Two clubs that’ve disappointed to begin the season, the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks face off at the SAP Center. This Western Conference matchup will get underway at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 5, and it’s being shown live on NBC Sports Network.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks Odds
Chicago (+140) is currently the underdog to San Jose (-160), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been placed at 7 goals. The odds for betting that total sit at -110 for the over and -110 for the under.
The Sharks are 4-11 straight-up (SU) and have hurt moneyline bettors to the tune of -9.3 units so far. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 46-36 record that the team posted during last year’s regular season campaign. Of the team’s 15 games this season, seven have gone over the total, while another seven have gone under and just one has pushed. The team’s 2-4 SU at home this season.
San Jose’s converted on 22.0 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is rated third overall, and it’s successfully killed off 89.7 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, San Jose has been penalized 4.7 times per game this season. Last year, it posted the mark in the league with 3.7 penalties per game. After serving an average of 9.6 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays for a noteworthy 13.1 minutes per matchup this season.
With a .887 save percentage and 25.1 saves per game, Martin Jones (two wins, nine losses, and one OT loss) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Sharks this year. If they decide to give him a rest, however, head coach Peter Deboer could turn to Aaron Dell (2-4-4 record, .878 save percentage, 3.83 goals against average).
Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl will both be offensive focal points for the Sharks. Burns (14 points) is up to three goals and 11 assists and has recorded multiple points in four different games this year. Hertl has four goals and eight assists to his name and has notched at least one point in seven contests.
Chicago has lost 5.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year and is currently 4-9 straight up (SU). Through 13 regular season matches, eight of its games have gone under the total, while four have gone over and just one has pushed. As the visiting team , Chicago is 1-4 SU.
Chicago has converted on just 12.5 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s ranked 27th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 23rd overall and it’s successfully killed off 79.1 percent of all penalties.
Chicago’s skaters have been penalized 3.5 times per game this season. Last season, that number was at 3.1, which was the third-lowest mark in the league. After serving an average of 7.3 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays for 7.1 minutes per outing this year.
Robin Lehner (30.8 saves per game) has been the primary choice in the net for Chicago. Lehner has three wins, five losses, and three OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .939 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average this year.
Patrick Kane (four goals, eight assists) has been one of the top offensive facilitators for the visiting Blackhawks.
Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks Betting Predictions
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Sharks, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in three of Chicago’s last five games.
- Power plays and penalty kills may have a key role in the outcome of this one. The Blackhawks are 1-3 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 4-7 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total. The Sharks are 1-4 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 4-7 in games where total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- After winning three of its four shootouts last year, Chicago is off to a 0-1 start in shootouts this season. San Jose went 0-3 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
