Two teams squaring off for the third time this season, the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks face off at the SAP Center. This divisional matchup will get going at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 16, and it is being televised live on CBC Sports.
Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks Odds
San Jose (-245) is tabbed as the favorite over Vancouver (+205) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 7 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -115 for the over and -105 for the under.
The Sharks are 34-24 straight up (SU) and have earned 1.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 58 regular season contests, 35 of its games have gone over the total, while 22 have gone under and just one has pushed. The team is 18-9 SU at home this season.
San Jose has been able to convert on 24.1 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s good enough for sixth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is rated 10th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.1 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, San Jose has been penalized 3.5 times per game overall this season, and 4.3 per game over its last ten contests. The team’s had to kill penalties for 8.8 minutes per game over its last five matchups, overall.
With a .898 save percentage and 25.0 saves per game, Martin Jones (28 wins, 15 losses, and four OT losses) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Sharks this season. If they choose to rest him, however, the team may turn to Aaron Dell (8-10-10 record, .892 save percentage, 3.04 goals against average).
The Sharks will continue to lean on the leadership from Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. Burns (63 points) has tallied 11 goals and 52 assists and has recorded multiple points on 19 separate occasions this year. Hertl has 26 goals and 27 assists to his credit and has recorded a point in 33 games.
Vancouver has earned moneyline bettors 3.4 units this season and is currently 26-33 straight up (SU). A total of 28 of its matches have gone under the total, while 27 have gone over and just four have pushed. As the away team this season, Vancouver is 13-19 SU.
Vancouver has converted on just 16.1 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s ranked 26th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 14th overall and it’s successfully killed off 80.4 percent of all opponent power plays.
Vancouver’s skaters have been penalized 3.8 times per game in total this season, and 4.6 per game over their last five games. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays just 8.4 minutes per contest over their last five road games.
Jacob Markstrom (2.77 goals against average and .911 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Vancouver. Markstrom is averaging 28.8 saves per game and has 22 wins, 22 losses, and six OT losses to his credit.
Elias Pettersson (26 goals, 27 assists) will pace the offensive counter for the visiting Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks Betting Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Sharks, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the over has hit in three of their past five matchups.
- The Sharks are 14-11 in games where they take 10+ shots more than their opponent. They’ve averaged the league’s third-most shots on goal (34.1) while the Canucks have attempted the 27th-most (just 34.1).
- The extra-man advantage may prove to be key tonight. The Canucks are 7-15 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 16-20 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Sharks are 16-10 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 25-16 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Two of Vancouver’s past 10 contests have been decided by a shootout. The team is 2-0 in those games and 3-3 overall in shootouts this season.
- San Jose is ranked 7th in the NHL with 8.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended down recently, however, as it has averaged 6.4 takeaways over its last 10 games and 5.2 takeaways over its last five.
- Vancouver has created 8.0 takeaways per game over its last five road games, an improvement over its season average of 6.3 takeaways per game (ranked 27th).
- San Jose could hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 12-10 in games decided by one goal, while Vancouver is 12-17 in such games.
