The Vegas Golden Knights continue their dream season tonight when they host the San Jose Sharks in Round 2 of the NHL playoffs. The expansion Knights swept the Kings in the first round and have been for lack of a better word “golden” at home, going 7-1 SU in their last eight at T-Mobile Arena and finishing 13-4 SU in their barn vs divisional opponents. Not to be outdone, the Sharks also swept their first-round series vs the Ducks and opened as +130 dogs to steal a victory in Vegas.
There may not be much of an edge to either team in the goaltending department as netminders Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury had nearly identical stats through the playoffs with three shutouts combined in eight games.
But where the advantage may emerge is on the power play as the Sharks converted six of their 20 chances in their first-round series whereas the Knights only converted one of 12 power-play opportunities vs the Kings. San Jose has also been a decent wager vs divisional opponents, winning 11 of the last 12 games.
The Knights are out to prove this season was not a fluke and based on their defensive performance in the first round, this seems to be a squad built for the postseason as they held the Kings to only three goals in the first-round sweep. Vegas tied for the best home record in the NHL this season and finished 3-1 SU and ATS in the season series with the Sharks.
The total opened at 5 and based on how these teams played in the first round, an UNDER looks to be on the docket. The total has gone UNDER in seven of the Knights’ last eight games at home with an average combined score of 4.3 goals per game.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Vegas Golden Knights as -129 favorites earlier today. The OVER/UNDER opened at 5 at Sportsbook for betting fans hoping to turn a profit on totals.
OddsShark computer score prediction models pick a possible 3.5-2.2 win for the Sharks on Thursday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
San Jose Sharks vs Vegas Golden Knights Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Vegas Golden Knights currently sport a record of 55-24-7. The San Jose Sharks are 49-27-10. Betting totals have seen the Golden Knights post a 42-41-3 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Sharks have gone 38-46-2 against the number. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Vegas vs San Jose injuries news.
The NHL Power Rankings at OddsShark show the No. 8-rated Sharks taking on the No. 20-rated Golden Knights in this contest.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Vegas Golden Knights' No. 7-ranked offense (3.24 goals per game) against a San Jose Sharks defense that ranks No. 8 at 2.71 goals per game allowed. The Golden Knights power play has clicked at a 21.07% rate while the Sharks have a 84.81% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
In their last action, Vegas was a 1-0 Sportsbook on the road against the Kings. Bettors on Vegas at +112 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (1) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well.
Next Betting Matchups
San Jose at Vegas, Saturday, April 28