Canadian Tire Centre is the site for an enticing tilt as the Ottawa Senators take the ice against the visiting San Jose Sharks. The action gets started at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 1, and you’ll be able to see this East-West matchup live on NBC Sports California.
San Jose Sharks at Ottawa Senators Odds
San Jose (-165) is currently favored over Ottawa (+145), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-120 money on the over, +100 on the under).
San Jose is 12-14 straight up (SU) and has lost 9.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. 15 of its outings have gone over the total, while 11 have gone under and none have pushed. This 2018-19 Sharks team is 4-9 SU on the road.
San Jose has converted on 22.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, it has the third-strongest penalty kill in the league, and it has successfully killed off 86.1 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, San Jose has been penalized 3.8 times per game this season, and 4.4 per game over its last five on the road. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays 13.6 minutes per game over their last five road outings.
Boasting a .892 save percentage and 24.7 saves per game, Martin Jones (9-8-3) has been the top option in goal for San Jose this season. If it decides to give him a rest, however, head coach Peter Deboer could turn to Aaron Dell (3-6-2 record, .904 save percentage, 2.88 goals against average).
Brent Burns and Logan Couture will both spearhead the attack for the visiting Sharks. Burns has 26 points via three goals and 23 assists, and has recorded multiple points in seven different games. Couture has eight goals and 17 assists to his name, and has registered at least one point in 16 games.
Ottawa is 11-15 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.4 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 26 regular season matches, 18 of its games have gone over the total, while six have gone under and just two have pushed. It’s 8-6 SU as the home team this year.
Ottawa has converted on 22.6 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 30th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 70.1 percent of all penalties.
Ottawa skaters have been called for penalties only 3.6 times per game this season, and 2.8 per game over their last five home outings. The team has had to defend opponent power plays just 7.0 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Craig Anderson has denied 32.0 shots per game as the primary selection in goal for Ottawa. Anderson has 10 wins, 13 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit and has registered a poor .903 save percentage and 3.69 goals against average this season.
Matt Duchene (12 goals, 21 assists) will pace the offensive attack for the Senators.
San Jose Sharks at Ottawa Senators Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Sharks, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in three of their last five matches.
- San Jose has attempted 35.4 shots per contest overall this season (the second-most in the NHL), and 33.4 in its last 10 outings.
- The Senators are 3-5 SU in games where they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Sharks are 3-4 SU when they serve more minutes than their opponent.
- Ottawa skaters have averaged 7.8 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 7.0 takeaways per game (ranked 18th overall).
- San Jose has averaged 3.1 goals per game overall this year, but is down to 1.7 goals per contest over its three-game losing skid.
- San Jose skaters have created 4.8 takeaways per game over its last five road games, a drop-off from its season average of 8.0 takeaways per game (ranked 13th).
