The San Jose Sharks (9-24-3) travel to face off against the Colorado Avalanche (22-11-3) on Sunday, December 31st. This game will be played at Ball Arena in Denver. The Avalanche are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Sharks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Oilers. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

San Jose Sharks vs Colorado Avalanche

The San Jose Sharks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Through 36 games, the Sharks have achieved an overall record of 9-24-3. When on the road, San Jose holds a 3-15-1 record, while they are 6-9-2 when playing at home. At the moment, they hold the 8th spot in the Western Pacific division and are ranked 16th in the Western conference. Looking at San Jose’s average scoring margin, it is -2.1, which has led to a puck line record of 14-22. When playing at home, their scoring margin is -1.8, and on the road, it is -2.4.

The Sharks aim to bounce back following their 5-0 loss at home to the Oilers. In the game against the Oilers, San Jose’s offense had a tough time and didn’t score a single goal. During the game, the Sharks’ offense had 6 turnovers and took 25 shots on goal while being shutout.

Coming in as the underdog, San Jose not only lost straight-up but also failed to cover the puck line. Combining for 5 goals, the game finished below the over/under line of 7.

The Colorado Avalanche Are Coming Off A Win

As they head into their game vs. the Sharks, the Avalanche have a 22-11-3 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 14-4-0, and they have 8-7-3 mark on the road. At the moment, they hold the 1st spot in the Western Central division and are ranked 3rd in the Western conference. Colorado’s average scoring margin this season is +.6, leading to an overall puck line record of 17-19. At their home arena, they have a scoring margin of +1.6, while on the road, it is -0.4.

In their last game, the Avalanche went up against the Blues and emerged as winners with a score of 2-1. After scoring one goal in the first period, the Avalanche found the net one time in the 3rd period against the Blues. In the game, Colorado managed to score all two goals at even strength. They concluded with 23 shots on goal and committed 8 turnovers.

Colorado couldn’t cover the puck line despite the straight-up win, as they entered the game as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage. Combining for 3 goals, the game finished below the over/under line of 6.5.

San Jose Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Sharks are averaging 2.1 goals per game which is 32nd in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 32nd in the league. This season, the Sharks have a 1-1 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 8-22 record.

This season, the Sharks’ have an over/under record of 14-19-3. Throughout the season, they have played 22 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.2 goals per game.

Colorado Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Avalanche are averaging 3.6 goals per game this season, putting them in the 2nd spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 4th in the league. This season, the Avalanche have a 12-7 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 8-4 record.

The Avalanche come in with an over/under record of 19-15-2. Over the season, there have been 19 games that have surpassed the 6.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, are at 6.7 goals per game.

San Jose Team Defense

The Sharks’ defense comes into the game with a ranking of 22nd in takeaways and an average of 5.9 takeaways per contest. They hold 2nd place in the NHL for goals allowed, with an average of 3.9 goals given up per game.

Colorado Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Avalanche head into the game ranked 21st in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.2 shots per game against Colorado. So far, they are 23rd in shutouts, achieving 1 shutouts.

Sharks vs Avalanche Trends

• Through their last ten road games, San Jose has an puck line record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 3-7 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Across the Avalanche last ten home games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-9, while going 3-7 straight-up.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Avalanche have a straight up record of 5-5 and an puck line mark of 7-3.
• The last five games that San Jose was favored, they have an puck line mark of 1-4 while going 1-4 straight up.

Sharks vs Avalanche Prediction

If you’re interested in a pure moneyline wager, then the Avalanche is the preferred option. However, with a payout of -399, it might be worth considering this bet as a component of a larger parlay.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Sharks to cover. Even if the Avalanche win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Sharks should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.