Sharks vs Ducks Odds
| Sharks Odds | +150 |
| Ducks Odds | -185 |
| Over / Under | 6 -110 / -108 |
Here's everything you need to know about the San Jose Sharks vs. Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, Jan. 31 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The San Jose Sharks have been playing some really great hockey, punctuated by an impressive shutout win against the Kraken. Despite being battered with injuries and extremely poor 5-on-5 numbers, San Jose has gone 5-4-1 in its last 10 games.
Meanwhile, Anaheim has endured an inconsistent stretch and has a hard time building momentum. The Ducks are clearly rebuilding, but they have played near-.500 hockey after winning their most recent game against the Wild. Let's get to my prediction for Sharks vs. Ducks.
San Jose Sharks
There isn’t a whole lot of high end talent for the Sharks. Tomas Hertl is really the only player who offers both goal-scoring and playmaking production. However, Hertl's status is unknown after missing last night’s game.
Mikael Granlund and Mario Ferraro are also out due to injuries. Luckily, the Ducks finally got captain Logan Couture back from injury. Beyond Couture, the rest lies on the shoulders of Fabian Zetterlund, William Eklund and Anthony Duclair.
I mentioned earlier that the Sharks are one of the worst 5-on-5 teams in the NHL — that was no exaggeration. They are second-worst in expected goals with a 41.8 xGF% and worst defensively with a 3.19 xGA/60.
Along with the poor even strength play, special teams are just as bad. San Jose is scoring on the power play at a 17% clip, while the penalty kill is worst in the NHL at 72%.
With Mackenzie Blackwood starting last night, I anticipate Kaapo Kahkonen starting tonight. Given how poorly San Jose’s season has been, Kahkonen has been a modest bright spot. The Finnish netminder is playing to a .901 SV% and a 4.9 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Anaheim Ducks
The trade deadline is close, and a lot of eyes are watching the Ducks. Frank Vatrano and Adam Henrique are top-three scorers for Anaheim (both are on the block), and Vatrano is on pace to shatter his career highs. Along with those key players, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish are critical pieces to the rebuild in Orange County.
While the Ducks are a bit better 5-on-5 than their counterparts, they’re still not great. They rank eighth in expected goals with a 46.7 xGF% and rank seventh with a 2.79 xGA/60.
Anaheim’s special teams are fine — nothing special. The power play scores at a decent 18.7% rate, and 78% on the penalty kill.
I presume we’ll see John Gibson tonight. Gibson can be one of the best goalies in the league if he was on a different team. With an impressive 5.2 GSAx, Gibson is only playing to a .900 SV%, which is very low for the veteran.
Sharks vs. Ducks
Betting Pick & Prediction
When you have two bottom-of-the-barrel teams going at it in the final game before the All-Star break, anything goes.
On one hand, you have the Sharks who are coming off a strong win last night. On the other, you have the Ducks who are probably eyeing towards the break right about now. Anaheim hasn’t played since Saturday, and it’s probably weighing on them.
Despite how poorly San Jose has played all year, its current trajectory is encouraging. Everything seems to be working against it, but San Jose continues to mount wins — including four in its last five. Conversely, the Ducks continue to trade wins and losses one game after the other.
I may not like the situation the Sharks are in right now, but you can’t ignore the trends. They’re playing winning hockey before the break ends, and I think we’ll see another win tonight.
