The HP Pavilion is the venue for a clash between the top two teams in the Pacific Division. The Sharks sit on 101 with the Kings and Coyotes just behind on 96. 

Record 12-12 making 2.02 units

NHL free pick on the San Jose Sharks as they take on the Los Angeles Kings in NHL action set to start at 10:00 PM ET.  

My proprietary sports handicapping database and simulator shows a high probability that San Jose will win this game easily. Both teams enter this game on hot winning streaks with the Kings sporting a 7-2-1 run and the Sharks on a 7-1-2 winning run. San Jose ranks third in the Western Conference with 101 points and are still competing with the Detroit Red Wings for the second spot in the playoff seedings. San Jose is just one point behind Detroit with three games left to the regular season. The kings are in fourth place in the Western Conference and have nearly clinched a playoff spot. They have a comfortable four point lead over eighth place Calgary with 92 points.

Supporting System

Supporting this graded play on the San Jose Sharks is a system that has produced a record of 101-48 making 28.7 units since 2005. The average play has been a 150.6 favorite. Play on home favorites against the money line off a win by two goals or more over a division rival and with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. The Sharks defeated divisional foe Dallas 3-1 installed as -135 favorites Saturday. As mentioned Los Angeles is a playoff team posting a 45-27-6 winning mark satisfying the second part of this system’s criteria.

Simulator Projections 

The simulator shows a very high probability that the Sharks will allow two or fewer goals in this game. In past games where San jose has achieved this defensive performance level San Jose has posted a 33-5 record making 27.4 units per one unit wagered this season, 124-16 record making 100.6 units per one unit wagered spanning the past three years, and 499-86 making 433.8 units per one unit wagered. When San Jose allows two goals exactly they are 16-3 making 12.1 units per one unit wagered this season, 58-12 making 39.4 units per one unit wagered spanning the last three seasons, and 199-69 making 119 units per one unit wagered since 1996.

The Los Angeles Kings are not very good at all in past games scoring just two or fewer goals in a game posting a 9-24 mark losing 21.8 units per one unit wagered this season, 26-93 losing 83.4 units per one unit wagered spanning the past three seasons, and 78-430 losing 412.6 units per one unit wagered since 1996.

Game Situations

There are several game situations supporting San Jose in this game noting they are 33-13 against the money line making 15.1 units per one unit wagered after two or more consecutive ‘overs’ spanning the last two seasons; 23-9 against the money line making 11.8 units against mistake free teams  allowing opponents an average of four or fewer power plays per game in the second half of this season.

Take the San Jose Sharks.