The San Jose Sharks (27-21-3) and Edmonton Oilers (27-19-8) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:00 p.m. EST at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Oilers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5. The Oilers are a 64-cent favorite to win outright, while the Sharks are 37-cents to pull off the upset on Fanatics Markets.
Let's get into my Sharks vs. Oilers predictions and NHL picks.
Sharks vs. Oilers Odds, Pick
- Sharks vs. Oilers Spread: Oilers -1.5 (44-cents), Sharks +1.5 (57-cents)
- Sharks vs. Oilers Over/Under: 6.5 (59-cents / 42-cents)
- Sharks vs. Oilers Moneyline: Sharks 37-cents, Oilers 64-cents
Sharks vs. Oilers Preview
San Jose Sharks
Someone check on the Sharks, please. This is one of the toughest stretches in the season for any team, as they will have only played one home game from January 15 through the end of the first half of the season on February 4.
But to their credit, they’ve kept a steady flow so far, going 4-2 since the 15th. What a joy it is to be young, right?
San Jose is led by Macklin Celebrini, who has taken the NHL by storm, ranking fourth in the league in points scored, and he’s, by no surprise, been the team’s biggest play-driver.
Will Smith, the Fresh Prince of San Jose, has also been on a bit of a run in these past five games, notching seven points in five games, but the team would also like to get more out of William Eklund, who’s been quiet since January has come upon us.
It’s actually fascinating, though. The Sharks haven’t had eye-popping 5-on-5 numbers this month. They’ve just been carried by their franchise center. Currently, they’re ranked 23rd in expected goals since January 12 with a 48.16 xGF% and 20th defensively with a 2.8 xGA/60.
Along with that, the goaltending has been just fine for the most part. Alex Nedeljkovic and Yaroslav Askarov are a decent tandem that needs a little fine-tuning, but they’ve done their job.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Nedeljkovic gets the nod, though, since Askarov played on Tuesday, but Nedeljkovic has been the more productive goalie in this 10-game stretch with a 2.9 GSAx and a .900 SV%.
Edmonton Oilers
I’m not exactly sure how to feel about the Oilers this season.
It does look like we’ll be seeing them in the playoffs again, but something feels off. And no, it’s not the fault of the usual suspects in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Zach Hyman.
Heck, Edmonton did something nearly impossible. Have a defensemen score hat tricks in back-to-back games in Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm.
It’s just that I’m not seeing the same kind of dominance that I’ve been accustomed to seeing.
Edmonton’s 5-on-5 offensive play is ranked 10th over the past two and a half weeks, with seventh-worst defensive numbers, playing to a 3.09 xGA/60.
Because even in past seasons, the Oilers were pretty sound in their own zone, and even more dominant when on the offensive side. This season? The offense is still there, but now I’m fairly skeptical about the unit as a whole.
In goal, Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram have shared the crease ever since Jarry arrived in Edmonton. Ingram, however, seems to be the more solid netminder in his 10 games this season, playing to a 3.1 GSAx and a .909 SV%.
Sharks vs. Oilers Prediction
You know I love my Oilers overs, and we’re going to continue to ride with that.
There’s just too much offensive firepower in this game, and mediocre goaltending, to pretend like a lot of goals is out of the question.
And that’s exactly why Fanatics Markets has this game with the odds it has.
Edmonton has hit over 6.5 goals in three consecutive games, while the Sharks hit the over on Tuesday against the Canucks.
So let’s ride with the over here.
Pick: Over 6.5
