The San Jose Sharks (7-6-3) and Minnesota Wild (7-7-3) meet in an NHL Western Conference matchup tonight. Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. EST at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Wild are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (-110o / -110u). The Wild are a -220 favorite to win outright, while the Sharks are +180 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Sharks vs. Wild predictions and NHL picks.
Sharks vs. Wild Odds, Pick
| Sharks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -130 | 6.5 -110o / -110u | +180 |
| Wild Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +110 | 6.5 -110o / -110u | -220 |
- Sharks vs. Wild Spread: Wild -1.5 (+110), Sharks +1.5 (-130)
- Sharks vs. Wild Over/Under: 6.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Sharks vs. Wild Moneyline: Sharks +180, Wild -220
Sharks vs. Wild Preview
San Jose Sharks
Remember when Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky told the media that he’d give up his kid for a win?
That was funny.
Mainly because in the Sharks’ last six games, they have won five times, including a current three-game win streak.
It may be too early to dub MVP candidates, but Macklin Celebrini is certainly playing like one in his first 16 games of the season, tied for third in points in the league and tied for fourth in goals.
He and Will Smith have built an unbreakable chemistry that has essentially turned the Sharks into one of the league’s ‘must-watch’ teams.
And San Jose is doing it all with a middling special teams unit and a pretty poor 5-on-5 game. Defensively, the Sharks have been fine 5-on-5, but as of late, they’ve been getting overmatched on the offensive end.
Since October 29, despite this wonderful stretch, the Sharks have the second-worst offense, averaging only a 42.47 xGF%.
In net, both Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic have been stone walls as of late. Both started out letting pucks in left and right, but since then, Nedeljkovic is posting a .947 SV% and Askarov is even better with an unsustainable .971 SV%.
Minnesota Wild
Similarly, the Wild have been red hot. After finishing off the month of October with a five-game losing streak, they’ve managed to pull out four wins in the first five games in November.
Of course, it starts with Kirill Kaprizov, the Russian Sensation, who sits just two points behind Celebrini, and Matt Boldy continues to be one of the top young players in the NHL.
What’s also fascinating is the season Marcus Johansson is having —a player who has always had skill, but has bounced around due to inconsistent production.
Since October 29, the Wild have been performing at a middling 5-on-5 50.54 xGF% and have been below average on the defensive end with a 2.91 xGA/60, which seems on par for a Jon Hynes-coached team.
The big question lies within the net. Filip Gustavsson is a quality netminder, but has been wildly (pardon the pun) inconsistent in 12 starts so far. This season, he’s posting an .896 SV% with a 1.7 GSAx.
Sharks vs. Wild Prediction
San Jose has certainly enjoyed a lot of home cooking as of late, so a three-game road trip is needed to keep the boys honest.
However, the Sharks have done a solid job on the road as of late. Ever since getting their first win on October 23, they’ve won three out of their last four road games — including a 6-5 overtime winner in Minnesota.
Revenge time for the Wild, right?
Wrong!
I'm well aware of the Sharks being +180 on the moneyline, and they are certainly due for some sort of regression, but I don’t think it happens here.
Minnesota has been one of the best teams on the power play in the league, but San Jose is 14-for-14 in its last four games. And not only that, the goaltending has been dynamic, with Nedeljkovic and Askarov stealing games lately.
I feel like ultimately the Wild meet their match today and the Sharks go 2-0 in the Twin Cities.
Pick: Sharks Moneyline (+180)
