In this article we will formulate a St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks prediction for this NHL game on Thursday, December 12th at the Enterprise Center in Saint Louis, Missouri. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this NHL matchup.
St. Louis Blues Betting Preview
The St. Louis Blues are 14-13-2 this year after they defeated Vancouver in overtime by a score of 4-3 in their last game. St. Louis blew a 3-1 lead in the game, but they were able to recover and get the win in overtime. The Blues recorded 25 shots on goal, won 54.7% of the face-offs, and went 1-2 on the power play in the game. St. Louis got goals from Bolduc, Holloway, Kyrou, and Thomas, while Hofer stopped 22 out of 25 shots in the game.
Prior to that win, the Blues lost to Edmonton by a score of 4-2, but did beat Calgary and Winnipeg before that. St. Louis has scored 2.62 goals per game and they have allowed 3.10 goals against per game, while also going 16.4% on the power play and 78.9% on the penalty kill this season. Jordan Kyrou has led St. Louis with 10 goals, 14 assists, and 85 shots on goal, while Jordan Binnington is 8-10-2 with a 2.93 goals against average and an .897 save percentage.
San Jose Sharks Betting Preview
The San Jose Sharks are 10-16-5 this season after they lost to Carolina by a score of 3-2 in their last game. San Jose led 2-1 after the second period, but they allowed two goals in the third for the loss. The Sharks were out shot by a total of 28-23, won 55.8% of the face-offs, and went 0-3 on the power play in the game. San Jose got both goals from Kunin, while Vanecek stopped 25 out of 28 shots in the loss.
Prior to that game, the Sharks lost to Florida by a score of 3-1 and Tampa Bay by a score of 8-1. San Jose has scored 2.71 goals per game and they have allowed 3.45 goals against per game, while also going 17% on the power play and 81.6% on the penalty kill this season. Mikael Granlund has led San Jose with 10 goals, 20 assists, and 82 shots on goal, while Alexandar Georgiev is expected to start in net.
Why the Blues will beat the Sharks
- The Sharks have lost 17 of their last 19 road games against Central Division opponents.
- The Blues have won five of their last six games at Enterprise Center after coming off overtime.
- The Blues have covered the puck line in each of their last six home games after coming off overtime.
- The Blues have won the third period in 11 of their last 13 games against the Sharks.
Total Goals Facts
- Seven of the Blues’ last eight games as favorites following a road win have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Five of the Sharks’ last six games against Western Conference opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Blues’ last 12 games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in seven of the Sharks’ last eight games against Central Division opponents.
St. Louis Blues Player Prop Facts
- Robert Thomas has recorded at least one assist in each of his last seven appearances against Western Conference opponents.
- Dylan Holloway has scored at least one goal in five of the Blues’ last six games.
- Jordan Kyrou has recorded a point in each of the Blues’ last nine home games.
San Jose Sharks Player Prop Facts
- Mikael Granlund has recorded at least one point in each of the Sharks’ last nine road games against Western Conference opponents.
- Mikael Granlund has recorded at least one assist in seven of the Sharks’ last eight games against Central Division opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The St. Louis Blues rank 25th in the league for goals per game this season (2.62).
- The St. Louis Blues rank 30th in the league for Period 1 goals scored per game this season (0.66).
- The San Jose Sharks rank 28th in the league for goals against per game this season (3.45).
- The San Jose Sharks rank 27th in the league in power play percentage this season (17.00%).
St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks Prediction
San Jose comes into this game trying to snap their three game losing streak, but they are just 4-10-4 on the road this year. The Sharks have been out scored 14-4 in their last three games and they are allowing 3.45 goals against per game. St. Louis has won three of their last four games and they are 5-6-1 at home. The Blues have been pretty low scoring this year, but they have scored four goals in each of their last three wins. I can’t back the Sharks on the road, especially in their current form, so take the Blues to win by at least two goals here.