In this article, we will formulate a Pittsburgh Penguins vs San Jose Sharks Prediction for this NHL game on Saturday, November 16th, at the PPG Paints Arena.
Long Season for the Sharks?
It looks like it could be a very long season for the Sharks and they are coming off another loss in the last game. In the first game against the New York Rangers, they scored only two goals and they ended up losing by a goal. Two games ago against the Philadelphia Flyers, the defense gave up four goals and they ended up losing by a goal. San Jose has scored an average of 2.3 goals per game, ranking them 31st offensively amongst other teams in the NHL so far this year. Defensively, they have given up around 3.4 goals per game, placing them in the 26th position.
Why the Sharks Will Beat the Penguins
- The Penguins have lost five of their last eight games as favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Sharks have won five of their last nine games as underdogs against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in eight of the Sharks’ last nine games.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in seven of their last eight night games at PPG Paints Arena.
- The Sharks have won the third period in three of their last four road games.
Penguins Defense Let Them Down
The Penguins in the last game faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets and they scored only two goals while the defense gave up six goals. Anthony Beauvillier did have a strong game scoring a goal and adding an assist, but it wasn’t enough with the way the defense played. Tristan Jarry faced too many shots and ended up saving only 33 of the 38 shots that he faced. Pittsburgh has scored an average of 2.7 goals per game. This ranks the Penguins 22nd in the NHL so far this year. Defensively, they have been giving up 3.8 goals per game, putting them down in 31st position amongst NHL teams.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs San Jose Sharks Prediction
There are better games on the board to bet but in this game, I will take the underdog. The Penguins gave up six goals in the last game and they are going to have tired legs in this game. The Sharks offense is averaging only 2.3 goals per game but they are going to get out to a fast start and it’s going to be San Jose that is going to end up getting the job done. Back the Sharks on the money line.