The NHL comes out of its holiday break with a busy schedule Thursday, and from the Pacific Division, the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks in a late-night start. One team will end a three-game losing streak, and San Jose could tie for first with a win – which it is favored to do in the NHL odds.
How to Bet Ducks at Sharks NHL Hockey Odds & TV Info
#SJSharks head coach Peter DeBoer speaks to the media following the 4-3 shootout loss to Arizona. https://t.co/MoJ6T4KYAS
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) 24 de diciembre de 2018
- When: Thursday, 10:30 PM ET
- Where: SAP Center, San Jose
- TV: NHL Center Ice
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- Radio: TuneIn
- NHL Odds: San Jose Sharks -166 / Anaheim Ducks +150 (Total 5.5)
Odds to win the Stanley Cup
Team Records
- All: Ducks 19-14-5 / Sharks 19-12-7
- Home: Ducks 10-4-5 / Sharks 11-4-4
- Away: Ducks 9-10 / Sharks 8-8-3
- ATS: Ducks 17-21 / Sharks 13-25
- Over/Under: Ducks 13-24-1 / Sharks 22-16
Season Series
Third of four meetings. In the season opener, the Sharks lost 5-2 at home to the Ducks. Anaheim scored four goals in the final 22 minutes. John Gibson made 31 saves to keep the Ducks in the game through the first two periods when the Sharks dominated. Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane scored for the Sharks but Martin Jones allowed four goals on the first 13 shots he faced to take the loss.
On Oct. 28 in Anaheim, the Sharks won 4-3 in overtime. Timo Meier scored twice, had a third goal nullified after an offside review and added an assist. His second goal came at the 2:12 mark in OT, finishing off a mad scramble in front of the net. Logan Couture and Rourke Chartier also scored for the Sharks, while Jones stopped 27 of Anaheim’s 30 shots on goal. Gibson stopped 45 of San Jose’s 49 shots.
Why Bet on Anaheim?
Anaheim entered the break on an ugly three-game losing streak, totaling just two goals. They have scored only 95 goals, fourth worst in the NHL and the worst among teams in a playoff spot.
They were blanked 3-0 at Buffalo last Saturday. Daniel Sprong led the way for the Ducks with five shots on goal, including one that he smacked directly into Linus Ullmark’s mask. John Gibson allowed two goals on 32 shots in that loss. Gibson is now 15-11-4 with a 2.52 goals-against-average and a .926 save percentage.
“Everyone wants to put a label on everything all the time. Last week we were the No. 1 team in the league and everyone asked if this was the team I thought we would be and if this was a Cup team and all that kind of stuff,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf told reporters in Buffalo. “You have peaks and valleys throughout the year. It’s about maintaining a style of play. The last two games I didn’t think we maintained that style of play.”
The Ducks have been inconsistent and vulnerable on the man advantage this season. They rank in the bottom third in power play conversion and have given up six shorthanded goals this season, two more than last season (4). Anaheim is now in the bottom five for penalty killing and has not converted on the power play in their last 14 chances.
The Ducks remain without arguably their best offensive player in winger Rickard Rakell (ankle). He is on the injured reserve list and hasn’t played since Dec. 5 but can be activated whenever he’s healthy. After making the All-Star Game and scoring 34 goals last season, the Swedish forward was off to a slow start, with five goals in 30 games this season. Top defenseman Cam Fowler also is out.
Why Bet on San Jose?
The Sharks also entered the break on a three-game skid, losing 4-3 in a shootout to Arizona on Sunday. Tomas Hertl scored two goals in the loss. With the Sharks down a goal entering the final frame, Hertl tied it 4:17 into the period. The Coyotes then jumped out to another lead but Hertl had other plans, scoring his 12th goal of the season to force overtime. It was Hertl’s 10th point in his last eight games, bringing the 25-year-old forward to 29 points in 33 games this season.
Aaron Dell allowed three goals on 26 shots in the loss. Dell was beaten by Galchenyuk three times, twice in regulation and once in the shootout. Dell fell to 5-4-3 with a 2.69 goals-against-average and a .904 save percentage. Probably will be Martin Jones for this one.
Joe Thornton picked up an assist Sunday and in doing so passed Marcel Dionne for 10th all-time with 1,041. Next on the list is the legend Gordie Howe who had 1,049 in his career. Thornton assisted on a first-period power play goal by Tim Heed. He has five goals and 16 points in 29 games this season but has seen mostly third line duty of late.
“I feel like the break is coming at the right time,” coach Peter DeBoer said after Sunday’s loss. “I feel like our team is running on fumes a little bit. The tank’s a little empty. We’ve had to dig deep the last two nights to find a way to scratch out a couple points.”
Thursday will be the finale of star defenseman Erik Karlsson’s two-game suspension. Karlsson is a former Norris Trophy winner as is Brent Burns, who is poised to play in his 1,000th career game on Thursday night. In 38 games this year, he has four goals and 35 points.
Latest NHL Betting Trends for Ducks vs Sharks
- Under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings in San Jose
- Over is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings
- Ducks are 5-12 in the last 17 meetings in San Jose
- Road team is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings
- Ducks are 1-7 in the last 8 meetings
- Anaheim is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim’s last 5 games
- Anaheim is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
- San Jose is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Anaheim
- San Jose is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Anaheim
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose’s last 6 games at home
Expert NHL Betting Prediction for Ducks vs Sharks
Ducks rarely win in San Jose so Sharks end their skid.
