The San Jose Sharks, fueled by Timo Meier and Brent Burns, are ready to take the ice against Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center for a Western Conference tilt. The game gets started at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11 and it will be broadcasted live on NBC Sports Network.
San Jose Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks Odds
Sportsbooks have the Blackhawks (-150) as favorites, while the Sharks are offering moneyline odds of +130, and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at an even 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Chicago is 31-38 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.4 units for moneyline bettors thus far. That early-season winning percentage hasn’t moved much from the 36-46 record the team managed during the 2018-19 season campaign. 35 of its 69 contests have gone under the total, while 33 have gone over and just one has pushed. This year, the team’s 15-18 SU at home.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 14.4 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that puts them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated eighth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 82.4 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 29.5 saves per game with a .916 save percentage, Corey Crawford (15-24-3) has been the top option in goal for Chicago this year. If the Hawks decide to give him a rest, however, Chicago could turn to Robin Lehner (16-17-17 record, .918 save percentage, 3.01 goals against average).
San Jose has lost 12.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far and is currently 29-40 straight up (SU). Through 69 regular season contests, 38 of its games have gone under the total, while 28 have gone over and just three have pushed. The Sharks are 12-21 SU as a road team this season.
The Sharks have converted on just 17.2 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked second overall and it’s successfully defended 86.5 percent of all opponent power plays.
Martin Jones (24.9 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for San Jose. Jones owns a 17-24-2 record, and has registered a .896 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average this year.
San Jose Sharks at Chicago Blackhawks Betting Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Sharks, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Power plays and penalty kills could prove to be key in the outcome of this game. The Sharks are 6-14 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 21-25 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, in total. The Blackhawks are 9-16 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 21-27 when their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
San Jose is 2-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Chicago is 4-4 in shootouts.
For both of these teams, the total has gone under in three of their past five matchups.
San Jose skaters have averaged 9.8 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 9.0 giveaways per game (the 11th-fewest in the NHL).
Chicago has averaged 11.0 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 10.1 giveaways per game (ranked 17th in the NHL).
San Jose skaters have dished out the league’s ninth-most hits per game (22.5), but that number’s down to just 19.0 hits over their last five away games.