The San Jose Sharks (37-33-7) and Anaheim Ducks (41-32-5) will face off in an important Pacific Division matchup Thursday. Puck drop is set for 10:00 p.m. EDT at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Ducks are priced at +145 to cover the puck-line (-1.5) with the over/under set at 6.5 (-125o / +105u). The Ducks are a -170 favorite to win outright, while the Sharks are +145 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Sharks vs. Ducks predictions and NHL picks.
Sharks vs. Ducks Odds, Pick
| Sharks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -161 | 6.5 -120o / -100u | +150 |
| Ducks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +137 | 6.5 -120o / -100u | -180 |
- Sharks vs. Ducks Spread: Ducks -1.5 (+145), Sharks +1.5 (-170)
- Sharks vs. Ducks Over/Under: 6.5 (-125o/+105u)
- Sharks vs. Ducks Moneyline: Sharks +145, Ducks -170
Sharks vs Ducks Polymarket Odds
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Current odds: SHA 40% · DUC 61% · NHL
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Sharks vs. Ducks Preview
San Jose Sharks
After suffering a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on home ice Wednesday, the Sharks will likely need a minimum of eight points from their remaining five games to have a shot at earning a playoff berth. MoneyPuck offers them a 9.7% chance of making the playoffs, and when you count out the amount of additional points the Los Angeles Kings or Nashville Predators are likely to accrue, that's not surprising.
Either way, playing meaningful hockey down the stretch has been a huge bonus for the Sharks' young core and has helped invigorate the fan base. They have a full-fledged number one center in Macklin Celebrini, which is the hardest piece to obtain, but there are still many holes on the roster that have been exposed down the stretch.
San Jose has posted a 47.1% expected-goals share in 22 games since the Olympic break and has allowed 3.68 goals per game in that span. It has established a strong foundation for the future, but the defensive core remains a major concern, while both Alex Nedeljkovic and Yaroslav Askarov have posted below-average results in goal.
Since Nedeljkovic started last night's game, Askarov will likely get the start on Thursday. Askarov has struggled to a -14.2 GSAx rating and .885 save percentage this season across 44 appearances.
The Sharks' penalty kill has been a significant concern of late, and they struggled mightily on Wednesday versus an elite Oilers power play. Over the last 22 games, the Sharks have killed off just 72.1% of penalties taken.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks continue to appear as one of the more fraudulent playoff teams and have certainly benefitted from playing out of an ultra-soft Pacific Division, as well as an 8-0 record in shootouts. They enter this matchup in the midst of a six-game losing skid, in which they have allowed an average of 4.83 goals against per game.
For my piece on Tuesday's Ducks game, I gave the Ducks a little credit for the first time in a while in outlining a regulation tie. That take obviously proved to be a bad one as they lost 5-0, but they did generate 26 high-danger chances to the Predators' total of 9, and offensively played drastically better than the final score suggested.
Justus Annunen’s performance for the Predators last night was the best by *any* NHL goalie this season based on goals saved above expected. pic.twitter.com/OSQVGpJqrj
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) April 8, 2026
Juustus Annunen offered a historically strong performance in goal, which prevented the Ducks from managing what easily could have been a respectable offensive performance.
Head coach Joel Quenneville has leaned into a high-event style of play this season, allowing young talents such as Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier to break out with productive campaigns. From an offensive perspective, the Ducks still appear to be playing quite well, but they have struggled to finish quality chances lately, and their shaky defensive play has been exposed.
Gauthier is expected to remain sidelined in Thursday's matchup, which leaves a notable hole up front. On Monday, they utilized a new-look top line with Beckett Sennecke playing alongside Carlsson, but at Tuesday's practice, they went back to the duo of Troy Terry and Carlsson, which has generally been an effective tandem for Anaheim this season, regardless of who the third skater on the line is.
Lukas Dostal is expected to get the start in goal. He holds a .889 save percentage and -1.6 GSAx rating across 53 appearances this season.
Sharks vs. Ducks Prediction
Though the Sharks' season is more or less on the line in this spot, their defensive deficiencies could prove concerning versus a rested Ducks side that plays an up-tempo game and can create effectively off the rush. My lean on the side would be backing the Ducks to cover the spread at +145, as this appears to be a strong get-right spot.
If Terry and Carlsson are ultimately placed together on the top line, a price of -110 for them to each record a point looks to provide strong value in this matchup. The Sharks' penalty kill has struggled mightily of late, and they do not have an overly convincing pairing to try to match up against the Ducks' high-powered top unit.
Pick: Leo Carlsson/Troy Terry 1+ Point Each -110 (Bet365, Play to -120)
