San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers prediction 12-28-23 NHL Picks
San Jose Sharks (9-23-3) vs Edmonton Oilers (15-15-1)
2023-12-28 22:30:00 EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: San Jose Sharks +275 / Edmonton Oilers -357 --- Over/Under: 7
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The Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks meet in NHL action from the SAP Center on Thursday night. Who comes out on top in this Pacific division tilt? Let’s dive in and find out with our Oilers vs. Sharks Prediction.
Edmonton Oilers Team Preview
The Edmonton Oilers come into this one looking to build on back-to-back wins after a 4-3 win over the Rangers in their last matchup. Connor McDavid leads the Oilers in scoring with 44 points including a team-high 32 assists while Leon Draisaitl has 35 points with 14 goals and 21 assists. Zach Hyman has 31 points with a team-high 19 goals while Evan Bouchard has 32 points with 8 goals and 24 assists as well. Evander Kane has 23 points with 13 goals and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 31 points with 23 assists this season. Jack Campbell has gone 1-4 with a 4.50 GAA and an .873 save percentage in goal for Edmonton while Stuart Skinner is 12-9-1 with a 3.04 GAA and an .886 save percentage this season.
Edmonton Oilers Team Facts
- The underdogs have won four of the Oilers’ last five games.
- The Oilers have failed to cover the puck line in five of their last six night games at SAP Center at San Jose following a road win.
- The Oilers have won the third period in each of their last seven games against the Sharks following a road win.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in 14 of the Oilers’ last 18 games against Pacific Division opponents.
San Jose Sharks Team Preview
The San Jose Sharks come into this one looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings in their last matchup. Tomas Hertl has a team-high 12 goals and 15 assists for his team-leading 27 points while Fabian Zetterlund has 15 points with 10 goals. Mikael Granlund has 23 points with a team-high 19 assists while William Eklund also has 16 points with 7 goals and 9 assists on the year. MacKenzie Blackwood’s gone 4-14-2 between the pipes for the Sharks this season, posting a 3.92 GAA and an .889 save percentage while Kaapo Kahkonen is 5-9-1 with a 3.92 GAA and an .889 save percentage this season.
San Jose Sharks Team Facts
- The Sharks have lost each of their last six games.
- The Sharks have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The favorites have won the third period in eight of the last nine games between the Oilers and Sharks.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Sharks’ last 11 games as underdogs against Pacific Division opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The San Jose Sharks rank 32nd in the league for goals per game this season (2.11).
- The San Jose Sharks rank 32nd in the league for goals against per game this season (4.06).
- The Edmonton Oilers rank 5th in the league in power play percentage this season (26.21%).
- The Edmonton Oilers rank 6th in the league for goals per game this season (3.45).
Oilers vs. Sharks Prediction
I’m on the Oilers -1.5 here. It’s bad enough that the Sharks are on the back-to-back here, but they’ve been getting their butts kicked and keep finding new and creative ways to lose hockey games. The Oilers are just the better team here by a fair margin and I think they show it on Thursday. Give me Edmonton.