NFL in London

National Football League in London

Ryan Cull

Week 10 Picks

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We’re off to Frankfurt for the last of the European NFL games, as we bring you our Week 10 Picks podcast.

Germany gets to delight themselves in a Colts vs Patriots gridiron battle for the ages, or just a low-scoring affair that is buoyed by the lovely lyrics of the Frankfurt faithful.
We also have some great games on tap for Sunday, as well as some truly horrible matches on offer, as we dig into the Week 10 picks.

To listen to Ryan and Wade ramble on for the whole podcast, make sure that you click here to hear it all. Make sure that you share and care this with your NFL friends, so they too can enjoy NFL mediocrity.

With a holy host of games to look at in our Week 10 picks, let’s look at some of the top games that the guys find some traction in heading into Sunday.

-1.5 Colts (4-5) vs Patriots (2-7)  +43.5

Apologies Germany, not since David Hasselhoff topped the charts has a bigger ‘sorry’ been due to the Germans than the game lined up for Sunday.
Minshew Mania is primed for Movember in this match, as the Colts continue to limp along after Anthony Richardson went down to injury. Indianapolis continues to stay in games, even if there are ones they have no place being in. Jonathan Taylor is back though, and they have some easy options at wide receiver.
Someone pick up the phone, because it looks like Bill Belichick is calling it in this season.
Gone are the tablet throws, and they are replaced on X videos of Bill doing the sneaky ‘walk of shame’ from some Boston moms house.
The Patriots are a shell of their former selves, and to most people in the league that is followed by a chuckle.
Ryan likes Belichick to grind down the Colts in this one, and schnitzel out a victory against Minshew. He’s calling for the Patriots to Frankfurt an upset.
Wade is low-scoring this affair in favour of the Colts, with both sides opting for the running game in this new Euro turf.
Ryan-Patriots 17 Colts 15
Wade-Colts 18 Patriots 16

-3 49ers (5-3) vs Jaguars (6-2)  +46

San Fran has had a three game slide that hasn’t been Purdy, but adding Chase Young to that tremendous defence is going make them a Cerberus up front.
Deebo is back, and Brock has had a bye week to set the game plan right for the final stretch.
How ’bout them Jags? What people had hoped has come to fruition as Trevor Lawrence is playing like a big time NFL QB now, and Travis Etienne has been ripping holes like moths through cashmere.
They D has also stepped up with Josh Allen keeping his name sake, although they have issues on the O line.
Ryan likes the Jacksonville Jaguars here for a big upset, as he thinks the home faithful will help rally, and Brock Purdy will sputter.
Wade likes the Niners to rebound and put another W up with a statement performance. He thinks the D will be all over Trevor, and the Jags will struggle to get an offence going.
Ryan-Jaguars 27 49ers-24
Wade-49ers 28 Jaguars 20
As far as some other top tips, the guys have the following that might be of interest to your wagering ways.

Ryan

  • Browns upset the Ravens and WIN!
  • Bengals barely beat Texans who COVER
  • Chargers beat the Lions for the WIN!
  • Washington beats Seahawks for the WIN!

Wade

  • Saints beat the Vikings for the WIN!
  • Titans upset the Bucs for the WIN!
  • Packers keep it close with the Steelers and COVER
  • Broncos threaten the Bills and COVER
That’s it for our Week 10 Picks, make sure that you follow us on our socials, and keep sharing the love.
If you want to join Wade and Ryan on the podcast, reach out!
We’re always looking for fun and unique NFL fans who might have something to say, or just to help promote a community cause.

Week 8 Picks

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Holy moly, we’re already almost halfway through the season, as we hit you up with our Week 8 Picks.

Ryan and Wade have another belter of picks podcast, so do yourself a favour and have a listen, share it with your friends, give us a 5 star rating, and like it.
We would really appreciate it as we head towards 300 episodes!

Week 8 Picks

Week 7 was a suckity-doo kind of week when it came to getting it right, although there were a few gems that made some paper if you knew what you were doing.
Ryan is sitting at a success rate of 43% ATS so far this season, while Wade is slightly ahead at 56% ATS.
Still many more games to go, so let’s kick it off with some of our top Week 8 picks to look at.

