The NFL heads to this side of the pond for the first time this season on Sunday, as the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders meet at Wembley.
It’s the 12th season of the NFL in London, and the appetite for American Football continues to grow, with a further two matches later this month.
Our NFL betting expert has taken a look at the best bets to help you win big at Wembley.
Expect high scores at the home of football
There have been 424 touchdowns and 3,739 points scored so far in the first five weeks of the 2018 NFL season – both records for this amount of games.
While Wembley’s last event saw Tottenham labour to a 1-0 win over Cardiff last Saturday, it’s safe to say the scores will be a little higher this time around.
Last year’s four London matches saw some big points tallies, with an average of 38.25 points scored across the games.
The two teams involved on Sunday, the Seahawks and the Raiders, have been racking up some big scores this year, and in Russell Wilson and Derek Carr, both outfits have quarterbacks who can regularly find the endzone.
With conditions set fair, I think we can see another high scorer at this one, and suggest backing over 50.5 points at 6/4 with Grosvenorsport.com.
Raiders hoping to find form
The Raiders have made an inauspicious start to the season, winning just once – an overtime victory over a Browns team who had won just once in 20 games before then.
Oakland’s offence isn’t the issue – Carr sits in the top six for passing yards, and Marshawn Lynch is always a threat running the ball, but their defence has left a lot to be desired.
Their defence has struggled badly ever since trading pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Bears – only one Oakland player is in the top 100 for tackles and assists, showing how easy opposition have found it to work their way through the Raiders line.
They fell to a 26-10 defeat at the Chargers last time out, though will be hoping for a better result on their second visit to London, where they also lost to the Dolphins in 2014.
The Raiders are 6/5 here.
London calling for Seattle
This is the first time the Seahawks franchise has played in the NFL International series, and Pete Carroll’s men will be hoping to make it a winning start on their first trip to London.
The 2013 Super Bowl champions have had a mixed start to the 2018 season, on the back of failing to make the playoffs last term for the first time since 2011.
Seattle are 2-3 from their first five, including a final-quarter defeat to the Rams at home last week. They’ll be hoping for more consistency as they try and get their season back on track.
I think they can do it – Raiders look like they’re really going to struggle this season, and the Seahawks could be well placed to pile on the misery.
Back a Seattle win at 4/6.
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