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Callum’s Week 8

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Here’s another great Week 8 prediction from Mr. Squires, as we delve into our weekly feature Callum’s Week 8.  

THE PICKS SIX – WEEK EIGHT

Yo! Welcome back to The Picks Six. Last week, I went 9-4 in picking outright winners, but two of the key games that ruined all the fun were ones I was certain were going the other way. Turns out, the Patriots did not have enough in their locker to do the “Belichick Bounce Back” I predicted, and that the Cowboys are so abjectly awful on defense that they made the WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM look competent. Embarrassing. A shambles. We jump back in with full of enthusiasm to a great slate of games in week 8, a number of which could genuinely go either way. This makes my job simultaneously harder and more enjoyable. Fingers crossed everything doesn’t blow up in my face like it did two weeks ago. Anyway… Let’s get to the predictions.

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

This is my lock of the week. A sure fire winner surely.

Obviously, I have to continue picking against the Jets. They’re atrocious. So, the Chiefs to win in the safest bet of all time. They’re currently TWENTY (two zero, 20) point favourites. Incredible. That spread is so big, it does come with a little inherent risk, so I’m gonna tweak it a little, play it safe, and say let’s have Chiefs -9.5. A two score margin should be very doable for Mahomes. 

Furthermore, let’s spice it up and have 3 picks in this category this week. So, let’s add The Packers to win against the Vikings, and The Dolphins +10.5 against the Rams.

Rodgers is going to go all out to properly stamp out the Vikings from NFC North contention, and I don’t think Miami would put Tua in as starter if they didn’t think it would work immediately. I don’t think the Rams will blow Tagovailoa away – even with Aaron Donald – so let’s give the Dolphins a head start and play it safe. 

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The 45yd Field Goal (Season Record 0-2)

This is my mid-range, toss up of the week.

It’s not been a good start for me from mid-field goal range. Ugh. We’re gonna give two this week and try desperately to claw our way back to .500 in this category before Week 9.

Let’s start with the Browns -2.5 against the Raiders. Baker’s performance last week has refuelled my Browns Hype Train and I’m ready to ride them again. The Raiders run game stumbled against the Bucs last week and I think they’ll have to throw more with Derek Carr this week. I think the Browns are better on both sides of the ball and have enough to cover this spread.

My second choice is the Saints -5.0. Yup, I still think the Bears are frauds at 5-2. Thanks to the Rams for spelling that out very clearly last Monday night. Michael Thomas still being out is a shame, but Brees, Kamara and Latavius Murray should be able to wreak enough havoc to keep the – very good – Chicago defense on it’s heels. Looks like Allen Robinson might now play, increasing the already large amount of pressure on Foles to work miracles… I don’t see it. NOLA to cover please.

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The Hail Mary (Season Record 0-2)

This is my shot from half field. Unlikely, but you never know. 

I am so so so so so tempted to pick Ben Gucci DiNucci and the Cowboys to upset Philly outright. What a story it would be. I love an underdog story and, whilst it’s crazy to think of the Cowboys as the underdogs, in this case they really are. This would be the biggest upset of this season so far. I’m really talking myself into this…

You know what? Let’s change it up. This week’s Hail Mary is an underdog parlay.

Miami to win – TUA TIME.

Detroit to win – The Colts are meh on offense.

Pittsburgh to win – Ride the undefeated hand.

Dallas +7.5 – DiNucci has had a week to work with ALL those weapons, the Eagles DO have a lot of injuries… let’s give us a close game to round out Sunday night. 

I’ll have to see if we classify this as one pick or as four… but this little acca is about 38/1.

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The Overs (Season Record 2-2)

Raiders @ Browns – Over 49.5

As previously mentioned, Baker was absolutely SLINGING it last week (after OBJ got hurt), and John Gruden loves to chase the points. I think both these defenses are slyly decent, hence why the total is under 50 points, but can see offense winning the day here. Feels like both teams will sell out to stop the run (Josh Jacobs & Kareem Hunt respectively), meaning the passing game for both Mayfield and Derek Carr will be prevalent. Take over 49.5.

