NFL: Four underdogs who could cause an upset this season

The NFL preseason is finally back underway, with the Las Vegas Raiders beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-11 in the annual Hall of Fame Game to get new head coach Josh McDaniels’ tenure off to a winning start, and excitement is quickly growing for the regular season which starts with the Vince Lombardi Trophy holders the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Buffalo Bills at the SoFiStadium on September 9th.

While those two franchises are good options to win the Super Bowl if you’re looking for something of value to spend your Betfair welcome offer bet 10 get 30 on, there are several sides that could cause upsets this season. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at four franchises who might surprise a few in the 2022 campaign  not by necessarily winning Super Bowl LVII, but by exceeding expectations. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Speaking of the Raiders, they make our underdog list. Despite bringing in McDaniels from the New England Patriots, where he served as offensive coordinator since 2012, and one of the best wide receivers in the sport Devante Adams, the Raiders are tipped to finish bottom of the AFC West. 

The Vegas-based franchise finished second to their rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, to make the playoffs last season, and although both the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos have both improved this offseason as well, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Raiders up there behind the Chiefs again this year. 

Minnesota Vikings

After two years of missing the playoffs, finishing 7-9 and 8-9, the Minnesota Vikings could be one of the most improved franchises going into this season. Mike Zimmer was fired after eight years as the Vikings’ head coach and former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell has come in in his place.

With a good offensive line that includes quarterback Kirk Cousins and WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and some much-needed improvements to a defense that ranked 30th last year, the Vikings look to be on the up and are being backed as second favorites in the NFC North. 

 

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins sent shockwaves through the NFL when they made the pre-draft trade for Tyreek Hill giving the Chiefs first-, second- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft and fourth– and sixth-round picks in next year’s for one of the best wide receivers in the game.

It’s a big gamble to give away so many picks, but Hill offers such a threat to the Dolphins’ previously poor offensive line and he could help improve the promising Tua Tagovailoa as he goes into his third year. New head coach Mike McDaniel is arguably another risky move by the Dolphins, but they could grab second over the Patriots in the AFC East.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

Another franchise that reached the playoffs last season, the Philadelphia Eagles finished second to the Dallas Cowboys (9-8) before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-15 in the Wild Card playoffs. 

The NFC East is looking like one of the worst divisions this coming season and an Eagles side on the rise could take full advantage. Jalen Hurts, going into his third year, appears to be improving season-on-season and with the arrival of A.J. Brown alongside DeVonta Smith, the 24-year-old has two good targets. 

 

Traveling To Different NFL Stadiums

 

The NFL regular season is not far away, and football fans are already planning to go away and spend money on their favorite NFL teams in 2022. They will also go see training camp and see who can potentially make the roster before the games begin. Football is everyone’s favorite season, no matter how hot or how cold it is outside.

 

There are so many different venues to check out during the regular season. Vegas NFL odds are out for the upcoming 2022 season. Where are some of the stadiums you can spend your money at this season?

 

Allegiant Stadium

Allegiant Stadium is home to the Las Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is recently a brand new stadium, and they will be hosting the Super Bowl in a few years. The Raiders will have a very good team to field this season. Derek Carr is the quarterback for this football team.

 

On BET US, the Las Vegas Raiders don’t have very high odds to win the Super Bowl this season because they play in such a very tough AFC West Division. Outside of football, a lot of people go to Las Vegas, Nevada, to go gamble at casinos and go to other nightclubs. It is one of the liveliest places in the United States of America.

As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. This destination feels like it is on everyone’s bucket list in their lifetime, though.

 

Soldier Field

Soldier Field is home to the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago has always been a football town, no matter how good or how bad this football team is. They are one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire NFL. It is also known as the Windy City.

 

The Bears have very low odds on BET US to win the Super Bowl this season because they are going through a rebuild. Quarterback Justin Fields will be in his second season, and a lot of fans will want to see him play and see how he develops in his second year with the football team.

