Sharks vs. Devils NHL Free Pick
(The Spread) – Two teams heading in opposite directions at the start of the season will square off in New Jersey tonight.
SAN JOSE: Despite making a deep postseason run in 2010, the Sharks have started 2011 off in slow fashion. After beating Phoenix 6-3 in their season opener, the Sharks have now dropped three straight while scoring just four goals over that span. Their latest loss came against Anaheim on Monday. Brent Burns leads the team in both points (3) and shots (19), while Thomas Greiss currently owns a 2.36 goals against average.
NEW JERSEY: Unlike San Jose, which won its opener and then dropped its next three games, the Devils lost their opener only to rattle off three in a row to get to 3-1 on the season. They won back-to-back shootouts against Nashville (October 15) and Los Angeles (October 13) after beating Carolina on October 10. Johan Hedberg leads the team with three wins and a 1.41 GAA, while Ilya Kovalchuk has a team-high four points.
ODDS: Despite the two teams’ records, odds makers have installed visiting San Jose as -115 money line favorites over host New Jersey, which is +106 on the ML. The over/under total for this game is currently sitting at five goals.
FREE PICK: Take New Jersey. According to latest NHL trends, the Sharks are just 2-8 in their last 10 games against the Devils and 0-5 in their last five road games versus New Jersey. The home team is also 6-1 in the last seven meetings between these two teams, while the Devils are 4-0 in their last four games against the Pacific Division and 5-0 in their last five games versus the Western Conference. The Devils are hot, the Sharks are not – take New Jersey, which comes with a nice price tonight.
FRIDAY NHL FREE PICK: NEW JERSEY DEVILS +106
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