often, breaking down his resolve and taking the pressure of Taysom Hill, who will need all the help he can get.

NFL in London League

That’s it for this week’s picks, if you want to join us and play along, why not join our DraftKings League? It’s FREE to join, and we have a mixture of FREE and PAID contests. Who knows you could be one of the guys winning every week.
Join here:
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

Stay safe, stay sane, and hopefully we can all be back watching the NFL together soon.

Callum’s Week 11

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Hello! Welcome back to another edition of the Picks Six. Last week, we had some good (both Overs), some bad (Nick Chubb running out at the 1yd line…), and an 11-2 record in the Full English section! Pretty good. This week, there are genuinely the most games for a while where I’m scratching my head saying “I really don’t know which way I think this will go.” This is a dangerous position to be in, because I could either be perfect or awful due to these toss ups. I’m concerned, but excited. Let’s go. 6 sections, lots of picks and tips, have fun and enjoy. 

The 1st & Goal from the 1yd Line. (Season Record: 6-2) 

The Packers tried their best to make us sweat a little on this one last weekend, but managed to repel the surprisingly stubborn Jake Luton and the surprisingly stout Jacksonville defense in the end. We’re on a bit of a roll here in this section – so let’s keep it going!

After a brief one week break… We’re back to picking against the Jets gang!! It’s too easy – but how can you go against it? Justin Herbert has been great in his rookie season, and the Jets have been nothing short of abysmal almost from start to finish. The Chargers aren’t the most normal or reliable of teams – every game with them involved seems to have some weird quirk or another – but they’re more than talented enough to beat New York here. LA Chargers to win.

The 45yd Field Goal (Season Record 1-7)

CURSE YOU, NICK CHUBB. Running out at the ONE YARD LINE? This failure to cover Browns -3.5 ruined many people’s Sundays – not just mine – and also ruined my 2-0 bid in this category last weekend. Fortunately, Alvin Kamara was on hand to FINALLY drag us to a win!! The Saints -10.0 would not be denied, even with a somewhat concerning injury to Drew Brees. 

Anyway – finally – we’re on the board. This week, there are quite a few tight games across the board. I like TWO very slight underdogs. They are listed below:

Packers to win (@Colts)

I’m really unsure why the Colts are favoured here. Yep, they’re riding high off a nice win against the Titans, but their offense hasn’t really been electric this season. They’re relying on their defense to hold the opposition close and allow Rivers and his RBs (mainly) to slowly chip their way down the field. This week, Aaron Rodgers (who WILL have Davante Adams active) comes to town to try and tear down their castle walls. For me, that Packers offense is good enough to breach the Colts’ D. It is a toss up, but I’m leaning Cheese-Head. Packers to win.

Bengals to win (@Washington)

Joe Burrow is a big time player. He’s had an up and down first season in terms of results, but has shown more than enough to get the Cincinnati faithful excited about their future with Joey B as the face of the franchise. Conversely, Washington still seem to be struggling to find their identity. Yes, it’s great to see Alex Smith back starting games. I’m delighted he’s back healthy. However, it does also show that the Football Team are on their third starting QB of the season, and haven’t yet found the stability they would have hoped under first year head coach Ron Rivera. I’m riding the Bengals this weekend, largely because I trust Cincy’s QB, and don’t trust most of Washington’s team at all. Bengals to win.

The Hail Mary Touchdown Treble
(Season Record 0-2, Individual TD Picks 1-6)

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

AB, Ruggs & Andrews all failed to find the endzone last week – frustrating and annoying! This week, we’re riding some Tight Ends to success…

Jonnu Smith (Titans, @ Ravens) – The Ravens HAVE to load the box to stop Derrick Henry. This opens up play action. Smith is very athletic and a great red zone target. I see it. 

Austin Hooper (Browns, vs Eagles) – This is the riskiest leg here, based on the weather and Cleveland leaning on the run, but Baker sure loves a TE target in the end zone. We saw Harrison Bryant catch two from Mayfield a few weeks ago, and Hooper is an elite receiver when given targets. Let’s ride it.

Taysom Hill (Saints, vs Falcons) – The Joker of week 11. You think Sean Payton is going to start his mobile QB and not have a couple QB runs scripted in the game plan for the red zone? No chance. Gimme Taysom to score (and probably throw for another couple too!).

£5 on this treble pays £140 depending on your bookmaker.

The Overs (Season Record: 5-4-1)

2-0!! We went 2-0!! The “Hail Murray” may have stolen the headlines, but Bills vs Cardinals was always guaranteed points, and TB12 on a bounce back against the Panthers didn’t let us down either. It’s nice when both the tips win!! This week…

Over 50.0 (Falcons @ Saints) – THIS is maybe the most intriguing game of the week. I was BUZZING to see Jameis Winston turned loose in Sean Payton’s offense… until they announced he wasn’t starting!? And… Taysom Hill IS?! It’s some strange voodoo down in NOLA… but maybe it might work?! I think Hill has shown enough in flashes to suggest he could be an interesting offensive weapon – best believe I’m starting him in multiple fantasy leagues this weekend – and the Falcons LOVE scoring and conceding points. I have no idea what to expect from Taysom, but I expect points from these two teams.

