Sticks & Stacks

With the NHL’s trade deadline roughly 72 hours away, host Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) looks at three games with teams that are pushing their chips into the middle of the table for a Stanley Cup run. Shawn starts in Calgary, where the Flames added Tyler Toffoli last month and Calle Jarnkrok this week already. Those rested Flames host a Buffalo Sabres team that was blown out in Edmonton the night before; a recipe for disaster so obvious that it’s difficult to find opportunities that make sense for the better. Fortunately, Shawn thinks there’s a player who will cash in tonight, and can help you do so, too. The Florida Panthers, the presumed leader in the Claude Giroux pursuit, have even more reason to get a deal done after the Lightning acquired Brandon Hagel from Chicago earlier in the day. The Panthers are in Anaheim tonight, one night after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights, who broke their five-game losing streak by beating the Eastern Conference’s best. It’s the second night of a road back-to-back for Florida, but the need for a win against the Ducks tonight is obvious; Shawn decides to buck the trend and pick the more tired team, but he thinks that their vaunted goal-scoring output is likely to be affected. The nightcap on Friday happens in San Jose, where the all-but-eliminated Sharks host a Colorado Avalanche team that’s on track for its second straight President’s Trophy after adding defender Josh Manson and forward Nico Sturm – who’s expected to make his Avalanche debut tonight. The Sharks were blanked by Los Angeles last night, while a rested Avalanche team looks to pounce. Colorado’s also in pursuit of Giroux, but it’s not likely that they’d need him tonight. Take a quick trip around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

On a loaded St. Patrick’s Day, host Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) tunes into the latest part of the schedule for three games in the wee hours. First up is the Detroit Red Wings and the Vancouver Canucks, which pits a rebuilding Detroit squad against a Canucks team that could take hold of the final wild-card spot in the West with a win tonight. The Canucks have to decide whether or not to deal J.T. Miller at Monday’s trade deadline, but Shawn thinks he’ll make the decision even more difficult by showing out this evening. Next up is a California Pacific Division battle in Los Angeles for the Kings and the visiting San Jose Sharks – who just re-signed star Tomas Hertl, taking him off many teams’ trade lists – but the Sharks still find themselves fading from playoff contention, while the Kings want to hold on to their second-place standing in the division as the race tightens. Even though the Sharks have won all three of the season’s matchups between the two teams, Shawn thinks there are reasons why the season sweep may not be in the cards. Cards are what’s in play in Las Vegas, both on the casino tables and on the ice, where the Golden Knights have lost five straight and hold on to the West’s final wild-card spot by their fingernails. Shawn doesn’t think the losing streak will stop tonight, though… not with the dominant Florida Panthers coming to town. Take a quick trip around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

Hosts Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) go through three games with only slight favorites, looking to find value in what looks to be an assortment of tight, Friday night games. The New Jersey Devils (43 points) visit the New York Rangers (73 points), but despite the vast difference in the standings, the Rangers aren’t heavily favored. Why? It’s likely due to the fact that the Devils’ offense has caught fire, scoring a whopping 21 goals in their last four games. The Dallas Stars (63 points) travel to Winnipeg to meet the Jets (57 points), with both teams in hot pursuit of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. It’s all but a four-point game for Winnipeg, which needs this game to continue gaining ground. Shawn thinks the goaltenders will keep the scoring low. Finally, the suddenly very wobbly Vegas Golden Knights (64 points) go into Anaheim to face the youthful Ducks (61 points), and both Nate and Shawn think that youth will be served. Take a quick trip around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

From matchups with serious stakes to ones that barely matter, the three games that hosts Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) investigate run the gamut, and might require a little creativity to get the most out of them. They start in Tampa Bay, where the favored Lightning host the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have slowly but surely climbed their way up the Eastern Conference standings. Nate says to expect fireworks in this one, and while Shawn agrees, he suggests that the fuse might be slow to burn. The Philadelphia Flyers are playing out the string, soon to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. The Minnesota Wild currently hold a playoff spot out West, but they come into Philly losers of their last four games. Nate and Shawn think Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild’s luck are about to change. Finally, they turn their attention to the desert, where the league-best Colorado Avalanche (84 points) visit the league-worst Arizona Coyotes (32 points) as a comically heavy favorite. Surprisingly, though, the Coyotes have played the Avalanche tough this season – is there are opportunity for a huge surprise tonight? Take a quick trip with Shawn and Nate around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

A hockey team doesn’t have to be good on the ice to present you with good opportunities. Hosts Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) look at three games with potential… even if some of the teams in them don’t have much left this season. The 18-28-5 New Jersey Devils and the 18-26-8 Chicago Blackhawks both face long odds to reach the postseason, but when two bad teams come together, sometimes fireworks can break out. Nate and Shawn find themselves on opposite sides, but find a meeting in the middle, as well. In Colorado, the league-best Avalanche return star center Nathan MacKinnon to their lineup just in time to host the visiting Winnipeg Jets; finding an opportunity to bet the heavy favorite is tricky, but our hosts have a couple of ideas about how to do it. That comes in handy for the final matchup, when the Vegas Golden Knights travel to the desert to face the woebegone Arizona Coyotes, where Shawn and Nate put together a few parlays to tie things all together. Take a quick trip with Shawn and Nate around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

Hosts Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) focus their lens on some of the league’s highest scoring teams and players, and decide that the NHL’s goaltenders are in for one heck of a night. In Toronto. Kirill Kaprizov leads the Minnesota Wild against Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs. Kaprizov (23 goals, 39 assists) and Matthews (34/28) are tied for the sixth spot in the NHL in scoring, and when the two teams last played, they combined for seven goals in an overtime win for the Wild. While the Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t a high-scoring bunch, their opponents, the Florida Panthers, certainly are. Led by Jonathan Huberdeau – only one point out of the league lead with 72 – the Panthers are the only team in the NHL averaging more than four goals per game, leading to their status as heavy favorites. Nate and Shawn figure out how to carve out a potential bargain in what appears to be a one-sided matchup. Finally, the pair look at a high-stakes Central Division matchup as the Nashville Predators host the Dallas Stars. The Preds are trying to hold onto the top wild-card spot out West, while the Stars are only a single point out of claiming the final one... but could the Stars’ overtime win last night keep them from competing in the Music City tonight? Take a quick trip with Shawn and Nate around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

It's a light slate in the NHL tonight, but Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) still have a handful of picks for you on today's edition of the podcast. Nashville and Carolina get things started as the Predators have not looked good since coming out of the All Star Break. Then the late night matchup between the LA Kings and Vegas Golden Knights should see plenty of scoring and that gives a couple of opportunities to place your bets. With the NBA on its All Star Break, let's see if we can light the lamp and put some cash in our pockets on "Sticks and Stacks".

On a Wednesday night that’s light on games but heavy on star-power, hosts Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) first check out a Central Division matchup between the Minnesota Wild and the Winnipeg Jets, where Nate thinks the Wild’s overall talent and recent hot play is too much to ignore, but Shawn thinks that Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck is ready to stand on his head at home. Next up is a pair of nationally-televised games featuring four of the league’s best teams, starting with Florida’s visit to Carolina, where Nate and Shawn disagree on the outcome of the Panthers and Hurricanes – while both admitting that it could go either way. The same can be said in Vegas, where the Golden Knights host the team they bounced from the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche’s firepower – especially now that Nathan MacKinnon’s back in the fold – might be too much for Knights backup goalie Laurent Brossoit, even on the second night of a back-to-back… but Vegas seems to have Colorado’s number in a town where the odds rule everything. Take a quick trip with Shawn and Nate around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

Reporting from "Radio Row" at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles, guest host Nate Lundy (@natelundy) joins host Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) to discuss a pair of games featuring contenders from each conference. The Toronto Maple Leafs take one of the league’s best road records into Calgary to face the Flames, who have a four-game winning streak at home, fresh off of thumping the Vegas Golden Knights the night before. Will the second night of a back-to-back (and a lot of Toronto’s Auston Matthews) derail Johnny Gaudreau and the Flames, or will they continue their rapid climb in the Pacific Division standings? Over in Colorado, the Avalanche haven’t lost a home game in regulation in more than three months (really!), but they did fall in a shootout loss to Arizona just prior to the All-Star break. Superstar Center Nathan MacKinnon isn’t yet back for the Avs, but they still have more than enough firepower to topple most teams. Of course, most teams don’t have the best goaltender on the planet in net – but the Tampa Bay Lightning do. Andrei Vasilevskiy’s been wobbly of late, however – can the Lightning do enough to keep pace with Florida in the Atlantic Division, or will Colorado extend its league-largest lead in the Central? Take a quick trip with Shawn and Nate around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"

Hosts Shawn Drotar (@sdrotar) and Nate Lundy (@natelundy) look at All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, with betting tips for all of the skills competitions – picking only one favorite – and an apt comparison to a roulette wheel. The two look at a prop bet about when Sidney Crosby will reach the 500-goal mark, and why the Colorado Avalanche are still a value, even as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup! Take a quick trip with Shawn and Nate around the hockey betting and DFS world with "Sticks & Stacks!"