Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins will do battle against Brent Burns, Timo Meier, and the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center in an East-West tilt. The first puck will drop at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 29, and fans at home can witness the game live on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks Odds
Boasting a moneyline of -165, Pittsburgh enters the game as the noticeable favorite. The line for the Sharks now stands at +145, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Pittsburgh is 37-26 straight up (SU) and has netted 4.7 units for moneyline bettors this season. 31 of its contests have gone under the total, while 29 have gone over and just two have pushed. The Pens are 15-16 SU on the road in 2019-20.
Pittsburgh has converted on 20.8 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 14th overall, and it has successfully killed off 81.5 percent of all penalties..
Averaging 25.1 saves per game with a .900 save percentage, Matt Murray (18-16-5) has been the top option in goal for Pittsburgh this season. Murray played last night, however, so the team may decide to rest him and go with Tristan Jarry instead (20-11-1 record, .927 save percentage, 2.23 goals against average).
Over on the other bench, San Jose is 27-37 straight up (SU) and has lost 11.4 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 64 regular season contests, 35 of its games have gone under the total, while 26 have gone over and just three have pushed. The team’s 15-16 SU at home this year.
The Sharks have converted on just 15.7 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked first overall, and it’s successfully killed off 86.1 percent of all penalties.
Martin Jones has stopped 24.9 shots per game as the top choice in goal for the Sharks. Jones has 15 wins, 22 losses, and two overtime losses and has recorded a mediocre 3.08 goals against average and a subpar .894 save percentage this year.
Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks Free Picks
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Sharks, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- Six of San Jose’s last ten outings have been decided by two or more goals, and the team is 2-4 overall in those games.
- Penalties and power plays could play a key role in the outcome of this game. The Penguins are 17-11 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 26-16 when they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Sharks are 6-12 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 20-22 when total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- San Jose is 2-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Pittsburgh is 3-0 in shootouts.
- The under has hit in four of San Jose’s last five outings.
- Pittsburgh skaters have averaged 7.4 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 9.3 giveaways per game (ranked 12th in the league).
- San Jose skaters have averaged 8.0 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 9.0 giveaways per game (the 10th-fewest in the league).
- This game features two of the more physical defenses in the league. Pittsburgh skaters have accounted for the league’s second-most hits per game (28.2) while the Sharks have handed the 12th-most (22.1).