-3 Texans (3-3) vs Panthers (0-6)  +43

Let’s start it out by bringing out the trash shall we?
The Texans have been boosted by the heroics of young CJ Stroud this season, who has been able to light up an equally talented little group of receivers. Houston’s D has been able to keep them in some contests people didn’t think they should be in, and their 3-3 record seems solid, compared to the Panthers.
Oh Carolina! Call 80s’ Shaggy, because things are getting all kinds of ‘oh’ in the teal and black.
Bryce Young has been small in stature and results in his NFL rookie season, of course it doesn’t help that they traded away quality receivers to leave them with old man Thielen.
The only real hope for the Panthers is the Canadian Chuba Hubbard, and the scraps left of the D.
It should also be noted that the weather forecast for Sunday in Charlotte is supposed to be nasty, with heavy rain and wind predicted.
Ryan thinks that this game is horrible, but has one shining prediction in this one…the Panthers get their first win! He likes Carolina to grind it out against a Texans team that might just be imitators.
Wade thinks the weather wins this one, and the best bets here are to take Chuba and CJ in DraftKings, and bet the under. Texans will get gashed by Hubbard, but equally the return of Tank Dell could see some yards. And lots of dropped balls. Bet on fumbles.
(Texans -3 +43)
Ryan-Panthers 24 Texans 20
Wade-Texans 23 Panthers 16

Patriots (2-5) vs -9.5 Dolphins (5-2)  +47

It’s another wet forecast for this one, as Bill Belichick grumbles his way back to Miami, a city that has habit of flustering his knickers in the past.
Will a statement win over the Bills last week give them the motivation to take down the high flying Tua, or will Mac Jones once again implode when he’s down?
The Dolphins are also coming off a humbling loss, after the Eagles and their pals the refs combined for a whack load of penalties against them. The fish might not be totally focused, as they have an AFC slugfest with the Chiefs next week in Frankfurt, and some of them might be getting travel ready.
Miami also has a slew of players who are listed as questionable, and didn’t practise on Wednesday.
Was this to save them up for Germany, or just use them partially early Sunday?
Ryan thinks that Bill and Mac & the cheese will be able to cover the 9.5 point spread, and force the Fins into making mistakes. He thinks that the Pats could win this one, but will lose by a point.
Wade too thinks that Miami will be looking ahead, but no so much that they won’t bust some offensive ass on the Pats secondary at home. He likes the Dolphins to win, but can see the Patriots making this to close for comfort in the rain.
Dolphins -9.5 +47
Ryan- Dolphins 24 Patriots 23
Wade- Dolphins 27 Patriots 23

Other Games

Here are a few other picks the guys throw in for this episode.

Ryan

  • Giants 17 Jets 14
  • Bengals 27 49ers 26
  • Falcons 27 Titans 18

Wade

  • Cowboys 26 Rams 20
  • Jets 18 Giants 10
  • Ravens 26 Cardinals 19
That’s it for the Week 8 Picks, make sure you listen to the podcast on all cool platforms.
Have a great Week 8!

After Game-Enfield

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After Game-Enfield is our look at what to do in the neighbouring Enfield, just a scoot from the game. Those of you attending the London games might be wondering, what’s going on once my game is finished at 6pm?
Well, we have some options for you in this post, as we look at things to do around Enfield.
Wait, where?

Location

A little north-west of the stadium sits the community of Enfield, an up and coming little nugget of party on the tip of London.

Conveniently located about 15 minutes from Tottenham stadium, the town of Enfield has a thriving nightlife and sports bars for anyone who is looking to head on the town after one of the Sunday contests.

Here are a few places to look at to watch the games afterwards.
And don’t worry, they are all VERY close to the stadium, even quicker in a taxi.

O’Neills Enfield

You can always trust an O’Neills to deliver standard quality across all of its locations.
The Enfield location is popular with youngsters in the area, and boasts loads of TV showing sport on Sundays.

If you want to hit the O’Neills in Enfield after the game, find more details here.

https://www.oneills.co.uk/national-search/london/enfield#/

The Cricketers

The Cricketers is another Enfield Sports bar that will have NFL showing on Sky Sports after the game.