Titans @ Bengals – Over 51.0

Joe Burrow is trying his level best to drag this under-manned and out-matched Bengals team to relevancy. Their defense is just too weak to help on the back end. Burrow has shown enough throwing (and running) the ball to warrant respect that he’s capable of almost guaranteeing you at least 21pts on the board each week. The Titans have been nothing short of fantastic, and will be looking to bounce back from losing a very close one to arguably the best defense in the league last week, the Steelers. I see Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Jonnu Smith and AJ Brown on the Bengals defense in a high scoring affair. Take over 51.0.

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The Parlay (Complete Parlays 0-2, Correct Legs 5-4-1)

LA Chargers -3.0 – Justin Herbert is fast becoming one of my favourite players to watch, and the Broncos, despite having a good defense, just don’t have enough to keep up with JHerbz in this one. 

Seahawks -3.0 – One overtime shootout loss to the (very underrated) Cardinals does not stop Seattle being the NFC West top dog. They will re-establish that and solidify their Championship pedigree in this one. Russ will cook. 

Lions +3.0 – What a win they had last week. Sure, blame Atlanta’s incompetence, but equally praise Matt Stafford, Kenny Golladay and TJ Hockenson for masterminding that final drive. I like the Lions to win this game outright this week also, as the Colts have been very underwhelming with the ball in their hands. Detroit plus a field goal feels like a good bet. 

Bills -4.0 – The Patriots burned me last week, so I’m taking them to get burned again this week. Josh Allen and the Bills have had a little dip in form since their electric opening to the season, but this is a must win for them. If you can’t beat THIS Patriots team, and win the AFC East, you never will. BILL-ieve in Buffalo.

Steelers +4.5 – This one shouldn’t be a blow out in either direction, and with the Steelers rolling – as the lone undefeated team in the league – I think they might win this one outright, but taking the points advantage feels sensible. Lamar is of course liable to come off his bye week and go bonkers, but I’m hoping Ben and his army of weapons can stay with them. 

Depending on your bookmaker, a £10 bet on this parlay will return about £260. 

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The Full English: (Season Record 18-9)

Colts @ Lions – Lions

Rams @ Dolphins – Miami (There is 0% chance I’m picking against Tua on his debut… remember his Ba

Raiders @ Browns – Cleveland

Vikings @ Packers – Green Bay

Patriots @ Bills – Buffalo (Come on Josh Allen!!)

Jets @ Chiefs – Kansas City (the line is -20.0 and I think it’s way too low… sheeeeesh)

Steelers @ Ravens – Steelers (This is the toss up of all toss ups but I’m leaning Pittsburgh as their defense is for real and Lamar and the running game hasn’t been the same one we saw last year for the Ravens. Now that I’ve written this, Baltimore will probably win by 30 just to spite me…)

Titans @ Bengals – Tennessee

Chargers @ Broncos – LA

Saints @ Bears – New Orleans (Bears are still Frauds)

49ers @ Seahawks – Seattle

Cowboys @ Eagles – Eagles (I want to pick Gucci DiNucci and the Boyz but can’t quite take that risk. However, this will be closer than some people think…)

Buccaneers @ Giants – Tampa Bay

Enjoy Week 8! As ever, I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter & Instagram. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see me discuss or suggest picks for… Come chat and tell me why I’m wrong and your team is going to win this week. Jets fans – don’t turn the game on… don’t do it to yourself. Cheers.

All lines accurate as of 11am Saturday.’t

Want to make picks on this page like Callum does? Get in touch and we can post your articles here to a large fanbase. We don’t pay (yet), but hopefully as we grow, so will our pay. 

DraftKings Week 8

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Given the way 2020 has been playing out, Fantasy seems to be working a lot better than reality. This year has felt like you’re a Jets fan who has been stuck in a lift with a Cowboys fan & a Patriots fan, while you wait for a Bucs fan to call for help. That sucky.

