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Picks Six-Week 17

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THE PICKS SIX

Happy New Year! Welcome back to another edition of The Picks Six.  Please excuse our brief hiatus over week 16 (Christmas got in the way), but we’re back here for a special week 17 column. With a lot of uncertainty over exactly who is or isn’t playing I’m going to change things up and just touch on a few big games before highlighting our Parlay and all our game picks. It’s a bit of a different read than normal, but we’ll be back next week in full for the Wildcard slate of 6 (six!!) games over two days. I can’t wait. Let’s get stuck into the big storylines of this Week 17 Sunday.

The NFC East

The biggest conundrum of this weekend is exactly who is going to be the #4 seed (and receive a HOME playoff game!) in the NFC. The NFC East has been… an abomination at times this year, but in the latter stages of the year you could argue that all four squads have found some legs and improved significantly. Jalen Hurts has given life to the Eagles, despite them now being eliminated from contention. The Giants defense started to show up and Daniel Jones has proven himself to have been a much better choice on draft night than the projected pick for the Giants… Dwayne Haskins. 

Washington have heavily relied on their defense to keep them alive in the playoff race, with injuries to McLaurin and Gibson, combined with utter mediocrity everywhere else leaving them scrambling to stay ahead of the chasing pack. We also have no idea exactly how healthy Alex Smith is, or if it’s going to be at least partially the Taylor Heinicke show… And for the Cowboys, Andy Dalton has found rhythm in Dallas and despite Ezekiel Elliott’s struggles that wide receiver trio of Cooper, Gallup & Lamb is explosive enough to win this division without a consistent running game. Dallas looks perhaps the most complete team, and without ANY doubt if Dak Prescott had not got injured the Cowboys would have WALKED their way to this division title. And I think they still might…

I think the Cowboys will beat the Giants. Joe Judge has instilled a number of good things into this Giants’ team, but largely on special teams and defense. I’m yet to be convinced by their ability to move the ball downfield. The Cowboys are rolling and I think find a way to win in New York and mean all eyes turn to Sunday Night Football. Credit to Ron Rivera for turning this franchise around – I didn’t think they’d win 3 games, let alone find a way to beat the undefeated Steelers amongst others. But I think the dream dies Sunday night. Jalen Hurts is proving himself to be an NFL starting quarterback and will relish his first opportunity under the bright lights of a PrimeTime game. This game will really come down to can the Eagles O-Line stand up to the Washington pass rush. If they can, Hurts can – forgive me – “hurt” them down the field. I’m not convinced Smith will be 100% and I don’t believe this Washington team deserves to be a playoff team. I’m taking the Eagles and, therefore, the Cowboys to win the division.

Prediction:

NFC East Champion: Dallas Cowboys

The AFC Playoff Race

It’s fairly clear cut to me that the Titans will comfortably dispose of the Texans and lock up the AFC South crown, but everything else in the AFC is a bit more confusing. The Browns are struggling to contain COVID within their group as they face a must win against Pittsburgh, the Dolphins have lost their Week 16 Hero as FitzMagic has also tested positive for the virus, and the Colts know they need the Ravens (or others) to lose to have a shot of getting in. The Steelers and Bills themselves are still fighting over who is number 2 and who is number 3 in the seedlings too. It’s a wild Sunday slate. Basically – the short version is, I think all the teams that need to win will win. The Dolphins (my team) are perhaps the most at risk, but I’m hoping the Bills do the nice (and sensible) thing and rest Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs for at least part of this game. Brian Flores’ defense will stand tough regardless, as the Dolphins and Tua find a way to win a very close game and take themselves to Tennessee for wildcard weekend. I see no way the Ravens and Colts don’t beat the Bengals and Jaguars respectively, which leads us onto the big one: Cleveland vs Pittsburgh. The Browns have COVID issues, and the Steelers are resting their starters. This is a game Baker Mayfield HAS to win to end the longest active playoff drought for the Browns. They deserve to get in, and I think they have enough weapons – mainly Chubb and Hunt – to win this game and ensure they do. Sorry Phil Rivers, this ain’t your year. 

Prediction:

2 Seed – Buffalo

3 Seed – Pittsburgh

4 Seed – Tennessee

5 Seed – Miami

6 Seed – Baltimore

7 Seed – Cleveland

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Out – Indianapolis

Bears, Rams or Cardinals?!

Lastly, the final spot in the NFC is also in a pivotal spot. The Chicago Bears have suddenly discovered they’re allowed to pass the ball accurately, and actually score points on offense. You do wonder what would have happened if the Bears had stuck with Mitch rather than the ill-fated pivot to Nick Foles earlier this season – although admittedly, it was injury influenced. Anyway, just as the Bears have found their rhythm, the Rams have absolutely capitulated and almost thrown away their playoff spot. Defeat to the Jets (incredible) and the Seahawks (reasonable) have seen McVay’s men drop to 9-6, and now cannot feel safe. And NOW Jared Goff appears to be out, leaving John Wolford – who has never thrown an NFL pass before – as the Rams final hope. If the Bears win, and the Rams lose, LA would be on the outside looking in. This is even more realistic when you consider that the Rams opponents are the Cardinals who MUST win to get in. Arizona’s inconsistent season was highlighted by the loss to San Francisco last week, which took their destiny out of their own hands. That said, Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins have already fostered a great connection this year, and even Jalen Ramsey will have to admit how much of a struggle it will be trying to keep Hopkins in check. However, I think the Rams fears will be calmed by the soon-to-be MVP in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers loves beating the Bears, and with the Packers needing a win to secure a bye and the #1 seed, I see no other outcome in that game. Which means the Bears would NEED the Rams to win to keep them in the playoffs. I may be in the minority in this, but I’m a believer in Kliff Kingsbury and his offense. The Cardinals win this game, steal the 6 seed, and eliminate the Bears.

Prediction:

6 Seed – Arizona

7 Seed – LA

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Out – Chicago

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The Parlay 

Last time out, we won our parlay! One push, 4 correct legs, and a nice healthy profit for anyone who backed it. Let’s end the regular season with a bang. We’re going SIX-fold this week.

Cowboys -1.0

As previously stated, the Cowboys look electric on offense right now, with the Red Rifle firing in Texas. Dalton’s weapons will carry the Cowboys to victory here.

Vikings -6.5

The Lions are really bad and are still missing their main weapon in Kenny Golladay. Also, with Dalvin Cook missing for the Vikings after a family tragedy (my condolences to the whole family), Alexander Mattison has a chance to put himself firmly in the shop window. He’s a talented running back, and with Thielen and Jefferson still catching passes, I see the Vikings running away with this one.

Patriots -3.0

Bill Belichick is not losing to Adam Gase’s Jets. It’s just not happening.

Packers -4.0

See above. The final chapter in Rodgers’ Revenge Tour. Packers all day.

Raiders -3.0

I know Gruden’s guys have been suspect of late, but Drew Lock and the Broncos are flat out awful. Average defensively, abysmal offensively. Raiders a clear winner here. 

Cardinals -3.0

This is maybe the riskiest one, but John Wolford isn’t beating Kyler Murray. I’m sorry. Cardinals win this game.

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The Full English (Season Record: 85-39)

Falcons @ Buccaneers – Buccaneers

Ravens @ Bengals – Ravens

Cowboys @ Giants – Cowboys

Dolphins @ Bills – Dolphins

Vikings @ Lions – Vikings

Jets @ Patriots – Patriots

Steelers @ Browns – Browns

Cardinals @ Rams – Cardinals

Packers @ Bears – Packers

Jaguars @ Colts – Colts

Chargers @ Chiefs – Chiefs

Raiders @ Broncos – Raiders 

Saints @ Panthers – Saints

Seahawks @ 49ers – Seahawks

Titans @ Texans – Titans

Washington @ Eagles – Eagles

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Next Week: WildCard

I cannot wait for back to back days with NFL playoff triple headers… it’s hard for me to give you a preview with none of the matchups confirmed, but if we go by my predictions, we’d end up with Ravens vs Steelers, Browns vs Bills, Buccaneers vs Cowboys and Seahawks vs Cardinals amongst others. Sounds good to me. As always, I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter and Instagram. Hope you all have a great week.

Week 16 Memes

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Eesh, what a week it was in the NFL. To honour some of the odd games we experienced, we have collected and collated the best Week 16 Memes out there.
For those of you who were eliminated from your fantasy pool-we feel you.
If your team is struggling for that last playoff spot, we here you.
If you are a Jets fan complaining how you lost Trevor Lawrence, screw you.
Stop being a baby.

Week 16 Preview

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The NFL regular season is winding down while Santas’s sleigh approaches, as Wade & Ryan open their final advent window before Christmas in this Week 16 Preview podcast.

Week 15 brought with it some crazy upsets (looking at you Steelers & Jets), and it with changed the landscape of the NFL playoffs. Imagine if Pittsburgh loses all their remaining games and fails to make the finals? How 2020!

Week 16 has some great games over Christmas and Boxing Day, so make sure that you get your fantasy lineup set if you are fortunate to be in your playoffs. This is the finals for many leagues so good luck!

The guys make their score predictions for ALL of the games this week, so make sure that you listen to the whole thing to gleam all of the useless knowledge the boys have compiled over the season. Among some of the games the guys preview this week includes:

Vikings (6-8) vs Saints (10-4)
Saints -7  +52

Minnesota is almost out of the playoffs, and after a bad beat by the Bears last week, it’s hard to see how they can manage it. Their D is a shambles, and there is only so much weight you can shift to Dalvin Cook to carry the whole team.  Jefferson and Thielan are always a threat, if Cousins can find enough time in the pocket, which is rare under the heft of a strong D like New Orleans.
The Saints took a tough hit from the Chiefs last week, so they should be motivated to want to oust a division rival particularly the nasty Vikings.
It’s no secret that the Saints fans will be hating on the refs on Christmas Day, hoping that Santa will save them from previous naughty moves by the zebras in past years to rob them of playoff glory.
Wade & Ryan both think that the Saints will win, but that it might be closer than the Saints like.
Ryan- Saints 30 Vikings 24
Wade- Saints 27 Vikings 23

Dolphins (9-5) vs Raiders (7-7)
Dolphins -2.5  +47.5

Miami looks like they are on the way to the playoffs if they can win these next two games. It will be easier to beat the Raiders than it will the Bills. Tua and the guys had a nice win over the Patriots last week, albeit low scoring and not that exciting.
Where the Dolphins shine is on defence, so look for them to try to thwart the legs of Marcus Mariota at every angle.
Las Vegas is about to call it a season. It is highly unlikely that they will finish with a winning record, and effectively have to retire to the strip to find some action. They also won’t be that motivated to win, as they haven’t been playing with any vigour this season when needed.
Wade sees the Dolphins rolling through while Ryan has hopes for Las Vegas to roll the dice for a win.
Ryan- Raiders 24 Dolphins 20
Wade- Dolphins 28 Raiders 18

Colts (10-4) vs Steelers (11-3)
Steelers -2  +45.5

The Colts and Phillip Rivers continue to roll on thanks to the play of their O line and solid D. Rookie running back Taylor has been very useful, and should see plenty of field against the Steelers.
Indianapolis has been very weak in their 4 losses, and they have the look of a team that could be out in one game should they make it to the playoffs. This game will see how adaptable they are, and how much they prepared for this big game.
Three losses for Pittsburgh, logo dancing, Tik Toks, and the new car smell is gone. Pittsburgh not only lost 3 games in a row, but they lost them epically to bad teams. They could be the first 11-0 team that fails to make the playoffs if they lose all of their next games, so the pressure is on.
Wade & Ryan both like the Colts here, as the Steelers are still in a haze of focus.
Ryan- Colts 21 Steelers17
Wade- Colts 28 Steelers 26

That’s it for this Week 16 Preview podcast, thanks for listening and pushing it up the charts. Listen to the whole thing to get all of the score predictions & game insight. Continue to share, laugh and love, as we have a hoot of a time making it for you.

Draftkings League

Our NFL in London Draftkings League is also a fun way to get involved.
We have FREE & PAID contests every week, so click away and play with us. Hopefully once this is all over we can all get together again.
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Have a Merry Christmas, and stay safe this holiday season.

Week 15 Preview

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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.
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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.

Week 12 Preview

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The Turkey Bowl games are done, which leaves us with the rest of the games in our week 12 preview podcast.
Wade & Ryan look back at the two blow-out games we were treated to on Thursday night, as well as look ahead to the full run of games set for week 12 in the NFL.
There are a few teams looking to make some moves this week as the playoffs loom, and there are still a few plucky contenders out there looking to wreck havoc on the win columns of those looking to reach a bye in the first week.
Some of the big games the boys have there eyes on this week include:

Cardinals (6-4) vs Patriots (4-6)
Cardinals -2.5  +49.5

This could be the week that the Patriots are eliminated from the playoffs and Cam’s status for next week in jeopardy. Bill has failed to gel the team in the post TB12 days, so it might be time to pack it in and prepare for next season.
Cam Newton now runs like the Iron Giant, and he doesn’t have the running support to make the offence mush of a threat.
Kyler and the boys are fresh and feisty. They have a great scoring game, even if their D lets up almost as many points.
The weather could be  big factor here, but the Cardinals have enough of  squad to put this one to rest easily. Ryan & Wade both like Arizona.
Ryan- Cardinals 27 Patriots 20
Wade- Cardinals 31 Patriots 27

Browns (7-3) vs Jaguars (1-9)
Browns -6  +49

Cleveland is 7-3, but they sure don’t feel it. Like a used car you wonder what that clunky feeling is every time you turn right, they are barely starting and don’t look like they will go the distance.
Baker Mayfield has yet to fine his new OBJ, and his running game the only thing that’s keeping him the games, plus the occasional nice play from the D.
Jacksonville blows, and counters the Jets for their suck factor. Mike Glennon might be the best thing to get this team going again, as only their D has been making plays and rattling some of the top QBs to keep them close.
Wade & Ryan are both big on the Browns here, as they need a big W to start to feel like they can take down a team like the Steelers.
Ryan- Browns 24 Jags 20
Wade- Browns 30 Jags 18

Titans (7-3) vs Colts (7-3)
Colts-3  +51

The Colts are alive once again thanks to the return to health of most of their team, their comeback against the Packers showed that they have the mustard to spread it on when they need it.
Luckily for them they are playing the Titans….again. Way to go NFL to schedule two teams that so recently played, there will be little difference in the result.
Tennessee is still hurting across the board, as Tannehill struggles to find the time and openness to hit any receivers. Henry will be shown the same wall he was pushed into 2 weeks ago, as the Colts will just use the same playbook to rattle their bones.
Indianapolis is feeling the playoff smile now, with recent wins outplaying some of the struggles they had in the early part of the season.
Rivers is finally able to open up the field, and Taylor should improve on the previous performance of Nyheim Hines when they last played.
Ryan and Wade both like the Colts here, but with different results.
Ryan- Colts 24 Titans 23
Wade- Colts 30 Titans 24

Some of the other games that the boys like for your spread betting tips:

Ryan-Raiders, Giants, Panthers, Jets & Bears.
Wade-Falcons, Bills, Bucs, & Seahawks

That’s it for our week 12 preview podcast, hope you like it and keep listening. If you really like it, make sure you share it with your friends, after all-the best gift this holiday season is a free one.
We’re always looking for new guests and writers, so if you feel up for it please reach out and we will see what we can do. We reach over 130,000 people a week here, so your unpaid (for now) stuff will be at least published to more eyes than a local newspaper. That’s something.