Located near the centre of Enfield town, the Cricketers has a storied history in the area, and is beloved by locals for affordable pints, and a lovely garden to nip into for a smoke.

If you’re looking for NFL and cheap beers, this is a place to look at.

https://www.mcmullens.co.uk/cricketersenfield

The Taps Bar

Another sports bar showing NFL on Sunday is The Taps Irish Bar in Enfield that is centrally located, and bound to have a fun, lively atmosphere.

There are also plenty of kebab shops and a McD’s a football’s throw away, meaning you can soak up the sadness if your team losses on a Sunday.

Find them on Twitter/ X here

https://twitter.com/TheTapsBar

The Three Wishes-Winchmore Hill

A gem of an Irish pub located on Green Lanes in Winchmore Hill, this recently renovated pub has over 15 TVs with Sky Sports and more.

Sundays are traditional Irish ones with live music during the afternoon, and some of the cheapest pints in North London.

Conveniently located near Palmers Green/ Winchmore Hill and Wood Green.

Find them here

https://whatpub.com/pubs/ENF/7419/three-wishes-winchmore-hill

The Stag

Looking for a late night bar AND a hotel, then check out the Stag in Enfield.

This cosy hotel also has a sought after bar, and garden which host live music, quiz and sport.

Make sure that you book ahead early, as it does tend to fill up quickly.

https://www.stag-enfield.co.uk/the-stag-bar/

The Salisbury Arms-Winchmore Hill

Located near Winchmore Hill train station is the massive Salisbury Arms, which boasts a patio that holds over 200 and has plenty of TVs for outdoor sports action.

Sunday roasts and Sky Sports are on tap at this traditional British pub, which has just been renovated, and has loads of TVs to catch the games and RedZone on.

Management are happy to accommodate big groups, please do contact ahead though.

The Wonder

A bit outside Enfield proper, this is more of a country pub that has plenty of space and TVs to catch the games.

A traditional Sunday pub, The Wonder is a lively place for locals to meet, and centrally located enough for any groups looking to meet up prior to or after the game.

Find out more about The Wonder here.

https://www.mcmullens.co.uk/wonder

Other areas

Other neighbourhoods close to Enfield and Tottenham Stadium in the area that you might want to consider are Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green, and Wood Green.

Finsbury Park is also a more lively area for night life, and some sports bars, as well as being conveniently located on the Victoria and Piccadilly Lines, making transit to the stadium quite easy by bus.

Always good to call ahead to some of these pubs too if you have a large group.
Given that it isn’t central London, many of these pub landlords will be happy to throw on the games for you in a prime spot.
It will also help them prepare for staff, if 200 of you decide to descend  on them for a night of NFL fun!

That’s it for our After Game-Enfield preview for you, hope you found it useful.

 

Best Places in London to Watch NFL

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Another season is about to kick off and reward us all with football greatness, but where are the Best Places in London to Watch NFL?
Well, we’ve got you covered with our list for 2023.

As a group who have been promoting and hosting live NFL viewing parties over the past 18 years across the capital, we have quite a bit of knowledge of the sport viewing landscape.

Any punter will tell you that after Covid, the whole bar and entertainment industry took a punch on the chin.
Independent pubs shuttered, quality staff found other work, and the price of pints continued to rise.

As promoters, we look to offer people the best value and service when it comes to hosting NFL nights.
Sure, we might hold things to a North American standard, but why shouldn’t we, when he have always attempted to deliver that threshold across all of our events.

So these are just our independent thoughts on almost 20 years of watching and promoting the NFL across the UK.

1. Home

Home?!?! What a lame answer to start this list off!

Well, not really if you’ve seen the price of a London pint recently, as they near ever closer to the £8 range.
When we first started promoting the NFL in London, pints were still in the £3 range, and pitchers were £10.
Those were the days!

It’s not just the crazy price of booze at London pubs and bars, but there is also the Rugby World Cup and Premier League to throw wrenches into the works of NFL viewing.
With many times and dates over-lapping with the NFL, UK-centric bars are more likely to NOT put on the NFL, with so many Sundays in contention.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup will take place MOST Sundays until Week 7 of the NFL, with games airing between 4-10pm GMT.
If you’ve never experienced a RWC during the NFL season, then you’ll quickly find out that rugby trumps American football in the UK.
They might SAY they are showing NFL, and then bartender changes the channel.
Too bad.