 

Chicago has tons of different destinations to check out. The Bean is one of the cool places to check out in Chicago, Illinois. One of the best games to check out in the area is when the Green Bay Packers always come to town. It is one of the most historic rivalries in the entire NFL.

 

M & T Bank Stadium

M & T Bank Stadium is home to the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens play in downtown Baltimore, and it is literally right next door to Camden Yards, which is home to the Baltimore Orioles in the MLB.

 

Not far from the stadium are different hotels and the inner harbor. It is exactly not near the greatest of neighborhoods, but tailgating on GameDay is a fun experience for everyone, though. This is one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire NFL.

 

It is also right near I-95 and is a very good location, but traffic can sometimes be a problem, especially when entering and leaving the stadium.

 

Heinz Field

Heinz Field is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In every home game, they have a great tailgate and also waive their terrible towels in the stands. These fans will travel all over the world no matter where they are playing. There are always Pittsburgh Steelers fans everywhere.

 

This football stadium is right near the Three Rivers Casino and other museums in the area. Across the river is PPG Paints Arena, which is home to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, and also near Heinz Field is PNC Park, which is home to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

It is always a cool experience to check out a football game here. They are the most friendly fanbases in all of the sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the most iconic franchises in NFL history, though.

Looking back at West Ham United’s fairy-tale Europa League run

After such a fantastic journey, West Ham United’s dreams of winning the Europa League faded and died in Germany. In a game marred by controversies rather than feel-good stories, the Hammers were sent packing by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt  who won 3-1 on aggregate across the two legs of their semi-final encounter.  

Confidence was so high amongst the club’s passionate fanbase that the majority of east Londoners had already booked their flights and accommodation for the final in Seville on May 18th, but after coming up short against Frankfurt, they have been left flogging their boarding passes and hotel rooms to Rangers fans  who have stolen their dream after upsetting the football betting odds to knockout RB Leipzig. 

Indeed, David Moyes and his players lost their heads somewhat as their pretty bubble finally burst at the intimidating Waldstadion  with the Scottish manager narrowly missing a ballboy after volleying a football at him, while Declan Rice embarrassingly accused the referee of matchfixing. 

The run was still admirable from the Hammers, nonetheless  and one they should be proud of. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look back at the highs and lows of West Ham’s fairy-tale run. 

 

Group stage

Drawn in Group H with Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Viennaand Genk, Moyes’ side got off to a flying start  winning all of their opening three games, with 2-0 wins over Zagreb and Vienna before a 3-0 victory over Genk at the London Stadium. 

They dropped points for the first time in the return fixture against the Belgian side, drawing 2-2 with Genk. But it was enough to seal their place in the knockout rounds, and a second 2-0 win over Vienna secured top spot. 

West Ham lost 1-0 to Zagreb in their final game of the group. 

 

Round of 16

Finishing top of Group H meant the Hammers got a bye to the Round of 16, but a tough opponent in the form of six-time Europa League winners Sevilla awaited them and 1-0 defeat at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, thanks to an avoidable goal from Munir, meant they had their work cut out in London. 

Tomáš Souček’s header pulled West Ham level just before halftime at the London Stadium, and there was nothing else to separate the two sides as extra-time beckoned. Andriy Yarmolenko was the hero in the additional 30 minutes, sending West Ham through with a 112th-minute strike. 

 

Quarterfinal

Ligue 1 side Lyon was West Ham’s quarterfinal opponent, and Aaron Cresswell made life difficult for Moyes’ side in the first leg  being sent off at the London Stadium for a professional foul on the brink of halftime. 

Jarrod Bowen gave the 10-men Hammers the lead early in the second half before they were pegged back by Tottenham Hotspur loanee Tanguy Ndombélé as the game ended 1-1 in the English capital.

After a tense first leg, the Hammers eased past the French side at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Craig Dawson and Rice had all but secured their progression to the last four with late goals in the first half, and Bowen sealed their fate when he made it 4-1 on aggregate just three minutes into the second 45. 

