The SAP Center will be hosting an enticing matchup as the Detroit Red Wings take on the San Jose Sharks. It’s the final time that these two clubs will go at it in the regular season. This East-West matchup gets going at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, March 25, and it can be caught live on Fox Sports Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks Odds
San Jose (-375) is currently the favorite over Detroit (+285) and the Over/Under (O/U) is placed at 7 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -105 for the over and -115 on the under.
Even though their record stands at 43-32 straight up (SU), bettors taking the moneyline have earned a total of 5.5 units on the Sharks this season. Through 75 regular season matches, 42 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while 30 have gone under and just three have pushed. The team is 23-13 SU at home this year.
San Jose’s converted on 23.9 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s good enough for seventh-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 22nd overall, and it’s successfully killed off 79.6 percent of all penalties.
San Jose, as a collective unit, has been penalized 3.5 times per game overall this season, 4.0 per game over its past five contests total, and 4.0 per game over its last five at home. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays for just 6.9 minutes per game over its last 10 matchups, overall.
Averaging 24.8 saves per game with a .898 save percentage, Martin Jones (35 wins, 22 losses, and five OT losses) has been the principal goalkeeper for the Sharks this year. If the Sharks decide to give him a breather, however, the team may go with Aaron Dell (10-13-13 record, .887 save percentage, 3.14 goals against average).
The Sharks will continue seeking leadership from Brent Burns and Logan Couture. Burns (77 points) is up to 13 goals and 64 assists and has recorded two or more points on 21 different occasions this year. Couture has 26 goals and 38 assists to his credit and has recorded a point in 42 games.
Detroit has lost 7.4 units for moneyline bettors this year and is currently 27-48 straight up (SU). A total of 38 of its outings have gone under the total, while 35 have gone over and just two have pushed. Detroit’s 13-25 SU as a road team this season.
Detroit has converted on just 16.5 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s ranked 25th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 28th overall and it’s successfully killed off 77.7 percent of all penalties.
Detroit’s players have been penalized 3.5 times per game in total this season, and 2.8 per game over their last five on the road. The team’s been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 5.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jimmy Howard (.908 save percentage and 3.02 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Detroit. Howard is averaging 28.1 saves per game and owns a 20-29-7 record.
Leading the offensive counter for the visiting Red Wings will be Dylan Larkin, who has 27 goals and 36 assists this season.
Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Sharks, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- The total has gone under in three of Detroit’s last five games.
- Detroit has managed 24.6 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while San Jose is averaging 30.2 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- The extra-man advantage may prove to be critical tonight. The Red Wings are 7-20 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 17-34 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Sharks are 19-13 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 32-19 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- San Jose is 0-3 in games decided by a shootout this season while Detroit is 3-5 in shootouts.
- San Jose is ranked 7th in the league this season with 8.7 takeaways per game. That figure’s trended down recently, however, as the team has created 8.0 takeaways over its last 10 games and 7.6 takeaways over its last five.
- Detroit has managed 8.2 takeaways per game over its last five road games, an improvement over its season average of 5.7 takeaways per game (ranked 30th in the league).
- San Jose could hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 16-12 in games decided by one goal, while Detroit is 18-23 in such games.