With DAZN taking over from Gamepass, there also hasn’t been a commercial license on offer, which means it could be illegal for many bars and pubs to show the NFL, taking us back to 2013.

Independent pun chains have also been swallowed up over the past few years, gobbling up former sports bars, and then cutting costs, taste, and fun when they rebrand it into a corporate image.
Sadly these chains are very inflexible, and demand that promoters must increase attendance week on week.
Not worth it when half the customers have to pop over to McDonald’s because the food is so dire.

When’s the last time you threw a truly awesome, NFL party?

The best NFL nights are when you have hook a few devices up to Gamepass, and invite over some friends, foes, or just fellow fans you met on social media for a few bevies and a game.

You’ll not only save lots of money, but maybe make some new friends in the process!

2. Famous Three Kings

This Fulham sports bar has a legendary status in the city, as it always seems to be the ‘go to’ place for sports viewership.

Located in West London in the posh bit of town, the Famous Three Kings has been a perennial favourite for sports fans looking to stare at loads of TVs across a cavernous pub.

Although part of a large chain, the food isn’t as abysmal as those burgers with the pre-grilled marks on them that you find in some chains.

Like many London sports bars, it closes at 10pm on Sundays.

Find out more here.

https://www.crafted-social.co.uk/famous-three-kings-west-kensington

3. King Sports Bar-Empire Casino

Leicester Square has also changed in recent years, going from a glitzy West End destination, to a urine soaked playground for the drug addled and destitute.
Great place for a night out.

The King Sports Bar at the Empire Casino benefits from not only having loads of TVs on the go with NFL action, but also being open 24 hours for your viewing, and gambling pleasure.

NFL fans will be happy to have a place to watch the games, and be centrally located enough to be able to snag a night bus home.

The food is rather mediocre, which is why it’s good to have a lot of late-night food options to explore.

https://www.thecasinolsq.com/kings-sports-bar

4. Bodeans-Soho

Bodeans is the original Canadian BBQ joint, that has a long, and storied history in Soho.

Famous for their burnt ends, Bodeans also has two floors of TV action, with NFL and Saturday College Football on tap.
Speaking of on tap, they also have a ridiculously good selection of beer and top North American food.

Of all of the London pubs, Bodean’s has the best NFL food bar none.
However, they do close at 10pm, so you won’t be able to watch the late games.

https://bodeansbbq.com/soho/

5. Sports Bar-Marylebone

One of our OG locations back in 2008, the Sports Bar Marylebone found fame due it being across from the Landmark Hotel, where many of the teams, players and cheerleaders have stayed.
The fact that Jerry Rice could walk in, sit down beside you and order wings made it a crazy place to go.

Time has seen the Sports Bar & G bought by new owners, who dropped down the food quality, but marked up the prices, so authenticity is lacking in the food, and their pints have rocketed to top end London prices.

The bar does benefit from being on the train to Wembley, making it a good place to start and finish after the game.

https://www.sportsbarandgrill.co.uk/marylebone

There are loads of other places that say that they will show NFL, but will also refuse to put it on when people show up, or just turn it off at the whim of a manager.
We can’t recommend any of these places, as we have worked with many before, and they are horrible.

Promote Your Venue

If you’re a venue looking to promote your NFL nights, let us know!

 

Fantasy Drafting

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With the season only weeks away, have you been practising your Fantasy Drafting to help you craft the best team for your league?
You haven’t?
Well we can give you some tips to practise your draft so that you can get ready for the real thing.

Drafting

If you haven’t been doing it already, your NFL app has ongoing NFL Mock Drafts happening every few minutes.
Just jump into the lobby of the kind of draft you want to be in, choose your spot in the draft, then get drafting!

Fantasy Drafting on the NFL app is a great way to get in some practice so that you can prepare for the real deal when it goes down.

If you’re in a group where you already know your draft order, these drafts are helpful in letting you know who could potentially be on your team.
After all if you’re in 7th place in a mock draft, going 7th in your real draft could get you almost the same team.

