The SAP Center has always been a tough place to play for road teams, and the San Jose Sharks are riding a wave in front of their hometown fans ahead of Thursday’s clash with the Dallas Stars in California. The Sharks, who’ve won three in a row at home and earned a point in five straight (4-0-1), opened as -222 home favorites with a total of 5.5 at sportsbooks.
- The Stars are 6-1 SU in their past seven games against the Sharks.
- The OVER is 5-0 in the Stars’ last five road games against the Sharks.
- The OVER is 12-2 in the Sharks’ last 14 games against the Stars.
Stars haven’t been a safe bet on the road
San Jose has dropped a pair of one-goal decisions in Dallas this season, including a 3-2 setback on Friday which is the only loss in the Sharks’ past five contests. The Sharks topped New Jersey 5-2 at SAP Center on Monday when captain Joe Pavelski scored for the seventh time in eight games to reach the 20-goal mark for the sixth straight year. Since returning from an upper-body injury, Timo Meier has collected three goals and four assists in four games.
Dallas has dropped the first two games of its four-game road trip, including a 6-3 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. In their past eight away from home, the Stars are now 2-5-1 SU. A bright spot for the Stars has been Miro Heiskanen, the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, who’s registered two goals and four assists over Dallas’ previous six tilts. Captain Jamie Benn has gone three games without a point after notching five goals and two assists in his previous six.
Dallas has had the edge against San Jose lately
The Stars haven’t been the most reliable team in the NHL this year when it comes to cashing moneyline bets, yet they have been an excellent play against the Sharks over the years. Dallas is 6-1 SU and on the puckline in its past seven meetings with the Sharks.
When it comes to the total, bettors would be wise to pay attention to the OVER tonight. In the past 14 matchups between the Western Conference squads, the OVER is a sizzling 12-2. It’s also a perfect 5-0 in their last five clashes at SAP Center. In San Jose’s previous seven overall, five of them have gone OVER.
