NFL in London

National Football League in London

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Week 12 Picks

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Hope you’ve all worked off that turkey fat, as we hit you with some more stuffing in our Week 12 Picks podcast.

We were offered up a cornucopia from the horn of plenty from the NFL on Thursday, as they served up 3 tasty matches not to mention the Black Friday game in Jersey.

Wade and Ryan look at the mid-week holiday games as well as look ahead to the Week 12 Picks that they have made across a mediocre slate of matches.

If you would like to listen to the podcast, and warm your cockles as the winter winds set in, or just share it with friends as you get wasted waiting for Sunday, here is the link for your thirsty ears.

Thanksgiving Games

First up was the Lions hosting the Packers, as Dan Campbell might have OD’d on energy drinks, as Detroit could not see straight in this game in a division loss. Kudos to Jordan Love, who finally is starting to look like a starting quarterback, and the Packers were able to flummox a hapless Jerod Goff to no end. Coach Dan made some thick-headed calls to ruin the chances for the Lions, and it really speaks to their comeback ability to not be able to rally at home on the big day.
Let’s blame Jack Harlow and his little igloo stage.
Dak and the Dallas Cowboys pumped the crap out of the Washington team in the second game, although the skins had a chance to make it a game. Despite Sam Howell’s efforts, Wash wasn’t able to convert at all, and the Cowboys D did the rest in another home win.
Are the Cowboys for real as a Super Bowl contender, we’ll see in the upcoming weeks.
The 49ers continued to romp on, as a bruised Christian McCaffrey for a nighter roll in a San Fran win against a limp Seattle Seahawks squad. Brock Purdy was good enough, as Seattle and Geno struggled to move the ball at all against a fierce pass rush. Both teams look to be on different trajectories.
Friday night lights brought us a Miami beatdown against a Jets team that it seems A-Aron can’t even save. Met Life took another career death as Raheem Mostert once again got raked by the bad grass they’re smoking in Jersey. Tyreek Hill was also smoking as he a made a show in New York in front of his blushing bride.

Sunday Picks

We have a smaller slate of games on Sunday, given that we had a turkey of four games already.
The best part about these Week 12 games is that most of them are horrible. Like double flush horrible, don’t come over here, a sewage pipe burst horrible.
So let’s wipe the bowl with some of the picks that the guys have lined up for Sunday Funday in our Week 12 Picks.

Ryan

Ryan is taking the Jaguars to win in a slight victory against the Texans, a Buccaneers upset against the Colts, the Giants to barely cover 3.5 against the Patriots, the Panthers to get their second win with a victory over the Titans, Steelers with a Bengals choke-out, and the Falcons get the pick ’em versus the Saints to reel out the early games.
In late and beyond, Ryan is taking the Cardinals to cover 2.5 against the Rams, Broncos in a low score over the Browns, the Bills to upset the Eagles, Chiefs in an easy cover over the Raiders, Ravens to roll-on off the bad Chargers, and the Bears with a big upset over the Vikings.

Wade

Wade likes the Jags in a revenge games over the Texans, the Colts to throw over the Bucs, Giants with an upset over the Patriots, Titans get a home cushion push over the Panthers, Steelers beat Bengals in a sleeper, Falcons over the Saints at home.
As for his late games, Wade is picking the Cardinals to barely cover a sluggish Rams game, Broncos win their sixth after beating the Browns, Bills barely cover and lose to the Eagles, Raiders cover 10 points on the Chiefs, Ravens peck at the rotting Chargers, and the Bears cover 3.5 at the Vikings.
Those are our Week 12 Picks, have a listen and a laugh and share on a cold winters day.

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!

Week 4 Picks

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Welcome to London NFL fans, as we discuss the Falcons Jaguars game in our Week 4 Picks podcast.

Wade and Ryan are excited to see the first NFL game of the European leg, and as the Ryder Cup has show us so far that Europe has its own winning ways.

A train and tube strike is threatening to chunk away a good selection of fans for this game sadly, so hopefully many of these late tickets will get scooped up.
All in all, it looks to be another consistent NFL London game, with low scoring and wide jersey dispersion.
The amazing UK fans more than make up for it all, and it will truly be a fun experience.

If you want to listen to the guys go off on their podcast, all you have to do is click this link here.

Among some of the games the guys look at in this episode includes:

Falcons (2-1) vs -3 Jaguars (1-2)  +43

It’s the first of the 2023 London NFL games as the Atlanta Falcons visit the home town Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley stadium.
Despite the fact that London has no signs that the NFL is in town, apparently this game is still going ahead.
Atlanta has looked limp in their run only offence, with Desmond Ridder either not living up to his potential, or not having as much as everyone thought.
Jacksonville has a had a struggling start to the season, no thanks to their offensive line which has seen Trevor Lawrence harassed more than he’s ever been.
Ryan thinks that this game will be another London stinker, with low points and even lower intensity.
Wade is also calling for a terribly low scoring game, as teams historically take time to adjust to being in the GMT.
Ryan-Jaguars 24 Falcons 17
Wade-Jaguars 18 Falcons 14

Dolphins (3-0) vs -2.5 Bills (2-1)  +53.5

Miami shocked the shakes out of the league last week by pounding the poor Broncos with 70 points, as they continue to load up on points. But they still haven’t face a really tough D up to this point.
Buffalo are favoured by 2.5 points against Miami? Many fans think this is an insult, given the Bills struggling in their first 2 games.
Ryan is big on his Bills, and likes the boys in Western New York to choke out the Dolphins with their fast front D.
Wade agrees with Ryan, and thinks that Miami will get a touch welcome from the Bills, who will finally give Tua that threat to his MMA training.
Ryan-Bills 31 Dolphins 27
Wade-Bills 30 Dolphins 26

Rams (1-2) vs -1 Colts (2-1)  +46.5

Los Angeles Rams took a tough loss to the Bengals in week 3, losing a few more defensive players in the process. Matt Stafford is playing with renewed confidence, thanks to some speedy new receivers who have stepped up.
The Colts are 2-1 with our Jonathan Taylor, and Matt Ryan. The last name isn’t as surprising, but the play of Anthony Richardson is. Back from injury, Richardson could thrive in fantasy points against an LA  team playing with only 4 days rest.
Ryan likes the Rams to take out the Colts here, with Matt Stafford finding some holes in this Indianapolis home team.
Wade likes Richardson to use his legs and find Pittman for a few scores, as he likes the Colts to dominate the poor, tired Rams.
Ryan-Rams 21 Colts 20
Wade-Colts 23 Rams 18
Among some of the other top picks that the guys look at in these Week 4 Picks include:

Ryan

  • Tampa Bay covers against the Saints
  • Bengals beat the Titans who cover
  • Seahawks beat the Giants

Wade

  • Texans upset the Steelers
  • Bears beat the Broncos
  • Patriots cover close against the Cowboys

That’s it for our Week 4 Picks podcast, make sure that you listen to the whole thing and share it with your friends.

To everyone attending the London game at Wembley stadium this Sunday, have fun! It looks like it will be a sunny day despite the slowdown in traffic.

 

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!