Thankfully, we have been playing a lot of DraftKings this season, and you can play along with us in our NFL in London League. It’s free to join, and we have FREE and PAID contests to jump into.
Here are some of my top picks for Week 8 on Halloween Weekend.

QBs

Aaron Rodgers $7600

A-Aron is playing like a man possessed, which is fitting heading into a Halloween weekend. Rodgers was on a tear last week, tapping Devante Adams like a slot machine last week. Heading into week 8 against a sad Vikings defence, it’s hard not to imagine him ripping poor Minnesota apart. Sure, he’s pricy, but you deserve it…it’s the end of the month.

Justin Herbert $6900

Anyone who plays me in Fantasy this year knows that I took Herbert in EVERY pool right off the back. He was my backup to Russell Wilson, and this tandem has kept me in first place in all of my leagues.
Any team watching Herbert play now must be thinking ‘damn!’. He is lighting it up with a weakened O-line and not too many faulty receivers to toss to. Imagine if he was on a great team? He will continue to impress this week.

RBs

Le’Veon Bell $4600

Ding a ling bitches, Le’veon is back! And he might suck. Bell is facing his former Jets team, so he might be motivated to jam it down their throats. Of course, he has to get fed the ball first. He might get barely any touches, and he might be stuffed like a crust every time he tries to cross the line, but at $4600 he will more likely be used in short yardage than CEH.

JaMycal Hasty $5000

Who wants to be a 49ers running back? It seems there is a new guy every week, and Hasty is November’s flavour of the month. Wilson Jr (?) looked great last week until he was injured, so that means another guy enters the rotation. The 49ers have as many RBs as the Bears had TE’s, and they all seem to be pretty good. Hasty is a fun name to say, and brings value against a Seahawks team that struggles against the run.

Derrick Henry $8000

The beast of the east is loose, and the Bengals should be very afraid. Henry was limited against the Steelers last week, but the Bengals have none of the tools to stop him. Henry is the priciest player of the week, which brings with it financial draw backs. Henry is primed for at least 2 TDs and potentially 200+ yards rushing, so you should be in safe hands.

WRs

Devante Adams $8800

Adams cooked up over 40 fantasy points last week, and has hot hands heading into week 8. Adams and Rodgers were in synch last week, in some sort of beautiful ballet of football. He catches more sticky balls than Paris Hilton in the 2000s, and the Vikings will have no answer for him in week 8.

Keenan Allen $6200 

Now that he is fully back, Allen is the #1 go to guy for Herbert. He has the hands and wheels to cause problems in the Broncos backfield. Herbert will struggle against that fast front of Denver, but that should allow him to feed Keenan for short route, big run gains.

Nelson Agholor $4700

Old man Agholor? Yes, the Philly flop has been trying to find his groove in Vegas, and had some pretty good deep ball receptions last week. Carr & the Raiders are struggling on offence, and the Browns are known to give up big yard plays. Nelson should factor in some big plays, which should get you some value points.

TE

Jonnu Smith $4100

The big man should be able to gash the Bengals for redzone TDs. Smith has solid hands, and is a key factor in opening up the field of play. He’s usually good for 1TD, but given the woeful state of the Bengals D, he could see more.

Hunter Henry $4200

Henry has been a solid performer for Herbert, and has been solid in short yardage and Redzone opportunities. With a limited amount of tools to choose from, Henry is a reliable TE for this game.

NFL in London League

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Have a great week 8!

 

Week 8 Podcast

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Halfway through the season, and what a journey is has been.
In our Week 8 Podcast, Wade & Ryan reflect on the season thus far, and some of the top stories that have dominated the league. (hint:Covid plays a big part).
The boys also look back at the Week 7 games in the league, with such storylines as ‘Patriots Piss Themselves’ ‘St. Justin Hubert’, and ‘Dalton Losses his Head’, leading the front pages.

