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Thanks to a relatively quiet season, the Vegas Golden Knights haven't been getting the usual headlines. However, a quick look at the standings during the holiday break will show that they are impeccably 21-8-3 and sit comfortably on top of the Pacific Division Standings. The San Jose Sharks sit at the opposite end of the spectrum, owning an 11-19-6 record and sitting dead last in the Pacific Division. The teams played once this season, back in October, with the Golden Knights defeating the Sharks 7-3. Vegas has also won five straight against San Jose and seven of their last ten. Two of San Jose's three wins have been in overtime or a shootout. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Golden Knights-Sharks prediction and pick.
Here are the Golden Knights-Sharks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Golden Knights-Sharks Odds
Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+105)
Moneyline: -245
San Jose Sharks: +1.5 (-125)
Moneyline: +200
Over: 6 (-125)
Under: 6 (+105)
How To Watch Golden Knights vs. Sharks
Time: 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports California, SCRIPPS
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Why the Golden Knights Could Cover the Spread/Win
After a couple of years' stretch, it has been a drama-free regular season compared to Vegas, which is always in the headlines for off-ice things like trades or salary cap circumvention. However, the players reacted well to being out of the spotlight and hit their stride before the holiday break when they won eight of ten games. Vegas ran a gauntlet and passed with flying colors as they defeated teams like the Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers. The Golden Knights beating all these fellow playoff teams over a ten-game stretch should do everything for their confidence and show the rest of the league they aren't having a regression, as some wanted to say.
Why the Sharks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Sharks have to like their spot, regardless of their record or place in the standings. San Jose was in the hunt in every game leading up to the holiday break but lost eight of nine. Usually, that kind of stretch would be crippling to a team's chances and their confidence, but the Sharks want one more year of securing a top draft pick. The good news is that San Jose's young offensive players are firing on all cylinders. Macklin Celebrini looks like a future superstar, and now their goaltender of the future, Yaroslav Askarov, is getting some reps at the NHL level. Mike Grier would never admit it, but the Sharks losing nearly every game while looking one or two pieces away from turning those losses into wins is precisely what he wants to see.
The Sharks have been underdogs in nearly every game this season, so their against-the-spread record shows us something important. They are one of the league's most profitable teams for bettors, with a 26-11 record ATS. This record shows that, apart from their 11 victories, there were 15 other games in which teams couldn't add the second goal to cover the -1.5 line. As we mentioned, the Sharks are just a goal away almost every game from turning their overall record upside-down.
Final Golden Knights-Sharks Prediction & Pick
The Golden Knights look unstoppable this season, and we usually try to avoid laying this much juice. However, the Sharks' ability to keep games close and the unpredictability of two teams coming out of a short lay-off will make us side with the moneyline option for the Golden Knights in this matchup.
Final Golden Knights-Sharks Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights ML (-245)