Mock Drafting

We’ve gone ahead and done one of these drafts to show you folks what it could be like, and to potentially give you some strategy for your draft.

I this one, we jumped into a 10 person, regular draft. The whole thing lasted less than 20 minutes.

Round 1-Travis Kelce

With all the notable big names gone, the biggest name on the board was Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. As everyone knows he is a scoring beast that continues to cross the field for big points.
This daddy always brings it home.

Round 2-Derek Henry

Although Bijan was ahead of Henry, it’s hard to trust a rookie in a tumultuous running-back drama NFL.
Sir Henry has a legacy of going on weekly points tears, and with a depleted Titans O-line, could find Derek leading the league again this season.

Round 3-Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions running back Gibbs will be splitting the workload with former Bear ‘Old Man’ Montgomery.
With Monty taking on injuries the past few years, it seems likely that he will probably have to take another few weeks off in 2023, solidifying Gibbs as the number one RB.

Round 4-Travis Etienne

Normally we would be looking to bolster our wide receiver options at this point, but with Etienne being open at this spot, might as well add him to the roster!
Etienne will be the running force of the Jags offence this year, and should easily make the top 5 running backs of the year.

Round 5-DJ Moore

There were quarterbacks like Herbert; Tua and Murray available in round 5, but who needs a QB that early in a 10 person draft?
You’re going to get two QBs, why blow your load so quickly on someone so early on?
DJ Moore looks to thrive with Justin Fields this year, and will be the number one WR on the Bears.

Round 6-Jerry Jeudy

You’re always tempting fate with Russ’ cooking, as you’re more likely to get struck down by salmonella than a touchdown.
Jeudy has been safe hands over the past few years, and hopefully Russ can sling this young man some passes to lead the Broncos receiving corps.

Round 7-Dalvin Cook

Surprising that Dalvin Cook would still be open in the 7th round, but that’s a 10 person draft for you.
Cook is now a NY Jet, and if the team can put together an offensive line, they might have a playoff chance.
Cook is a steal in the 7th round.

Round 8-Christian Kirk

Things are getting crowded in the Jaguars receivers room, as Calvin Ridley is back to bet on his NFL future. Speedster Christian Kirk is a favourite target of Lawrence, and if Ridley starts to get a lot of looks, Kirk could find his way to single coverage touchdowns.

Round 9-Brandin Cooks

Everything is bigger in Texas, if Brandon Cooks gets his hands on it.
Cooks was a wasted talent in Houston, getting loads of fantasy points, but few wins.
Moving upstate to Dallas will see Cooks get plenty of looks from Dak, and could be the career boost he’s been looking for.

Round 10-Deshaun Watson

Rubbing the first QB out in the 10th round, we took Deshaun Watson-the top QB available at this point.
Watson didn’t look great last year, but has been a points machine in years past, so is he done?
Not bloody likely, as this could be the year the Browns sling some wins together.

Round 11-George Pickens

Pickens sure was fun to watch last year, even if his fantasy points left much to be desired.
George could benefit from a Steelers team that has a bit more direction this year, and way less Trubisky.

Round 12-Aaron Rodgers

With everyone going goo goo for Mahomes, Allen and Fields early on, don’t forget the value in a late round QB.
Snagging Rodgers at 12th is a pretty good deal for a future Hall of Famer.

Round 13-Chiefs D

With many of the good D’s gone, don’t forget, this is a 10 person league.
Even if everyone else grabs the top 9 defences in the league, you get the choice of the next 23.
It’s week by week, so don’t get bogged down with an early D. (that’s what she said)

Round 14-Greg Zuerlein

Greg the leg was available? He’s on the Jets now?
So many questions, but the reliability of old Zuerlein is a stabilising force on any fantasy team.

Round 15-Rashod Bateman

Normally we would leave the kicker to the last, but we thought the draft was done.
Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman was there, so we added him to the squad where he can sit on the bench, until that one week he scores loads of points, and you didn’t play him.

That’s it for this Mock Draft, what did you think?

If you’re interested in playing along in a Fantasy Draft this year, let us know.
We have our C League ready to be filled!