Ryan and Wade then dive into their week 8 predictions, treading carefully not to touch on their own teams lest Lady Luck flick them in the nads.
Among some of the top predictions the guys make for Week 8 include:

LA Rams (5-2) vs Dolphins (3-3)
Rams -3.5  +46

The Rams are fresh after a beating of the Bears on Monday night, but are they really that good? Their D is fast and furious, but Goff and the O have been more of whimper.
Flores has taken Fitzmagic out of the magic hat, giving Tua his first shot at an NFL start.
Miami is at home, so it reckons that they have a plan for this one, as 4 wins would move them up nicely to second in the AFC East.
Ryan thinks that the Rams will dominate this one, but Wade smells a Miami upset.
Ryan- Rams 27 Dolphins 14
Wade- Dolphins 24 Rams 23

Patriots (2-4) vs Bills (5-2)
Bills -3.5  +44

These records would have been reversed a few years ago, as fans across the League are revelling in the Pats sucking off a start to the 2020 NFL season. The Bills have lost focus the last few games, with Josh Allen not looking like the beast he was to start.
The Patriots look like that they are in free fall, with rumours circling that they are having a ‘fire sale’ to get rid of some of their top talent to trades, in what looks to be a signal of a rebuild.
Ryan hates betting on his own Bills, especially on games where dildo’s are involved.
Wade likes betting on both teams, as he has no favour in either of them.
Ryan- Patriots 23 Bills 20
Wade- Bills 27 Patriots 21

Steelers (6-0) vs Ravens (5-1)
Ravens -3.5  +49

Teams coming off a bye usually have energy and focus to lay a beating on the first team that they face back, although the Steelers struggled with the Eagles a few weeks ago.
The Ravens spent their week off shoring up their D and adding Dez Bryant to their practice squad.
Pittsburgh has benefitted with a plethora of scoring options each week, with new receivers seemingly popping out of the woodwork to add TDs to the tally. Big Bloated Ben has been inconsistent, yet effective-which still gets wins.
The Ravens will be angry in this contest, which will make it tough for the Steelers to build up momentum on drives. They will need their D to stand on their heads in this one.
Wade & Ryan both see a big game here, with the Ravens ultimately coming out on top.
Ryan- Ravens 30 Steelers 20
Wade- Ravens 31 Steelers 26

Saints (4-2) vs Bears (5-2)
Saints  -4 +44.5

The Saints are marching in to Soldier Field, albeit with more injuries than they would have wanted.
The Bears are searching for their offence, which could use some Viagra as they could use a stiffening up.
Chicago is coming off a loss to the Rams, in which they were bloody awful at scoring. New Orleans is fighting some sort of drama, with Michael Thomas acting like a petulant wide receiver. One wonders if Thomas will ever really come back, as he seems more addicted to spreading misery.
Ryan is bullish on the Bears, and thinks that the Saints are not as good as they seem.
Wade isn’t as confident on his Bears, and sees things getting worse before they get better.
Ryan- Bears 26 Saints 24
Wade- Saints 30 Bears 22

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Have a great week 8, and make sure that you listen to the whole podcast.

TNF-Falcons vs Panthers

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Let’s take a stroll down to the dirty south, as the filthy Falcons visit the poo-stained Panthers in what should be another Thursday Night Game.
None of these teams would ever have expected to start the 2020 season only to be out of it halfway through.
Here we are on a dark, dank Thursday to see this one through, luckily most UK fans will be in bed.

Falcons (1-6) vs Panthers (3-4)
Panthers -3  + 49

Falcons

The Falcons have allowed more come from behinds than a tramp-stamp, boasting some of the most embarrassing scores thus far this season. Despite Matt Ryan throwing up hundreds of yards every game, Atlanta has looked like a hot mess in every aspect thus far.
Their O-line is as porous as a tea bag, their D is shot, and have so many injuries that they should qualify for benefits.
Last week against the Lions was a debacle, as Gurley did the one thing Matt Ryan asked him not to do…score a TD.
Fortunately for them however, they are starting to get some of their team mates back, including Old Faithful Julio Jones.
The last time these teams played a few weeks ago, the Falcons lost 23-26, but that doesn’t seem likely again this week.