Semi-final

With their dream of reaching the final on the horizon, West Ham fell at the final hurdle in the semi-finals. 20-year-old Ansgar Knauff got Frankfurt off to the perfect start in London, heading home in the first minute.

Michail Antonio bundled in an equalizer 20 minutes later, but Daichi Kamada restored the German side’s advantage in the second half  taking a 2-1 lead back to the Waldstadion

Cresswell was sent off 17 minutes into the second leg after pulling back Jens Petter Hauge, and this time West Ham paid the price. Rafael Borré scored for Frankfurt 10 minutes later and it always looked unlikely from there that the Hammers would get anything from the game. 

Can West Ham United achieve Europa League glory?

In years gone by, supporting West Ham United must have felt like Groundhog Day — hit the ground running, inevitably dip off in form, overpay for a foreign midfielder and repeat. However, the last couple of seasons must have been a breath of fresh air in east London, with the Irons demonstrating more consistency under David Moyes and after their best ever finish to a Premier League campaign 12 months ago, find themselves on the cusp of Europa League glory.

Few would have expected West Ham to do as well as they have in Europe’s secondary competition. The fatigue bought on by the additional games combined with the travelling to foreign lands could well have formed a recipe for disaster, and while the proverbial ‘European hangover’ may have compromised their pursuit of the top four, Moyes and co. have still managed to juggle things domestically, albeit with a few games to go. Now they approach the semi-finals with every hope they can win their first major tournament for 40 years.

The football tips still have RB Leipzig as favourites to go all the way in Seville next month, but if Rangers can pull off a minor miracle and upset the Bundesliga outfit, it will put West Ham in a much stronger position. Their hopes of returning to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium — having already played there against Sevilla earlier this season — also rely on a result against German opposition. They face Eintracht Frankfurt who may have struggled in the league so far under Oliver Glasner, currently in 10th, but showed their resilience after beating Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

The trip to the Waldstadion will feel like a bearpit atmosphere, something that is becoming familiar to West Ham with each passing win in Europe. However, the last round appeared to be more routine than usual. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Lyon were unable to cope under the pressure of home advantage, with Craig Dawson’s opener quickly followed up by a second blow via Declan Rice just before half time. Without any time to settle, the French outfit found themselves 3-0 down when Jarrod Bowen put his side into the next round for an emphatic 3-0 win.

The relief was there for all to see and none more so than for Aaron Cresswell. Despite a controversial red card in the first leg, the left-back was in good spirits and is relishing the chance of having something to play for come the end of the season. “I was there with the boys in Lyon supporting them and it was an incredible, incredible night to be in amongst it all with the lads,” he said.

“What a night for the Club, for the fans who have been with us for years while we were fighting relegation, I’m sure they’ll be delighted to see us in the quarter-finals, knocking Lyon out 3-0 in their ground. It was just unbelievable and now there’s a semi-final to come. Bring it on.

“There have been a lot of games coming thick and fast in the last few weeks. We’ve got a normal week this week – a day off on Monday, so we’ll rest up and return fully focused come Tuesday.”

It’s testament to the dressing room Moyes has built since his second spell at the London Stadium. There appears to be no egos and the team spirit is something Irons fans will be thrilled at seeing. From their captain Mark Noble enjoying his swansong with the occasional sporadic appearance, the joy in seeing Michail Antonio find the back of the net and celebrate with his own cardboard cut-out, the next step will be keeping this side together. And if they do win the Europa League then the extra incentive of Champions League football will surely be enough to ensure they keep hold of their star players, with Rice and Bowen being linked with moves away.

To The Boyfriend Who Forgets I Exist Once Football Season Starts

Dear Boyfriend,

This madness has gone on for far too long.

It’s not that I don’t get it. I watched Friday Night Lights – I’m fully aware of how emotional football can get…if you’re only following one team.

