Utah Hockey Club vs. Sharks prediction, odds, pick -12/14/2024
12/14/2024 07:36 AM
The Utah Hockey Club and San Jose Sharks will meet for the second time this season on Saturday night. Utah hosted the first matchup of the season, which the Sharks won in a 5-4 overtime thriller. The Sharks found themselves in a 4-1 hole after the second period but rallied with goals from Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund, and Tyler Toffoli to tie the game and send it to overtime. Alexander Wennberg capitalized on a powerplay in overtime for the victory. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Utah HC-Sharks prediction and pick.
Here are the Utah HC-Sharks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Utah HC-Sharks Odds
Utah Hockey Club: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -180
San Jose Sharks: +1.5 (-165)
Moneyline: +150
Over: 6 (-115)
Under: 6 (-105)
How To Watch Utah HC vs. Sharks
Time: ET/PT
TV: Utah16, NBC Sports California
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Utah HC Could Cover the Spread/Win
Utah has been red-hot over their past ten games, owning a 6-2-2 record and riding a four-game point streak. They aren’t shy of superior competition, as they have won four of those games as an underdog, including their most recent 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Utah is climbing the standings in the Central Division and are now four points behind the last wild-card spot. There is still plenty of time to make up ground, but they can’t afford to go through any more losing spells as they did through November, and they definitely can’t afford to lose to inferior opponents like the Sharks.
The Sharks drew a clear line in the sand when they traded Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche for Alexandar Georgiev. Blackwood was one of the bright spots for the Sharks this season, but they realized they wouldn’t be Stanley Cup contenders and acquired assets for Blackwood before he became a free agent. The move didn’t allow an avenue to recall Yaroslav Askarov, as Georgiev is still on the roster. He won on Thursday night but allowed three goals on 20 shots, which aligns with his stats on the year. Georgiev has a 3.36 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage.
Why the Sharks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Sharks started becoming fan favorites as they had an exciting young team rallying off exciting wins. It reached a fever pitch when they outscored the Seattle Kraken 12-7 in back-to-back games, then defeated the league-leading Washington Capitals in overtime. However, they continued their road trip with the classic Florida/Carolina swing, which led to a three-game losing streak against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. They got back on the right track against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night and now return home for the first time since November 29.
Final Utah HC-Sharks Prediction & Pick
The Sharks won’t have much of an answer for Utah’s offense in this game. Utah’s offense dried up for a few weeks this season, but their form at the beginning of the year and over the past ten games has been elite. They have been riding their offense to a 4-1-1 record over their past six games, scoring 23 goals in the five games where they recorded points. Sharks goaltenders have a 3.00 goals-against average and a .851 save percentage over the past five games, which could make this a long night for San Jose and their fans.
Final Utah HC-Sharks Prediction & Pick: Utah Hockey Club -1.5 (+140)
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