Over whatever the line is (Lions @ Panthers) – So at the time of writing, this game is “off the board,” which makes including it in my picks very difficult. Anyway – whatever the line is – I like the over. Matt Stafford is confirmed to be playing, looks like Teddy Bridgewater will be also. Both QBs are having good years, and both defenses are fairly suspect. I’d envisage the line being somewhere around the 50 mark, maybe a little below, but I like that. Detroit tried their best to let Washington steal one last week, and even without DeAndre Swift AND Kenny Golladay, they should have enough weapons (I’m looking at you both, TJ Hockenson and Marvin Jones…) to push this total up and over.

(SECRET PICK – I refuse to bet Unders on principle, but the weather is supposed to be bad in Cleveland again this weekend… so Under 47.5 Eagles @ Browns feels like a great pick. BUT life’s too short to bet the under. It really is)

The Parlay (Complete Parlays 0-5, Correct Legs 14-10-1)

3-2 last week… would’ve been 4-1 if not for, y’know… Nick Chubb… The Seahawks laying an egg vs the Rams was a surprise but softened the Chubb blow a bit. Anyway, the parlay…

Browns -3.0 (vs Eagles) – I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW. But yes – we’re back on the Browns. No Myles Garrett is a bit annoying, but the rest of that defense has stepped up in recent weeks, and the two-headed monster of Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the run game should be enough to dominate a subpar Philly team. Don’t be surprised if Baker looks good with play action after the run’s been established too. Browns please.

Bengals +1.0 (@ Washington) – As previously mentioned, I believe in Joseph Burrow. I don’t believe in Washington. It’s really that simple. I’m surprised that the Bengals are the underdogs, though I guess the lack of Joe Mixon contributes to that. Washington are the team that just refuse to die; they’re down 14 at half time every week, and end up coming back. This week, I think Burrow will want to outshine Chase Young – a battle of the 1 & 2 picks from last year’s draft – and light the Football Team up. Tee Higgins looks set to play which helps as well. Gimme the Bengals.

Titans +5.0 (@ Ravens) – Lamar needs a bounce back… but I don’t think this is the team he wants to face. The Titans are coming off a mini bye (haven’t played since last Thursday), and completely bamboozled the Ravens in the playoffs last year. There may also be no Calais Campbell for the Ravens run defense, which leaves so much opportunity for Derrick Henry to really start rumbling. The Ravens may well find a way to get some revenge for last year and win this one, but I think Tennessee will keep it close regardless. Take the Titans and the points.

Dolphins -4.0 (@ Broncos) – If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Dolphins are roooooooooolling. Now, has Tua played in altitude before? I dunno. Are the Broncos still bang average at best? Absolutely. Brian Flores is putting together a “Coach of the Year” season resume, and the Dolphins should be 7-3 after Sunday. 

Chargers -9.5 (vs Jets) – We’ve already touched on this;I like the Chargers… So, let’s not waste time. Despite the fact that last time out, Joe Flacco pushed the Patriots close… and the Chargers seem incapable of winning a game in normal fashion… which makes this is perhaps the secretly riskiest pick in the parlay this week. That said, it’s still the Jets. They’re 0-9. Justin Herbert wants to come out and make headlines for something other than his haircut. Believe in LA this week.

£10 on this Parlay pays around £270 depending on your bookmaker. 

The Full English (Season Record: 48-18)

A nice 11-2 again last week pushes the season record to a (even if I say so myself) respectable 48-18. A little over 72%. Decent all things considered. 

Here’s the week 11 slate:

Falcons @ Saints – Saints (This is the weirdest game of the week. Who knows what Taysom is going to do, but I believe the Saints are a good enough team to win without Drew Brees).

Bengals @ Football Team – Bengals

Lions @ Panthers – Panthers

Patriots @ Texans – Texans (I think this might be a “Deshaun Watson” game. Texans would be better off if they lost, but Deshaun ain’t up for tanking)

Eagles @ Browns – Browns

Steelers @ Jaguars – Steelers (10-0, perfect season alert, not sure if they make it to 16 wins, but they’ll add a 10th this weekend. 

Titans @ Ravens – Titans

Dolphins @ Broncos – Dolphins

Jets @ Chargers – Chargers

Cowboys @ Vikings – Vikings (But I wouldn’t be surprised if there WAS a little upset here… the cowboys are due for a bounce back and are not as bad as their record suggests they are)

Packers @ Colts – Packers 

Chiefs @ Raiders – Chiefs (they’re just too good)

Rams @ Buccaneers – Buccaneers

Week 12

Moving forward, week 12 gives us BOTH Thanksgiving Football AND NO BYE WEEKS! A full slate for our feast. I will endeavour to be back with a Thanksgiving Special (three interesting games!) before Thursday, and then the regular column for next weekend. 

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts. As always, I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter & Instagram. Enjoy week 11! Stay safe, stay healthy. 

Callum Squires is an English writer, former NCAA athlete and Miami Dolphins fan.