Minnesota Wild (28-26-6) vs San Jose Sharks (15-38-5)
March 3, 2024 at 07:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Minnesota Wild -256 / San Jose Sharks +200 — Over/Under: 6.5
The San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild face off on Sunday in an NHL showdown at the Xcel Energy Center. Let’s look at the betting matchup and give a free Sharks vs Wild prediction.
Sharks on Tired Legs
The Sharks faced off against the Dallas Stars on Saturday and now they are going to have tired legs. The defense is an issue, and that really hurt them two games ago. The Sharks scored four goals against the Anaheim Ducks but the defense gave up six goals. Anthony Duclair had a strong game putting up two goals and one assist. The Sharks are averaging 2.11 goals while their defense is giving up 3.86 goals. The offense was actually pretty good in the last game, the defense just didn’t make enough stops. Mikael Granlund has scored seven goals and added 28 assists so far this season.
Wild Need this Win
The Wild are trying to stay in the playoff picture and this is a game they need to win. They also had a tough game on Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues, and that means they are going to have tired legs. On Thursday, the Wild faced off against the Nashville Predators, and they were able to secure the 6-1 victory. The Wild are averaging 3.1 goals while their defense is giving up 3.33 goals per game. Kirill Kaprizov has scored 26 goals and added 37 assists so far this season.
Minnesota Wild Player Prop Facts
- Matthew Boldy has scored at least one goal in each of the Wild’s last four games against Pacific Division opponents.
- Kirill Kaprizov has recorded at least one point in each of the Wild’s last five games against Pacific Division opponents.
- Kirill Kaprizov has recorded at least one assist in each of the Wild’s last four games against Pacific Division opponents.
San Jose Sharks Player Prop Facts
- Tomas Hertl has recorded at least one point in eight of his last nine appearances against the Wild.
- Tomas Hertl has recorded an assist in three of his last four appearances against the Wild after playing less than 20 minutes in the Sharks’ last game.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Minnesota Wild rank 28th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (74.76%).
- The Minnesota Wild rank 2nd in the league for Period 2 goals allowed per game this season (0.82).
- The San Jose Sharks rank 32nd in the league for goals against per game this season (3.83).
- The San Jose Sharks rank 31st in the league for goals per game this season (2.12).
Sharks vs Wild Betting prediction
This game is going to be lower scoring. The Wild’s offense has been a bit inconsistent heading into this game, and they are going to struggle to get the offense going here. The Sharks offense is averaging only 2.11 goals per game, and they are also going to really struggle to get the offense going here. Both teams are going to really struggle to get going here, and this game is going to stay under the total.