NFL in London

National Football League in London

London Thanksgiving 2020

London Thanksgiving

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Gobble, gobble y’all!
It’s time for another Thanksgiving NFL party in London!
You ready to turkey up for a Thursday night of NFL games?

London Thanksgiving

Having hosted Thanksgiving parties across London and the UK for the past 15 years, we have come to learn a few things.

  1. Most people and places don’t ‘get’ Thanksgiving-If you ask the average Brit what they think about the holiday, they’ll respond that it has something to do with colonial savagery. Not far off, but they miss the pumpkin spice nuance of the atrocity.
  2. Not many places show the games. Putting on American Football on a Thursday night would seem a daft idea, given how busy the bars get on Thursdays. We still find a few places.
  3. No pub or restaurant has made a passable Thanksgiving meal. Every venue we have worked with has butchered the food in some easy way or another.

Thanksgiving 2021

This year is going to be different, as we are working with 3 great venues who will be showing the Thanksgiving NFL games, without worrying about pandering to our palate.

They will be showing the games, offering their standard menu, and that’s all.
Wings and football together again.

Sports Bar Clapham

Right near the Clapham Junction train station is the Sports Bar & Grill Clapham.
A groovy sports bar with loads of TVs, a jam packed menu and a happening scene that will make you say ‘how come we haven’t been here before?’

On Thanksgiving, this location will be showing the Bears vs Lions at 5:30pm, then the Raiders vs Cowboys at 9:30pm.

Closing time will be midnight, so they won’t be showing the 1:30am game, which is ok since we will all be home by then.

To book your table at the Clapham location, just click and book here:

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

Old Street Sports Bar

The Sports Bar & Grill Old Street is one of the biggest locations, with over 50 TVs, pool tables, fruit machines, and plenty of frosty beer taps to fill your thirst.

Located right across from Old Street tube station, this pub is centrally located, and a great meeting spot for all of your mates.

Thanksgiving night, the pub will be offering their regular menu, with loads of chicken wings and towers of beer on offer.

NFL games on during the night include the Bears vs Lions, Raiders vs Cowboys, and the bar will be closing at 12:30am, so no dice for the very late game.

If you want to book a table at Old Street, make sure you click the link here:

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

Crouch End

North London is also popping and locking with Thanksgiving, as the Princess Alexandra in Crouch End will be showing both sets of NFL games until 12:30am.

Close enough to Finsbury Park, Highgate and buses to central London, this pub has all you need for a fireside night of NFL games.

Here’s a link to the website to book yourself in.

https://princessalexandran8.co.uk/

Callum’s Thanksgiving

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THE PICKS SIX THANKSGIVING SPECIAL

Well, Corona has REALLY officially ruined 2020. As I was writing this, we’ve been hit by breaking news in Baltimore. Ravens-Steelers is postponed to Sunday… and we’re down to just TWO Thanksgiving football games. Sad. Obviously… there are much more important things. It’s absolutely the correct decision to keep everyone safe, but it is sad we’re losing a third of our Thanksgiving slate. 

As far as we’re concerned here at Picks Six, Sunday was a bit of a down day. An 8-5 record on the games was a bit disappointing – a couple of rogue upsets were thrown in there. I’ll update my season stats for this weekend’s column after these two games on Thursday. 

Anyway, on with the matter at hand. This is the first Thanksgiving I’ll have spent in the UK since 2012… I’m very sad about it, but determined to make the most of the day and make sure I do the 3 most important things on any Thanksgiving – Give many thanks, seriously over eat, and watch 9 hours of uninterrupted NFL football… guess it’s only gonna be about 6 hours this year. 

One of the bonuses of Thanksgiving football is that each game can receive your undivided attention. I usually live in the world of RedZone, and as a result miss out on some of the nuances of the “not so often on prime time” teams. So – a little bit different from the norm – let’s take a more in depth than usual look at both games on Thursday.

Houston Texans @ Detroit Lions

The Texans are still probably too far back realistically to get back into the AFC Playoff race, but beating the Patriots will always feel good. Surely Houston will be riding high following Sunday’s exploits? The Lions on the other hand… yikes. Matthew Stafford was shutout for the first time in his career, and not by one of the most elite defenses in the league. Happily, I donthink Detroit will shake off their atrocious offensive output vs Carolina on Sunday and help this one be a fun game. Both teams are better offensively than defensively, but the X-Factor in this matchup had to be Deshaun Watson. I correctly called a “Watson” game on Sunday as he pushed the Patriots deeper into the mire. Duke Johnson was held in check, but Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller are such a threat down the field that Houston can still be expected to score lots of points even without a typical run game. This game just feels like a classic Detroit Thanksgiving game where they’re just simply outmatched and not good enough to win. The return of Swift to their back field will help, but I don’t think their pass rush is good enough to stress Watson throughout the game. Houston should win this comfortably enough.

Washington Football Team @ Dallas Cowboys

Welcome back into playoff contention Dallas Cowboys. The big upset against Minnesota has breathed life into a season that looked a lost cause just a few weeks ago. On the other side of the coin… I am completely befuddled by the fact that Washington found a way to win 3 games this year – they might not win any more – but you have to credit Ron Rivera for instilling some drive and grit in this team. I think their defensive stats are a little skewed – Washington claims to have a top 5 pass defense, but the truth is teams have been up on them in almost every game and stuck with the run as a result – but Chase Young is already proving to be the game-wrecker he was advertised to be. The Cowboys hopes fall largely on being able to contain the Washington pass rush and give Andy Dalton time to find his weapons. Those weapons WILL find a way to be open, but that pocket needs to hold long enough for a play to develop. Yes, they should lean on Zeke, but when a pass is needed Dalton must be protected. Their defense appeared to take a big step forward against the Vikings and, with all due respect to Washington, Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson are nowhere near Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. I’m taking the Cowboys every which way here and actually think they have enough left in the tank to get to 6-10, and win the NFC East. 

