The struggling San Jose Sharks, losers of eight of their last eleven games, face a formidable challenge as they host Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers who have won six of nine despite missing Connor McDavid.
While the Sharks' porous defense has surrendered a staggering 22 goals in their last four outings, Edmonton's Calvin Pickard has been rock-solid with just 11 goals allowed in his past five starts.
This Pacific Division showdown at SAP Center might turn into a scoring fest given the recent history between these teams, with the home team Sharks desperately seeking to end their slide against an away team Oilers squad that has dominated this matchup with 11 wins in their last 12 meetings.
San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers prediction: who will win?
For tonight's San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers matchup, our predictive model gives the Oilers a 79.33% chance of defeating the Sharks.
Edmonton Oilers: 79.33% win probability
- Explosive offense (239 goals scored this season, ranking 6th in the Western Conference)
- Strong playoff positioning (Currently 6th in Western Conference with 91 points)
- Momentum builder (Recent form shows WWLLW, winning 3 of last 5 games)
San Jose Sharks: 20.67% win probability
- League-worst record (Currently 16th in Western Conference with only 50 points)
- Porous defense (282 goals against, worst in the Western Conference)
- Struggling consistency (Recent form of LLLWW shows inconsistency with 3 losses in last 5 games)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers odds
Here are the latest odds for the NHL matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the home team San Jose Sharks, facing off on Thursday, April 03.
| San Jose Sharks | Edmonton Oilers | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +225 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) | -260 (via FanDuel Sportsbook) |
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San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers preview
The struggling San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center Thursday night in what looks like a serious mismatch on paper.
Edmonton has been rolling lately despite Connor McDavid's absence, winning six of their last nine games with Leon Draisaitl stepping up big time after returning from his own injury – dude just keeps finding the back of the net.
Meanwhile, the Sharks are in the league basement, having dropped eight of their last eleven games and surrendering a whopping 22 goals in their last four outings alone.
If there's any bright spot for San Jose, it's their occasional offensive outburst, like scoring five against Toronto recently, but their leaky defense (worst in the NHL at 3.74 goals against per game) gives them little chance against potent teams.
The goaltending matchup heavily favors Edmonton, with Calvin Pickard likely getting the start after allowing just 11 goals in his last five appearances, while San Jose's Alexandar Georgiev has struggled mightily all season.
History isn't kind to the Sharks either – Edmonton has won 11 of their last 12 meetings, with four of the last five Oilers victories coming by multiple goals.
With Draisaitl finding his form and San Jose's defense in shambles, this Pacific Division clash could get ugly quickly, even without McDavid in the lineup.
I'd keep an eye on the Oilers' power play, which has been clicking at over 25% this season and could feast against the Sharks' penalty kill that ranks among the league's worst.
Key stats
- 1Edmonton Oilers (6th) are significantly higher in the standings than San Jose Sharks (16th) - a 41-point difference
- 2San Jose Sharks have the worst defensive record in the Western Conference with 282 goals against
- 3Edmonton Oilers have won 3 of their last 5 games (WWLLW) while Sharks have won just 2 (LLLWW)
- 4Edmonton averages 3.23 goals per game compared to San Jose's 2.61, showing a clear offensive advantage
San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers form
San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers head to head
San Jose Sharks
17%
Edmonton Oilers
83%
Dec 21, 2024
Edmonton Oilers
3 : 2
San Jose Sharks
Apr 16, 2024
Edmonton Oilers
9 : 2
San Jose Sharks
Dec 29, 2023
San Jose Sharks
0 : 5
Edmonton Oilers
Nov 10, 2023
San Jose Sharks
3 : 2
Edmonton Oilers
Apr 14, 2023
Edmonton Oilers
5 : 2
San Jose Sharks
Apr 8, 2023
San Jose Sharks
1 : 6
Edmonton Oilers
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