Golden Knights vs. Sharks Prediction
The Las Vegas Golden Knights took a small step back in season two of their franchise, but are right in the mix heading into the Western Conference Playoffs. Can Las Vegas win an important Game 1 of its quarterfinals series at the San Jose Sharks?
Game Snapshot
9 Las Vegas Golden Knights at 10 San Jose Sharks
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
SAP Center at 10:30PM ET
TV: NBCSN
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our NHL Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Sharks are a -135 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Golden Knights are a +115 underdog, while the total is set at 6 goals. As of Wednesday afternoon, 55 percent of public bets are coming in on visiting Las Vegas. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest updates.
Golden Knights struggle to finish
Las Vegas enters the playoffs on a poor note with seven losses in its last eight games after advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals as an expansion team last season. The Golden Knights ended the 2018-19 campaign at 43-32-7 for 93 points. Las Vegas is led in part by center Jonathan Marchessault as he accounted for 25 goals and 34 assists. Fellow center William Karlsson tallied 24 goals and 32 assists, while right wingers Reilly Smith (19 goals, 34 assists) and Alex Tuch (20 goals, 32 assists) had strong seasons in 74 games each. Veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury compiled a 35-21-5 record, 2.51 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Sharks balanced up front
San Jose received contributions from a lot of sources en route to a 46-27-9 record and 101 points this season. Defenseman Brent Burns led the way with 16 goals plus 67 assists, while center Tomas Hertl accounted for 35 goals and 39 assists in 77 games. Center Logan Couture added 27 goals and 43 assists in 81 games played. The Sharks were a little shaky on the back end during the regular season as goalie Martin Jones went 36-19-5 with a 2.94 goals-against average plus an .896 save percentage. But San Jose was able to get away with it a lot of nights simply by outscoring the competition. The regular season series was tied 2-2 with each team winning once on their opponent’s home ice.
NHL Betting Trends
Las Vegas
The Golden Knights are 4-0 in their last four conference quarterfinals games. Las Vegas is 5-17 in its last 22 games as an underdog.
San Jose
The Sharks are 4-0 in their last four conference quarterfinals games. San Jose is 2-5 in its last seven games as a home favorite.
Prediction:
These two squads should have an entertaining series, but San Jose has a tendency to lay some duds in the postseason at some point. The Golden Knights are battle-tested after their amazing run last season and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them skate into a tough road venue and escape with a win. I’m putting my trust in Fleury here as he had the much better regular season than Jones.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS +115