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Divisional Preview

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The wet and wacky NFL Wildcard weekend is now behind us, as we head into the final stretch with our Divisional Preview podcast.
Very few people correctly predicted the winners last weekend thanks to the plucky play of the Rams, and the vroom vroom of the Browns ‘Corvette.’
Wade & Ryan both chose the Steelers to topple the Browns (as did many) thus screwing their perfect playoff pools.

In this podcast the guys reflect on the all of the scores from the Wild-Wildcard Weekend that was for the first week of January 2021 in the NFL. The go through all of the scores, as well as lament some of the bonehead plays that got us there.
Wade spends a bit of time bitching about his Bears, and how close they kept it, although never within the reach of noodle-arm Trubisky.

Among some of the other news the boys discuss in this podcast includes:

Deshaun Watson

DW wants out of Houston, and who can blame him. Despite being the leader of the franchise, at times the organisation treats him like a ginger step-kid who abused the family dog. There is an utter lack of respect for a club that was going to do everything in their power to support him. Now that Deshaun wants to leave the Texans, loads of other teams are lining up to sign up to his services. Is it too late for the Texans to keep him happy, or will he be on his way?

Nagy & Pace

The Bears have brought back their GM and HC for another bash at the NFC North. It was felt that although the Bears did slip into 6 straight losses, the way that these guys recovered was enough to show that they have the skills to manage the team in the future. Tell that to thousands of angry residents of Chicago.

Dead Doug

Doug Pederson is dead. Not literally, just to Philly fans. Turns out his little exercise at trying out his backups during the last game of the season might not have been so wise after all. Doug is out, and you wonder who the heck wants the Philly coaching job? You have to eat Carson’s bloated contract and live up to the hype of a Super Bowl win within a decades reach.

Divisional Games

LA Rams vs Packers
Packers -7  +45.5

It’s Aaron vs Aaron as the boys can talk about how much they were teased as children with an ambiguous name. Kidding aside, this will be a good ole snow fight, as the Packers look to feast on LA after a relaxing bye week off.
How did LA get here? No…really. The Rams beat a hyped up Seahawks team with no QB. Sure, Goff was there, but he wasn’t that effective, although he was more so than Russell Wilson. LA was able to use their superior defence and big brain of Sean McVay to keep them in the game. Doing this against the Packers is another matter.
There are a few teams that have the players to be able to knock the Packers out of the playoffs. Watching the Bucs lay a beating on GB earlier this season showed exactly what needs to be done to keep Rodgers on the sideline. Keeping pressure on him, and shutting down Adams will be key.
Wade & Ryan both like this as an exciting start to the weekend, but sadly this one is going to be pretty predictable. With no real QB, the Rams will continue to struggle on first downs. If the Rams start to really fall behind, Goff will be chucking balls into heavy coverage that leads to picks.
Ryan- Packers 30 Rams 24
Wade- Packers 26 Rams 18

If you want the rest of our scores and predictions, have a laugh and a listen to the podcast. We want to thank all of you for listening, and keeping the podcast a moving up the charts.
Good luck to everyone this weekend, and we look forward when we can all get together soon.

Wildcard Preview

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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.
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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!

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.

The Picks Six-Week 15

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Welcome to another edition of the Picks Six! We’re about to get rolling on Week 15, as the climax of the NFL regular season rolls on. However, to be honest, I would be completely doing this wrong if I didn’t talk about the absolute masterpiece that was last week’s Monday Night Football. I didn’t get to sleep until gone 5am in London, but it was 100% worth it. What a game. I need to thank both the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns for that absolute rollercoaster ride. It was fantastic to see both Lamar (cramps aside) and Baker both looking back to their best, and whilst it was hard on the Browns not to win that game after such a stellar comeback, you have to respect the Ravens’ ability to withstand that and keep their playoff hopes alive. Let’s hope we get another game of that quality somewhere in this week 15 slate.

This week, I love, and I mean LOVE, like looooooooooove, this slate of games. I think there are numerous teams who should have way bigger margins of victory, and I am very happy to take those favourites. Let’s have a look!

1st and Goal from the 1yd Line

This is my nailed on – has to happen – pick of the week. 

I’m trying not to just pick on the hapless Jets this week (it feels too easy at this point), so we’ll look beyond the obvious LA Rams pick, and trek to the AFC South for our winner.

The Tennessee Titans are on the verge of claiming a second straight AFC South crown, but with the Indianapolis Colts breathing down their neck, they can

scarcely afford a slip up. Luckily for Mike Vrabel, he’s got Tractorcito and THIS – mid-December NFL Football – is #TractorcitoSzn. Derrick Henry looks unstoppable right now, seemingly rushing for 150-250 yards and 1-2 TDs every single week. The man is a machine, and correctly getting plaudits that are even suggesting he should be in the MVP conversation. I don’t think there’s any chance he can win it, because Mahomes and Rodgers are who they are, but King Henry deserves his respect, and I think he – and the underrated Ryan Tannehill – can take the struggling Detroit Lions to the cleaners this week. The line is Titans -11.0, which is a lot to cover, but I do expect Tennessee to take control early and feed Derrick Henry down the stretch. They need it way more, and the Lions are in absolute disarray.

Titans to win.

45yd Field Goal

This is my toss up, but likely winner. Odds around evens.

Chiefs -3.0

This line makes no sense to me. Yeah, fine, Drew Brees is back. Yes, I get it, the Saints defense is very good. BUT COME ON. This is Andy Reid’s Chiefs offense. Patrick Mahomes’ offense. The Legion of Zoom and Travis Kelce. I can’t grasp how the chiefs aren’t favoured by more. It’s the game of the week – without question – and I just can’t see a way that KC don’t continue their charge towards the #1 seed in the AFC. I’m taking the Chiefs.

TD Treble

Mark Andrews – Lamar looked electric on Monday running the ball, but when he needed a big play, he still looked more often than not towards his big Tight End. Andrews is an exceptional receiver and I think he’ll have a good chance of finding the endzone. 

Rashard Higgins – Higgins has become Baker’s favourite endzone target, as we saw on Monday night. The Browns must win against the Giants and I think they’ll have to throw a couple times – despite the bad weather – as the Giants seek to stop the run. 

Justin Jefferson – This is the risky one, because I’m trusting Kirk Cousins against the Bears defense, but Jefferson has been so electric this year – surely offensive rookie of the year?! – that I think he has enough to find the endzone this week. Chicago are on the brink of official elimination and I’m sure Minnesota would love to finalise that this week.

£10 on this treble pays about £130 depending on your bookmaker. At this price, I think this treble is well worth it.

If you don’t like the above options, I think Travis Kelce & Cam Akers are equally good options, but with considerably shorter odds.

The Overs

This week’s totals are a bit tricky. As much as I think there are numerous games that are very straightforward in terms of their outcome, there are a number here where I have no idea how many points will be scored. I’d say these two are the best of a bad bunch. 

Over 52.0 – Chiefs @ Saints – Brees is back, so even though Michael Thomas is out, the Saints should be able to get some points on the board. And they’ll need to, because Patrick Mahomes is 31-1 against teams who score less than 28 points… The Saints defense is no doubt an impressive crew, but nobody is better than the Chiefs offense. I think they Chiefs win this game and score a lot of points whilst doing it. 

Over 48.5 – Buccaneers @ Falcons – This one is weird because of how streaky the Falcons are… some weeks, they look like a team stacked with first round talents, and some weeks they look like the New York Jets. Makes no sense. Similarly, some weeks the Bucs look unplayable, and some weeks they look anaemic. But both offenses are explosive enough that I think this line should be a little bit higher, and as such will take the over. 

The Parlay

Not a great Paay last week, as the Bears decided to remember how to play offense, and the horrible Broncos and Washington teams disgustingly stole another win each. The good news? I might have mentioned this before… but I LOVE the board.

Bills -5.0 – I cannot fathom why Buffalo are not larger favourites here. Is it because it’s IN Denver and the altitude could play a part? Maybe. But still. This Bills team are 

Packers -8.0 – Aaron Rodgers wants a bye. Aaron Rodgers needs a bye. The Packers won’t let him down.

Titans -11.0 – See above. #TractorcitoSzn. It’s a big line, but they should run all over Detroit.

Dolphins -1.5 – You either believe that the Dolphins are for real, or you don’t. This game is everything to Miami. If Brian Flores’ upstarts are going to sneak into the playoffs, they’re going to need either the Ravens to lose (unlikely), or to win out themselves. That starts here. The Patriots ran all over the Fins in week 1, but this is a different Dolphins team. The 2nd ranked defense in the league is raring to go, and it’s a revenge game for so many former New England employees who have sensibly moved southeast to a nicer climate. I think now is the time for the Dolphins to finally slam the door shut on the Patriots dynasty, and start building their credentials to challenge the Bills for AFC East supremacy. They have to win on Sunday.

Browns -6.0 – Baker is cooking. You all saw that on Monday Night. I’m a big believer in Stefanski and this offense. Yep, the defense needs work, but the Browns rushing attack can control this clock and grind down the (actually quite good) Giants D. Colt McCoy cannot win this game. Browns.

£10 on this five-fold returns about £250 depending on your bookmaker.

(If you’re reading this after the two Saturday games have happened, I’d suggest adding Ravens -13.0 & Chiefs -3.0 in place of the Bills and Packers)

The Full English (Season Record: 74-35)

9-6 again last week; a number of ridiculous upsets in my opinion. Washington continue to steal wins at an alarming and outrageous rate. Here’s hoping that ceases this week. We’re still above 67% picking for the season – not bad at all – so let’s keep it rolling with this weekend’s slate. 

Bills @ Broncos – Bills

Panthers @ Packers – Packers

Bears @ Vikings – Vikings (Sorry Mitch)

Lions @ Titans – Titans

Texans @ Colts – Colts (I still don’t trust the Colts, but hard to believe in the Texans right now)

Jaguars @ Ravens – Ravens

Patriots @ Dolphins – Dolphins

Seahawks @ Washington – Seahawks (Washington are frauds, Haskins is starting, Seattle need to win… it’s clear for me)

49ers @ Cowboys – 49ers (This is maybe the tightest game of the week. Complete toss up for me. The Niners defense should be good enough to stifle Andy Dalton, but their offense is bad… hard to say, but I’m going 49ers, led by their defense)

Buccaneers @ Falcons – Buccaneers

Jets @ Rams – Rams

Eagles @ Cardinals – Cardinals (Hurts did great last week, by Kyler and the Cards need this for the playoff push)

Chiefs @ Saints – Chiefs

Browns @ Giants – Browns

Steelers @ Bengals – Steelers

Week 16

Next week is Fantasy Football championship week so here’s hoping my three semi final teams are still alive and playing for the money… 

We get Christmas Day football, a Boxing Day triple-header, and a Sunday slate including Seahawks vs Rams & Packers vs Titans. Tasty! I hope you’re all staying safe amongst this insanity of a festive period. Whichever Tier you’re in, stay safe this Christmas. As ever, I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter and Instagram if you wanna hear more from me. Have a great week.

Callum Squires is a safe distanced friend of NFL in London and a great Dolphins fan.