Panthers

Carolina started the season out by losing the top running back in the game, only to string some wins together despite the key injury. Teddy Bridgewater looked good, Mike Davis was a nice surprise, and Robby Anderson and DJ Moore were suddenly fantasy studs…then they started to lose.
The Panthers have struggled recently, as their defence hasn’t been able to keep up with other teams that are scoring at will.
Christian McCaffery is still out, which means the Panthers will struggle once again against an Atlanta team who finally won a game in week 6.
Carolina is in free fall, and they are going to need some healthy returners if they want to even think at making a playoff run.

Prediction

Atlanta will be pissed from losing last week when they were favoured to win 99%-1% with 60 seconds left in the game. Todd Gurley should have a bounce back game, and Ridley will score at least 1 TD.
Not worth staying up for, but will be a great game to catch up on with your coffee on Friday morning.

Falcons 26 Panthers 23

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The Picks Six

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Okay… well… let’s call that an inauspicious start. In the debut week of this column, my week 6 picks were… largely disappointing. My overall week predictions (9-5) salvaged my tips which did not have a particularly impressive showing. Largely, the blame for this falls squarely at the feet of two teams: The New England Patriots, who inexplicably made the beaten up Denver Broncos look like the ‘85 Bears, and the Cleveland Browns who… ugh… Browns-d it right up against the Steelers. Should I have seen that coming? Probably. Anyway, new week, new me! Let’s go again. Redemption starts here. Same concept: Six sections, including sure things, longshot punts and a prediction for every game. 

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The 1st and Goal from the 1. (Season Record: 1-1)

So somehow went 1-1 last week on this. Shoutout the Dolphins for doing what they were supposed to, even when Cam was too incompetent to do his job… 

Okay. Simple things. That’s what we’re looking for here. So… Who is the worst team in the NFL? Gang Green: The 0-6 New York Jets. And who are said Jets playing this week? Oh, the Bills of Buffalo? With one Joshua Allen at Quarterback? He who has a rocket arm and legs that carry his big sturdy frame forward at alarming speed and momentum? I like him. He wasn’t good against the Chiefs – but we’ll blame the conditions a bit – so I expect Josh to bounce back big here. The Jets are firmly planted in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. The Bills win this game. ZERO doubt.

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The 45yd Field Goal (Season Record: 0-1)

This line should be posted all over the Cowboys’ locker room walls. The UTTER disrespect… Dallas are ONE POINT favourites against the 1-4, very average, lacking in any real talent beyond Terry McLaurin and Chase Young Washington Football Team. Yeah, I get it: The Cowboys were awful on Monday. Dalton didn’t sling it like we were expecting (see, my over losing), Zeke’s hands have been replaced with sticks of butter, and their defense couldn’t stop a team of referees from picking up a first down. BUT this is still the Dallas Cowboys offense. Zeke will not keep putting the ball on the ground. The Cowboys should run (and throw) all over this team. Dallas Cowboys -1.0. Yes please.

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The Hail Mary (Season Record: 0-1)

So we need a long shot, or at least big odds for this one. There aren’t many underdogs I like on the board this week, so I’m sticking to heavily backing a favourite I love. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this yet, but the Jets are AWFUL. Even with Sam Darnold back, they’re not good enough to put a fight up against the Bills. The Bills defense held up quite respectably against the Chiefs passing attack, and Frank Gore is not going to run through the Bills like Clyde Edwards-Helaire did. Josh Allen will sling it, the Bills will score points. I like the Bills to win every quarter at 7/1. 

