One of the top teams in the conference will square off with one of the worst as the Vegas Golden Knights battle it out with the San Jose Sharks. Let's take a look at our NHL odds series, where our Golden Knights-Sharks prediction and pick will be revealed for all betting fanatics to see. We will also tell you how to watch this Golden Knights-Sharks showdown.
Unfortunately, the Golden Knights saw their four-game winning streak come screeching to a halt as they were downed by the Edmonton Oilers at home by a score of 7-4. Nevertheless, this is still a team that has won eight of their last 10 meetings overall and are certainly trending in a positive direction as the postseason draws near.
As for the San Jose Sharks, they were surprisingly able to put together a solid showing in their 3-0 shutout victory over the playoff-worthy Winnipeg Jets. Believe it or not, not only did the triumphant victory snap a long and grueling nine-game losing skid, but it also served as their first shutout victory since Feb. 20.
Here are the Golden Knights-Sharks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Golden Knights-Sharks Odds
Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+134)
San Jose Sharks: +1.5 (-162)
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
How To Watch Golden Knights vs. Sharks
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 10:30 ET/7:30 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Golden Knights Could Cover The Spread
Despite boasting one of the top records in all of the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights haven't necessarily impressed when it has come to covering the spread this season. In fact, Vegas has posted a dead-even 37-37 record ATS throughout the regular season and have struggled to bury teams going away. Nevertheless, this is an extremely favorable matchup for the leaders out West, as the Golden Knights have all of the pieces to make life difficult for the Sharks.
To begin, Vegas loves to use their high-flying speed to their advantage in the goal-scoring department. As a whole, the Golden Knights average 3.27 goals per contests and tend to put up a plethora of shots on goal. Even if all else fails on the offensive end, Vegas can take solace in the fact that they can rely on Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephens to come up with some clutch plays down the stretch.
Since the Golden Knights will be going up against a Sharks squad that struggles mightily on the offensive side of the ice, this could end up being the perfect opportunity for the longtime King and now Vegas goalie in Jonathan Quick to have a bounce-back outing. His last time between the posts saw him surrender a whopping six goals on 34 shots in a blowout loss to Edmonton, so expect Quick to be locked in and focused on the task at hand, which is to shut down the Sharks and get back on track.
Why The Sharks Could Cover The Spread
Even though many “sports betting experts” aren't giving the Sharks much of a chance in this Western Conference bout taking place in the depths of San Jose, crazier things surely have happened in the crazy sport that is hockey. Bafflingly enough, crazy was exactly what occurred in San Jose's 3-0 defeat over Winnipeg on Tuesday, as the Sharks were able to overcome being outshot 41-30 by making the most out of all of their offensive possessions.
Believe it or not, but the biggest difference for the Sharks in coming out victorious was the fact that they were able to go 1/3 on the power-play attack, which ultimately ended up being the deciding factor. Of course, the Sharks remain one of the worst teams in the league in regards to their power-play efficiency, but even an uptick in production in this statistical department could end up giving Vegas a run for their money.
However, the most important aspect of this game that San Jose has to take advantage of will be to continue to make goalie James Reiner comfortable after he was able to post his third shutout of the season and the 28th of his career. Clearly, Reiner was feeling himself on Tuesday, but it will all be for naught if the Sharks don't play fundamentally sound on defense. Alas, if San Jose allows uncontested straight lines for the Golden Knights to navigate and skate through, it will prove to be a tough task for Reiner to be at his best.
Final Golden Knights-Sharks Prediction & Pick
Try not to think too hard about this matchup, as the Sharks have only won twice in their previous 15 games and have shockingly only posted seven victories on their home ice this season. Given the fact that Vegas is still trying to hold off the Kings and Oilers for the division lead, the Golden Knights should dig deep and find a way to cover the spread later this evening.
Final Golden Knights-Sharks Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 (+134)
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