The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-23-8) travel to face off against the San Jose Sharks (14-32-6) on Monday, January 27th. This game will be played at SAP Center in San Jose and televised on NBCS. The Penguins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Sharks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Canucks. Puck drop is set for 10:30 ET.
Penguins vs Sharks
The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win
Pittsburgh moved closer to .500 with a 3-1 road win over the Canadiens, improving to 20-23-8. The Penguins covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, with the total of 4 goals falling short of the 6.5 line.
Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, while Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to seal the win. The Penguins held the Canadiens scoreless until the third period.
The San Jose Sharks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
San Jose’s latest defeat came in a 3-2 road loss to the Canucks, bringing their record to 14-32-6. The Sharks were underdogs on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 5 goals fell short of that mark.
The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a goal from Nico Sturm, but the Canucks responded with three unanswered goals. Mikael Granlund tied it up for San Jose with 1:17 left in the third period, but Vancouver scored the game-winner with just 26 seconds remaining.
Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown
Sidney Crosby led the Penguins’ offense with two goals in their 3-1 win over Montreal. He scored early in the first period and added a power-play goal in the second, bringing his season total to five. Blake Lizotte netted his second goal of the year on an empty net with 45 seconds left in the game.
The Penguins took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his third assist of the season on Lizotte’s empty-netter, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s second goal.
Sharks Offense Breakdown
San Jose took 23 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 3-2 loss to Vancouver. Mikael Granlund scored his 6th goal of the season, while Nico Sturm added his 2nd, opening the scoring for the Sharks in the second period.
San Jose was held scoreless in the first period before Sturm’s goal at 17:23 in the second. Granlund’s goal came at 18:43 in the third period. The Sharks recorded 16 giveaways in the game.
Pittsburgh Team Defense
Defensively, the Penguins will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just one goal to Montreal. Alex Nedeljkovic recorded 25 saves with a 96.2% save percentage, and Pittsburgh’s defense added 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The lone goal they gave up came at 5:32 in the 3rd period.
San Jose Team Defense
San Jose’s defense gave up the game-winning goal with just 26 seconds left in the 3rd period, leading to a 3-2 loss to the Canucks. Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 25 saves with an 89.3% save percentage, while the Sharks’ defense contributed 6 takeaways and 21 hits.
Penguins vs Sharks Trends
- When looking at their past three road matchups, Pittsburgh has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
- In their last three games at home, the Sharks have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, San Jose has an puck line mark of 1-4 while going 0-5 straight up.
- In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Penguins have a straight up record of 5-5 and an puck line mark of 4-6.
Penguins vs Sharks Prediction
When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Sharks to come out with a win against the Penguins while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at +140, I’m placing my bet on the Sharks to win outright.
If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Sharks winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Sharks straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.
For those assessing the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will stay below that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 27, 2025 Penguins, Sharks