In this article, we will formulate a Sharks vs Penguins Prediction for this NHL game on Monday, January 27th, at the SAP Center. Let’s take a look at a San Jose Sharks vs Pittsburgh Penguins pick.
Penguins are Struggling Again
The Penguins are really struggling again and they have lost two games in a row. Two games ago against the Anaheim Ducks, the Penguins lost 5-1 and in the last game against the Seattle Kraken, they ended up losing 4-1. The Penguins gave up two goals in the second period and that ended up being the difference. Sidney Crosby scored the only goal for the Penguins. Joel Blomqvist saved 21 of the 25 shots that he faced.
The Penguins are averaging 2.92 goals while their defense is giving up 3.62 goals per game. The offense is ranked 17th in the league while the defense is ranked 31st. They are averaging 30.98 shots faced per game. They have a shot differential of -2.59 which is 27th in the league. Sidney Crosby has scored 14 goals and added 38 assists so far this season. Joel Blomqvist is going to get the start in goal, and he sits with a 3-7 record and is giving up 3.59 goals per game.
Why the Penguins Will Beat the Sharks
- The Sharks have lost 11 of their last 12 night games at SAP Center at San Jose.
- The favorites have won each of the Sharks’ last six games.
- The favorites have covered the puck line in five of the Sharks’ last six games.
- The Sharks have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five night games.
- The favorites have won the second period in nine of the Penguins’ last 11 games.
Another Blowout Loss for the Sharks
The Sharks have had their struggles this season and they are coming off another blowout loss in the last game. The Sharks scored two goals against the Florida Panthers, but they gave up seven goals, and that led to the defeat. At the end of the first period, they were down 3-2, and they couldn’t bounce back from that. The Sharks used both of their goaltenders and neither was all that impressive.
The Sharks are averaging 2.63 goals while their defense is giving up 3.67 goals per game. The offense was ranked 30th in the league while the defense was ranked 32nd. Mikael Granlund has scored four goals and added 29 assists so far this season. Alexander Georgiev is expected to start in goal and they are going to need him to be lights out here. Coming into this game he sits with a 10-17 record and he is giving up 3.65 goals per game. After this game, San Jose will take on the Kraken, Canadiens, and Canucks.
Why the Sharks will beat the Penguins
- The Penguins have lost each of their last three games as favorites.
- The underdogs have won four of the Penguins’ last six games.
- The Sharks have covered the puck line in 10 of their last 11 games as underdogs against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games as favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
- The home team has won the third period in three of the Penguins’ last four games.
Sharks vs Penguins Prediction
The Sharks are averaging 2.63 goals per game and that isn’t going to be enough to get the job done. The Penguins are averaging 2.92 goals per game and their offense isn’t going to be very good either. I expect better goaltending from the Sharks but their offense is still going to have some major issues. This game is going to be lower scoring, and the under is going to end up cashing with ease.