Canucks vs. Sharks Odds
| Canucks Odds | -205 |
| Sharks Odds | +168 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +104 / -128 |
After an impressive win at home, the Vancouver Canucks head to the Bay Area to face the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks have been red hot as of late and have won four out of their last five games.
The Sharks managed to go winless for the entire month of October and scored only four times in six games. It’s been hard to find a more offensively inept team than San Jose right now.
Here’s a look at the odds, as well as my betting prediction and pick for Thursday's NHL matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are finally performing to their potential. The team has responded well to coach Rick Tocchet’s first full season in Vancouver. Elias Pettersson has lit it up with 16 points in nine games, while J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser are all averaging over a point per game as well.
Even though the Canucks have created a ton of opportunities, their even-strength play has been subpar. They don’t generate a ton of High-Danger Chances and play only to a 45.04 xGF% (Expected Goals For). Defensively, the goaltending has saved their bacon a lot, as they’re 22nd with a 2.78 xGA/60.
The power play has been the biggest source of offensive success, as Vancouver scores at a 26.67% rate, which is sixth-best in the league. The penalty kill, however, could use some tweaking as it is only succeeding 77% of the time.
Goaltending has been a major strength for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko has played exceptionally, and Casey DeSmith was a solid acquisition as a backup.
Since their opponents have continuously gotten brutalized, I’d expect DeSmith to start. He’s playing to a .914 Save Percentage and a +1.3 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx).
San Jose Sharks
As I’ve stated before, the Sharks are a total mess this year and already have eyes on the draft lottery. Their leading scorers are Filip Zadina and Fabian Zetterlund with only two goals each. Tomas Hertl is the lead playmaker with four assists. They have some young and promising talent in William Eklund and Alex Barabanov.
Along with their winless record, the Sharks are the worst on both the offensive and defensive end of the ice. They play to a 39.11 xGF% with a downtrodden 3.33 xGA/60.
San Jose is also pretty ineffective in special teams. The power play succeeds at only a 12.5% clip, while the penalty kill only succeeds 76.5% of the time.
It's hard to tell who starts Thursday night in net for the Sharks. Both Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen have each split starts with a .907 SV%.
Blackwood played San Jose’s most recent game against Washington, so perhaps Kahkonen starts.
Goaltending has hardly been a problem for the Sharks, and Kahkonen has a decent +2.3 GSAx.
Canucks vs. Sharks
Betting Pick & Prediction
Will tonight finally be the night that San Jose gets in the win column? Not so fast.
Even though the Sharks are at home, I have much more confidence in the Canucks. Their top players are excelling together, and Andrei Kuzmenko has yet to break out.
This is a team that has inly two players playing minus-hockey, and with how inept the Sharks have been, I have a hard time seeing them break the ice.
Perhaps we see a goal or two from the Sharks tonight. The last time they scored more than one goal in a game was Oct. 17, so they’re due for some fireworks. The Sharks could score, especially if DeSmith starts.
Nonetheless, Vancouver wins regardless. The Canucks are the superior team, and until proven otherwise, betting against the Sharks just seems logical to me. This should end in regulation, and though laying -140 may not be sexy, I feel confident in it.
Pick: Vancouver Canucks 60 Minute ML -140
