Subscribe
Follow Us
The Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks have the potential to become an intriguing rivalry with their young rosters. Both teams will enter their primes concurrently, and the league's playoff format offers a chance to face off more often in the postseason. The Ducks and Sharks could become the Western Conference's version of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers rivalry that we've had over the past few seasons. This game will be the Ducks' first glimpse at Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a prediction and pick for Ducks-Sharks.
Here are the Ducks-Sharks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Ducks-Sharks Odds
Anaheim Ducks: -1.5 (+198)
Moneyline: -126
San Jose Sharks: +1.5 (-245)
Moneyline: +105
Over: 6.5 (+100)
Under: 6.5 (-122)
How To Watch Ducks vs. Sharks
Time: 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports California
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Article Continues Below
Why the Ducks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Ducks have been eager to start their season, but the schedule makers forced them to wait until Saturday night. The Ducks begin their season with a date against their California rival Sharks, which could be the beginning of a long road in this battle. Anaheim has one of the best young defense cores in the league, led by former Defensemen of the Year in each of the three Canadian Hockey Leagues. The Sharks will counter with plenty of young offensive talent which should create some exciting matchups in the regular season and playoffs.
Why the Sharks Could Cover the Spread/Win
Macklin Celebrini was this year's first overall pick and showed plenty of potential last season with Boston University. He was a rare freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player and turned pro instead of returning to defend his title. Will Smith joined Celebrini in the NHL, which gave the Sharks an intriguing one-two punch down the middle of the ice. We expected some growing pains for the young forwards, but Celebrini made an immediate impact with two points in his debut.
Final Ducks-Sharks Prediction & Pick
The Ducks' defense didn't improve much in the offseason, and their young core will still need some extra time before they begin dominating the Western Conference. Lukas Dostal emerged as the Ducks' future starter and will get the nod in this game thanks to an appendectomy for John Gibson. Gibson was the front-runner for the start if he had been healthy to start the year. Dostal had a good 2023-24, recording a .902 save percentage despite a 3.33 goals-against average.
MacKenzie Blackwood had a great start to the season, shutting down the St. Louis Blues in the first two periods of the opener. However, Blackwood allowed four unanswered goals in the third period and overtime. Blackwood's struggles will open the door for Vitek Vanecek to make his season debut in this game, which might not be any better than the alternative. Vanecek had a 3.18 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage in 32 games with the New Jersey Devils last season, which is why he is in San Jose this season instead of back with New Jersey.
This game features plenty of young offensive talent and not much defense. It's a perfect recipe for a high-scoring game with plenty of mistakes. If both teams can capitalize on their opponents' gifts and break free for scoring opportunities, this game should get over the 6.5 total.
Final Ducks-Sharks Prediction & Pick: Over 6.5 (+100)
