NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Ducks vs. Sharks (November 1)
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images. Pictured: Anaheim Ducks player Troy Terry
Ducks vs. Sharks Odds
| Ducks Odds | +112 |
| Sharks Odds | -134 |
| Over/Under | 6 (-102 / -120) |
| Time | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
It’s a showdown between the NHL’s two lowest-scoring teams on Tuesday night as the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks face off for the first time this season in a Pacific Division battle.
With a 2-6-1 record, the Ducks hold last place in the Pacific Division as they kick off a three-game road trip that will also see them travel up to Vancouver before returning to face the Sharks again on Saturday.
With a 3-8-0 record, San Jose is midway through a six-game homestand.
Here’s the latest on both teams, and your best bet for the game.
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Anaheim Ducks Recently Halt Skid
The Ducks are coming into the Bay Area on a high after erasing a 3-1 deficit to come back and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. It was the club’s first win in eight games — a disappointing start in a year where the club had hoped to take a step forward.
With just 20 goals scored and 39 allowed in nine games, Anaheim carries an NHL-worst goal differential of minus-19 into Tuesday’s contest. At 5-on-5, they’re controlling less than 40% of expected goals, and their special-team numbers are also near the bottom of the league.
But there are some bright spots. After his 37-goal breakout campaign last season, Troy Terry is once again leading the Ducks in scoring, with 10 points in nine games. And Trevor Zegras is showing no signs of a sophomore slump with a team-leading six goals while continuing to deliver the razzle-dazzle.
Behind a revamped defense corps that includes newcomers John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov, John Gibson is once again carrying the load in net. But even after accounting for an unfriendly goaltending environment, he sits at -4.6 goals saved above expected.
The Ducks also just lost a key defenseman for the long term, with the news that 20-year-old Jamie Drysdale will be sidelined for at least four months with a torn labrum. Blueliner Urho Vaakanainen also remains out with an injury from preseason, while forward Sam Carrick has been loaned to the AHL San Diego Gulls for conditioning as he makes his way back from offseason hip surgery.
San Jose Sharks
After losing their first five games of the year, the San Jose Sharks have been in a win-one, lose-one pattern for their six latest contests. Last time out, a last-minute goal from Nikita Kucherov sealed a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third game of a six-game homestand.
For the season, the Sharks have a minus-10 goal differential. But since that early losing skid ended, most of their games have been close, and relatively low-scoring — though the 5.5 line for this game makes the under a risky bet.
The Sharks have defied that trend with a league-worst 2.18 goals scored per game. With just one goal each, star forwards Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl have not yet found their groove this year. But newcomer Nico Sturm has five goals and is already nearly halfway to matching his career high of 11. And two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson is looking like he took a drink from the Fountain of Youth during the offseason. After five straight years with no more than 10 goals per season, the 32-year-old’s silky-smooth skating is back on display. He’s up to six goals and 11 points in 11 games already, leading his team in both categories.
The Sharks are decent at 5-on-5 this season, controlling nearly 47% of expected goals, and as you’d expect from a team that can’t score, their power play is hovering at a mediocre 15.2% success rate. But San Jose has given up just two goals while shorthanded this season, for a second-ranked penalty kill with a 93.8% success rate. And in net, James Reimer is back with another strong season, already sitting at 4.1 goals saved above expected in seven games.
But the Sharks have confirmed that Kaapo Kahkonen will get the nod in net on Tuesday night, and while he did get his first win of the year against Toronto last week, his numbers for the season aren’t great. He’s 1-3-0, with a 3.33 goals-against average, .875 save percentage and minus-4.3 goals saved above expected.
Ducks vs. Sharks Pick
The Sharks are starting to round into form, but the goaltending decision of new coach David Quinn sets up this game to be more even than the oddsmakers are suggesting. Kahkonen isn’t looking his best so far this season, and he has given up four goals both times he has faced the Ducks in a San Jose uniform since he was acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the 2022 trade deadline — last April, and during preseason this year.
Coming out of a tough losing skid, the Ducks are poised for some positive outcomes and should be feeling confident after their come-from-behind win against the Maple Leafs. Look for Anaheim to hold the offensive edge in this game, delivering plus-money value for underdog bettors.
Pick: Ducks moneyline (+105); play down to +100
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