Sharks Heavy Favorites Versus Senators Despite Losing 3 of Last 4 Games
By Ryan Bolta in NHL Hockey
Updated: April 8, 2020 at 9:36 am EDTPublished:
- The San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators face off at the Canadian Tire Centre Sunday night
- The Sharks have one of the NHL’s best special teams ranking in the top 10 on both the power play and penalty kill
- Get the odds, our pick, and all the info you need to bet the game below
Times are tough in Canada’s capital city these days with the Senators (2-7-1) sitting dead last in the league with only 5 points. Sunday night they welcome the San Jose Sharks (4-6-1) to Canadian Tire Centre for a battle between teams desperate for a win.
Sharks vs Senators Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose Sharks | -1.5 (+155) | -165 | O 6.5 (-120) |
| Ottawa Senators | +1.5 (-190) | +135 | U 6.5 (-105) |
Odds taken Oct 26th
The Sharks vs Senators odds paint an ugly picture but it’s a game worth betting. San Jose is coming off a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs which was their third in the last four games but this is the perfect match up to turn things around. With Ottawa reeling as well, I think picking San Jose to win by 2 goals or more is the play here for a couple of key reasons.
FINAL | Tough loss in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/Q6EvPIegNT
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 26, 2019
Senators Struggling on Both Ends of the Ice
The Senators have scored only 24 goals this season which ranks 5th worst in the NHL. The team leader is Vladislav Namestnikov with 4 goals and the team leader in points is Connor Brown who actually has yet to score this season. It has been an absolute grind offensively for a team devoid of a game breaking talent.
The coach confirms that Craig Anderson will get the start in goal tomorrow against the Sharks. pic.twitter.com/YsiNSUfeaP
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 26, 2019
On the back end, things haven’t been much better. Craig Anderson has a 2.94 goals against average which is actually tops of the team. Anders Nilsson is sporting a 3.36 goals against average, but is likely to watch this one from the bench. The team as a whole has a -11 goal differential which is better than only three other teams. All the numbers suggest it’s been a terrible start to the year in Ottawa and things aren’t likely to get much better.
Special Teams Will be Sharks Key Advantage
Don’t bet on Ottawa to score on the power play in this one. San Jose has the best penalty kill in the league at 92.5% while the Senators rank dead last on the power play scoring at a rate of only 6.1%. The Sharks are also good with the man advantage, as they rank 7th in the NHL thanks in large part to the dynamic duo of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns on the blue line.
Still need to come up with a Halloween costume? We got you. #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/P3oM3M6HmM
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 26, 2019
The big advantage on special teams is what pushes this bet from a simple money line proposition to a puck line bet in my eyes. San Jose will eventually take advantage in this area, especially when you factor in the Senators inability to keep the puck out of their own net.
One Final Note
Expect the scoreline in this game to look very similar to the score the last time these two teams faced off – San Jose beat Ottawa 4-1 last January.
PICK: San Jose Sharks -1.5 (+155)
Sports Writer
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