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The Over (Season Record: 0-1)

Oooooooh there could be some points scored this weekend… lots of tasty matchups which I can see disintegrating into shootouts and garbage time touchdowns. So I’m gonna rattle off a few here:

Browns vs Bengals – Over 50.5

Well, Baker HAS to bounce back. The Browns really need this game, but a scrappy Cincinnati team (who pushed the Colts close last week) can put up some resistance. The Browns have been quietly very good on offense aside from in their two lopsided losses. I don’t think they lose this game; I think they score 30+ on a below-par Bengals defense. Joe Burrow is good enough and determined enough to keep himself in the game – despite the absence of Joe Mixon. Points. 

Lions vs Falcons – Over 55.0

Yep, the line is high, but Stafford and Ryan could very legitimately shred each other’s DBs all afternoon long. D’Andre Swift has started to break out a little bit, and Gurley and Hurst are providing a nice compliment to Atlanta’s stacked WR room. It’s high, but I think it’ll get there. 

Seahawks vs Cardinals – Over 56.0

Another high line, but the newly-flexed Sunday Night Football matchup is one of the most electric of the weekend. Russ gets back in the kitchen, ready to cook after his bye week. Kyler is fast becoming the one rival to Lamar’s title of biggest dual threat Quarterback. Hopkins, Kirk and Fitz vs Lockett, Moore and Metcalf. Carson vs Drake. Carroll vs Kingsbury. Nobody on the field will want to defend. 28 points each has been almost a guarantee for these two teams so far. Let’s keep that run going. 

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The Parlay (Winning Parlays: 0/1, Winning Legs: 3/5) 

Browns -3.0

I know. I know. I know. We took Cleveland last week, and they burned us. I know. BUT this is a new week, and much less formidable defense for Baker to throw against. The Browns torched the Bengals earlier this season and I think a Cleveland win by a TD or more is likely. 

Panthers +7.0

Now, I do think the Saints win this game, but Teddy Bridge is good enough to keep it close. 7 points feels like a lot for a Saints team who – whilst coming off a bye – are missing their top two WRs to injury and the COVID-list. I expect a heavy dose of Alvin Kamara and Mike Davis respectively. Tight game, Saints win, Panthers cover the 7 points. 

Cowboys -1.0

See above… this line feels fraudulent. The Cowboys comeback story arc starts here. 

Bills -10.0

Yuuuuuuup, it’s a lot of points. How many did the Jets lose by last week? 24!? 24 to 0!? Against the Dolphins!? Okay, ha, yeah, definitely Bills -10.0.

Patriots -2.0

Bill is angry. Cam is angry. Stephon is angry. The whole of Boston is angry. The Patriots conspired to lose a game where their opposition didn’t score a Touchdown… HUUUUUH!? Yup. Somehow, that’s what happened. But this is the perfect bounce back game. Bill gets to shut down the guy he traded away. I don’t believe Jimmy G is good enough to beat the team who had earmarked him as the heir to TB12. They traded him for a reason. Shanahan will have some plans cooked up, but I think the Niners are still too injury ravaged to hand the Patriots another loss. 

£10 on this parlay pays about £235 depending on your bookmaker.

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The Full English (Season Record: 9-5)

Bills vs Jets – Bills

Panthers vs Saints – Saints

Browns vs Bengals – Browns

Washington vs Cowboys – Cowboys

Lions vs Falcons – Falcons

Packers vs Texans – Packers

Steelers vs Titans – Steelers (But this is such a toss up, won’t be at all surprised if Tennessee win)

Buccaneers vs Raiders – Buccaneers (piss off please Covid… I want to watch this game)

Jaguars vs Chargers – Chargers

Chiefs vs Broncos – Chiefs

49ers vs Patriots – Patriots

Seahawks vs Cardinals – Seahawks

Bears vs Rams – Rams 

Enjoy your week 7! As ever, I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter & Instagram. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see me discuss or suggest picks for… Come chat and tell me why I’m wrong and your team is going to win this week. Jets fans need not contact me. Cheers.

All lines accurate as of 11pm Friday.

-Callum Squires is a British writer and former college athlete in America