Picks

Okay, so, it’s a holiday… we deserve entertainment… we’re definitely backing both overs. Fill up with Turkey, then fill up with points. I’m a little biased with my past history of having lived in Texas, but it’s really hard not to see a double for the Lonestar State come Thursday. Texans and Cowboys both to win.

Thanksgiving Thursday Picks:

The Double Over –

Over 51.5 (Houston @ Detroit)

Over 46.0 (Washington @ Dallas)

The Texas Double Spread –

Houston Texans -3.0 

Dallas Cowboys -3.0

The Quad Touchdown Special –

Both Players to score a TD – TJ Hockenson & Brandin Cooks

Both Players to score a TD – Ezekiel Elliot & Antonio Gibson

£10 on this pays £165 depending on your bookmaker.

(Bonus Special Tip) – 

If you’re in the U.K., SkyBet are offering this at 16/1 which I LOVE with a capital L.O.V.E.

Brandin Cooks 100+ rec yds & Ezekiel Elliot 100+ rush yds.

Week 12 Sunday 

Obviously, thanks to the postponement, we now get Steelers-Ravens on Sunday, which adds itself to a pretty tasty slate already! Titans-Colts, Chiefs-Buccaneers & Packers-Bears (always guaranteed drama) as a Sunday nightcap is a very tasty way to spend an afternoon and evening. As always, I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter and Instagram. Come say hi, and have a very happy Thanksgiving wherever you are. 

Callum Squires is a UK based writer and friend of NFL in London. 

Week 10 DraftKings

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It’s time to get your fantasy on, as we look at some of the top players to target in week 10 of the NFL.
Dalvin Cook will not be playing in the first section of games, so you’ll need to find someone else to snag you 40 points on Sunday.
Week 9 was a bit of a punch in the nads, so hopefully we can help you make some money for this week.
Make sure you join our DraftKings League so that you can play along as well.
Here are some of the top picks to look at this week.

QBs

Josh Allen $7500

Allen was a beast last week against the Seahawks, throwing for 4 TDs and taking a commanding lead in the AFC East. The Bills face the Cardinals this week, who have shown that they have plenty of gaps to allow them to be scored on. This should be a big back and forth battle, with Allen finding plenty of options in a weak Arizona secondary.

Jake Luton $5400

Pronounced ‘Loo-tawn’, Jake has possibly the worst jersey you could ever wear in England. For those of you who don’t know, Luton is a dumpy airport north of London and a mediocre city on the commuter belt. It’s like the Flint, Michigan to London’s Detroit.
Luton is the new moustache in town, and looked better than Tua in week 9. If he can connect with some of his talented receivers, he could find some holes in Packers D, which they often give up. Good value if you want to save up for other players.

RBs

Leonard Fournette $5500

The Bucs are coming down from a beating so bad, they still have dried blood in their ears. Brady was brutal, so they will need to get the running game together this week against the Panthers if they hope to establish a lead. Fournette should have a good game against a Carolina D who have been leaking points all season.

James Robinson $6600

One of the few bright lights for the Jags, Robinson has established himself as a marquee running back in a league where that title has faded as of late. As the top dog of their offence, Robinson will be used often against a Packers team who have been victim to big running plays. There’s a good chance he hits 100 yards against Green Bay on Sunday.

WRs

Tee Higgins $4600

With a name that sounds like something a stoner might say, Tee Higgins is quickly becoming a fave of Joe Burrow. With so much talent on the Bengals receiving squad, Higgins often finds himself open and is great for yards after the catch. Yes, he’s playing the Steelers on Sunday, but they will only be able to carry so much.

Danny Amendola $3900

Danny come lately has been slowly working his way up in the Lions squad. This Pats veteran has been solid for Matt Stafford, considering Kenny Golladay is out once again. Detroit can score, and often, which will give the Washington football team problems. He’s great value under $4000, and should factor in some Redzone plays.

Jalen Reagor $4200

The NFC East is slutting it up again this week, passing whatever they have to each other and disgusting the rest of the NFL. It really is a horrible division. The Eagles are back with more injuries, although they should have Miles Sanders back this week to take some pressure off of Wentz. Reagor is adept at hauling in deep balls chucked with abandon by Carson, as well as beasting it in the redzone.

TEs

TJ Hockenson $5200

The Hock has been ok this season, although you would expect more out of him given the state of the Lions. He’s still growing, but should have no problem against a Washington secondary that struggles to cover. A little pricey for a TE, but worth it if you need some solid points.

Darren Waller $5900

Possibly the best and most consistent TE this season, Waller is big play player who is taught to cover. Big, strong and fast, he is vastly becoming Carr’s go-to target this year. The most expensive TE this week, but hey, you deserve it.

DEF

New Orleans $3000

Did you see what the Saints did to TB12 and the Bucs last week? Imagine if they could do that every week? The Saints are facing a depleted 49ers team led by Nick Mullens. With injuries across every part of their team, San Francisco is looking to limp out of this season and into a dark cave. The Saints should help chase them to that cave on Sunday.

NFL in London

We have our own NFL in London League on DraftKings. It’s FREE to join and fun to play. We have paid and free games every Sunday, so make sure that you sign up and play along.
We will be hosting DraftKings parties once this whole meeting people in public thing is fixed.
Sign up here!
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA