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The San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning may not have seemed like a must-watch matchup before this season started. However, this game could be an offensive explosion, given San Jose's recent results and Tampa Bay's desire to string together some victories. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Sharks-Lightning prediction and pick.
Here are the Sharks-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Sharks-Lightning Odds
San Jose Sharks: +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +225
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -275
Over: 6.5 (+100)
Under: 6.5 (-120)
How To Watch Sharks vs. Lightning
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: Fanduel Sports Network, NBC Sports California
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Sharks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Sharks had been a team over the past few seasons that you'd avoid when they were on television if you weren't a fan. However, with the help of Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, the Sharks are now one of the more intriguing teams in the league. They still have a losing record this season, but they have been getting better and have now won three consecutive games. San Jose dominated a home-and-home against the Seattle Kraken to start the stretch, winning by a combined 12-7 score, and then outlasted the Washington Capitals with a 2-1 overtime victory. The Sharks are showing they can win in many different ways, but their offense has been a catalyst. Over their last five games, they have four wins, two of which came with 7+ goal performances.
The Sharks will take the goaltending performances they have been getting from Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek. It could be surprising relative to their preseason predictions, but the netminders have stepped up. They have a combined 3.32 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage, which is enough to secure wins when the Sharks' offense is performing like they are.
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
A scheduled break came at the perfect time for the Lightning, as they had lost four of their past six games, including crucial losses against other Eastern Conference contenders, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals. The Lightning had a four-day break after the Leafs' loss, which gave them a chance to recharge and figure out a way to get back into a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Lightning's offense has been doing enough to make the team successful, which makes their record and place in the standings even more challenging to accept. Tampa Bay averages 3.74 goals per game this season and should get an opportunity to add to that in this game. The Sharks have been giving up plenty of opportunities, averaging 32.04 shots allowed per game, and it's only a matter of time before Blackwood and Vanecek start to falter.
The Sharks' young offense has been rolling lately, but they could get taught a lesson on Thursday night when they have to face Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy may not be at the peak of his career like when Tampa Bay was winning their Stanley Cups, but he still has a 2.50 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage this season. It has been a difficult stretch for the Lightning's superstar goaltender, which will continue if he doesn't get things dialed back in. However, Tampa Bay's last game was on Saturday, so the extra time off could be what the Lightning needed.
Final Sharks-Lightning Prediction & Pick
Vasilevskiy has allowed 4+ goals in three of his past four starts, while the Sharks have scored 24 goals in their past five games. This matchup could see an exciting offensive game, and we'll look at the Lightning's result against the Columbus Blue Jackets quite a few games ago when they lost 7-6 in overtime. It feels like this game could follow the same script.
Final Sharks-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Over 6.5 (+100)
