NHL Odds, Pick & Preview: Sharks vs. Ducks (February 22)

Sharks vs. Ducks Odds

A pair of Pacific Division squads on the wrong side of the playoff line will try to keep their postseason hopes alive on Tuesday night.

The Anaheim Ducks open a six-game homestand against the San Jose Sharks for the first of four meetings this season between the two California rivals.

Here's the latest on both teams, along with our best bet.

Sharks' Outlook Getting Grim

The Sharks will be playing just their fourth game since the All-Star break on Tuesday and just their second road game in February.

San Jose's playoff hopes are fading fast. The club has picked up just one point in its last three games. As of Monday afternoon, it sits 13th in the Western Conference, 10 points out of the second wild-card spot.

Open the window a little wider and the situation looks even more grim. The Sharks are 2-5-3 in their last 10 games, and Natural Stat Trick shows that their possession metrics have slipped to their lowest point all season at 5-on-5. In addition, San Jose has the worst expected goals against rate in the entire NHL over the last 10 games.

There are a couple of bright spots. San Jose's penalty killing is ranked fourth in the league with an 84.9% success rate, and James Reimer maintains a decent 3.5 goals saved above expected. Backup Adin Hill has been shaky — and is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury — so Reimer has played every minute of the Sharks' last seven games. He has just a 1-3-3 record to show for his efforts over the stretch.

Also on San Jose's injured list: defenseman Erik Karlsson and forward Kevin Labanc.

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Ducks on Outside Looking In

After a better-than-expected start to their season, the Ducks have also put their playoff hopes in jeopardy, particularly when they came out of the All-Star break with three straight losses.

As of Monday, they're still on the outside looking in. But in their last game on Saturday night, they righted their ship in a big way with a dominating 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

Broadly speaking, the Ducks are a middle-of-the-pack team at 5-on-5, with strong special teams and solid goaltending. John Gibson has started 10 of Anaheim's last 11 games — and represented the Pacific Division at the All-Star Game, as well. But while Gibson is usually reliable, his recent numbers haven't been great — he's at 2.1 goals saved above expected for the year but has allowed four goals or more in each of his last four starts.

Nevertheless, expect him to get the nod in San Jose on Tuesday.

Injury-wise for the Ducks, defenseman Josh Manson is currently on the shelf with a finger issue. Captain Ryan Getzlaf also sat out the last two games of the road trip with a lower-body problem.

Sharks vs. Ducks Pick

One win for Anaheim does not necessarily signal a turnaround. But the Ducks seemed determined to salvage their road trip and keep their playoff hopes alive when they came out hot against Vancouver. They took control of the game by scoring twice in the first 3:23 of the first period, outshooting Vancouver 8-2 in the opening frame, and forcing Bruce Boudreau to give Thatcher Demko a rare hook when the goalie allowed five goals on 14 shots over 24:20 of game action.

Now, the Ducks are facing a Sharks team that's struggling badly defensively. That should be a recipe for an Anaheim win.

If you back Anaheim for a 60-minute win, you can get plus money from DraftKings. That's good value.

Pick: Anaheim regulation win (+105); play down to -110