It’s not like that for you. For you, it’s an obsession that rivals my incessant Facebook-checking. At least when I’m on Facebook I look at you every once in a while.

Come August, I start to see the talons of Football season creeping up your back, placing its bony hand on your shoulder. I’ve got him now it seems to whisper. Nothing you can do about it.

And it’s right, there really isn’t. It seems that between high school, college, pro, and (gasp) fantasy football, you’re busier than a mosquito at a nudist colony.

It’s not so much the fact that you’re a man in demand, it’s that even when you’re here, you’re gone. I could wave a hand in front of your face and you won’t notice. Poof. Finished! Out to lunch. It’s about The Game and The Game only, for the better part of the next five months.

Sometimes I think you’ve snapped out of it, that you’ve realized it’s JUST a game and I am, in fact, a woman sitting in your general vicinity. You gaze over with glazed eyes and say, “Babe, will you grab me a beer?”

It’s just the commercial break. Le Sigh.

Sometimes I attempt to get into it, in the hopes that one day the clouds will part and I’ll finally understand football enough to like it. I’ll then develop my own obsession to make you jealous. No matter how often you explain it, though – I get distracted by all of the hot men in tight pants running around and I forget what you taught me. Balls.

At least when we’re staying in I can busy myself with other things, but when we go to a bar, you totally space as well – so then it’s just like I’m alone at a bar. Suddenly I went from “having a lovely afternoon” to “ having a drinking problem”.

And then there are the mood swings. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells, if, God forbid, one of your teams should lose.

The game’s finally over and you’re a mopey, irritable mess. You can’t even blame it on hormones.

You won’t shut up about it for at least an hour afterward, and it’s not even a real-life event. The worst part of it is, there’s nothing I can say other than, “Oh man. Maybe next time!”

I could make some sh*t up like Yeah, that ref was a total d*ck, and Henderson should go back to the minors or whatever, but I’d really only be amusing myself.

I put in long, hard hours waiting for you to return to the land of the living. Can’t you snap out of it so we can go out? Otherwise i may just take myself out on a date. I deserve a good time.

I think the best thing for me to do is to leave a wax replica of me next to you for a few months while I actually enjoy the fall season. Hit me up around Groundhog Day- at least there will be people to talk to at one of the Superbowl parties.

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9 Grilling Hacks for Game Day

Looking for a good grilling hack? How about nine of them? What goes better with football than grilling? Whether you’re planning a tailgate party or kicking it at home for game day, you can create a memorable barbecue for family and friends. You just need to have your Grill FAQs in order to make it all work perfectly.

Before you fire up the barbecue, review these tips to create the perfect bash. You don’t want to run out of propane before the hotdogs are ready or accidentally hand your friend an uncooked burger. With a little creativity, you can eat great and enjoy time with your guests.

Consider the following 9 tips!

1. Check Your Propane Levels

Your chicken breasts are just starting to turn white… and then your tank runs dry while they’re still pink in the middle. Avoid this pesky problem with this grilling hack. Try to check the propane levels before game day.

Pour a bucket of hot water over your propane tank. It will feel cold to the touch where propane remains and warm where it’s empty. You have the power to test your levels in the palm of your hand.

2. Follow Food Safety Rules

If you’ve never worked in a restaurant, brush up on your food safety rules. This grilling hack is important. Keep vegetables and side dishes stored in a separate cooler from your meats if you’re tailgating. Marinate meat in the refrigerator, never on the countertop. When cooking ground beef, make it at least medium-well.

Keep all food preparation surfaces clean by wiping them down regularly. If you’re heading to the stadium, take an empty laundry container filled with a solution of clear dish soap and water. Use this to disinfect where you prep — and to wash your hands.

3. Lightly Boil Sausage Before Cooking

Do your sausages char on the ends while they’re pink in the middle? Because pork is dense, you need to boil or poach these meats before grilling them lightly. This process helps reduce the fat content as well as makes them cook more evenly.

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