ES 
NFL Previews 
MLB Previews 
NBA Previews 
NHL Previews 
Soccer Previews 
Prediction 
Odds 
Last Recap 
Top Handicapper 
Picks 
Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Avalanche and Sharks. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on NBCS, and it’s hosted by the Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. Get ready to place your bets! The Avalanche come into this Western conference matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 6.5 goals.
Colorado vs. San Jose Key Information
- Teams: Avalanche at Sharks
- Where: SAP Center San Jose
- Date: Sunday, October 20th
- Betting Odds COL -271 | SJ +221 O/U 6.5
The Avalanche Can Win If…
With a 4-3 overtime win against the Ducks, the Avalanche secured their first victory of the season, bringing their record to 1-4-0. Colorado was favored on the puck line, but failed to cover. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 7 goals surpassed that mark.
The Avalanche fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but Casey Mittelstadt scored early in the second to start the comeback. Ross Colton’s goal in the third period tied the game, and Nathan MacKinnon’s goal in overtime sealed the win.
Ross Colton netted his third and fourth goals of the season, while Nathan MacKinnon added his second in Colorado’s 4-3 overtime win against Anaheim. The Avalanche fired 49 shots on goal, with MacKinnon taking 9 and Colton 5. Casey Mittelstadt opened the scoring for Colorado with his fourth goal of the year.
Mikko Rantanen contributed two assists, bringing his season total to six. After a scoreless first period, the Avalanche got on the board with Mittelstadt’s goal, followed by Colton’s power-play goal, his third of the season.
Defensively, the Avalanche will look to improve after allowing the first two goals of the game against Anaheim, as well as a late equalizer with just 13 seconds left in the 3rd period. Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves but finished with a save percentage of 85%.
- Over their last three regular season games, the Avalanche have gone 1-2 straight up. The team’s record vs the puck line was just 0-3, in addition to an over-under mark of 3-0. Through their last five regular season contests, Colorado has a record of 1-4. Across these games, their puck line record was just 0-5, while posting an over-under record of 5-0.
- Through their last ten regular season contests, Colorado has a record of 2-8. Across these games, their puck line record was just 1-9, while posting an over-under record of 7-3.
The Sharks Can Win If…
The Sharks fell to 0-3-2 after an 8-3 loss to the Jets. San Jose’s defense struggled from the start, allowing a goal just 1:59 into the first period. The total for the game was set at 5.5 goals, but the teams combined for 11, well over that mark.
As underdogs on the puck line, the Sharks failed to cover. San Jose’s defense gave up four goals in the first period, and they never managed to close the gap. Tyler Toffoli scored the Sharks’ first goal at 8:17 in the first, making it 2-1 at the time.
San Jose took 22 shots on goal in their 8-3 loss to the Jets, with Tyler Toffoli netting his 4th goal of the season on a power play in the 1st period. Luke Kunin followed with his 1st goal of the season in the 2nd period, and Fabian Zetterlund added his 3rd in the 3rd period.
Toffoli also picked up his 2nd assist of the season on Zetterlund’s goal, while Mikael Granlund recorded his 5th assist on the same play. Earlier, Granlund had assisted on Toffoli’s power play goal, marking his 4th assist of the year.
San Jose’s defense struggled against the Jets, allowing the first goal just 1:59 into the game. The Sharks managed to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the first period, but the Jets responded with two more goals, including one at the 1:12 mark. San Jose also gave up three goals in the 3rd period. Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 13 saves and a 72.2% save percentage. The Sharks’ defense had 6 takeaways and 25 hits.
- The Sharks have gone 0-3 over their last three regular season games. Across these games, their puck line record was just 1-2, while posting an over-under record of 1-1-1. The Sharks have gone 0-5 over their last five regular season games. Across these games, their puck line record was just 2-3, while posting an over-under record of 2-2-1.
- Through their last ten regular season contests, San Jose has a record of 1-9. Their record against the puck line in this stretch is 4-6 to go along with an over-under mark of 4-5-1.
The Lean
For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Sharks to secure a victory over the Avalanche at home. With the moneyline currently set at +221, I’m locking in my bet on the Sharks straight-up.
Our projections have the Sharks pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Sharks, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.
With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.
Sharks Desperate to Emulate Avs and Grab First Win
The San Jose Sharks will be looking to earn their first win of the season when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night. Both teams have faced early struggles, but Colorado snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, and the Sharks will hope to follow suit.
Avalanche’s Recent Breakthrough
The Avalanche managed to avoid a fifth straight loss to open the season with a dramatic win over Anaheim. Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning goal in overtime with just 41 seconds remaining, capping off a comeback effort. Ross Colton contributed two third-period goals, while Casey Mittelstadt added another tally. Mikko Rantanen chipped in with three assists, and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves.
“You’ve got to be happy with not only the effort and the determination that they played with, but to be able to sustain it as long as they did, and to just stick with it regardless of the score,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. “It’s a great effort. More importantly, I think, than relief, it’s looking past that. It’s the guys getting rewarded, finally, for playing the right way.”
Despite the win, goaltending remains a concern for Colorado. Georgiev has struggled so far this season with a 1-3-0 record, a 4.99 goals-against average, and an .811 save percentage. However, he has been stellar against the Sharks in his career, boasting a 7-0-0 record with a .922 save percentage and a 1.63 GAA in eight games.
Kaapo Kahkonen, claimed off waivers by the Avalanche from Winnipeg, joined the team on Saturday after resolving his visa issues and may provide goaltending depth moving forward.
Sharks’ Search for First Win
The Sharks have had a tough start to the season, dropping their first five games. Their latest defeat came in an 8-3 blowout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, where they fell behind early and struggled to contain Winnipeg’s offense. Tyler Toffoli, Luke Kunin, and Fabian Zetterlund provided the goals, but the Sharks’ defense and goaltending could not keep them in the game.
Goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood was pulled late in the second period after allowing five goals on 18 shots, while Vitek Vanecek stopped 15 shots in relief. Blackwood has yet to win a game this season, with a 0-1-2 record, a 4.88 GAA, and an .875 save percentage. Vanecek hasn’t fared much better, sitting at 0-2-0 with a 3.15 GAA and an .892 save percentage.
“(Winnipeg) did a lot of things well,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “They were faster than us. They skated with the puck more through the neutral zone. They were probably more connected in their own end, and in the offensive zone, they gave us some trouble with some motion.”
The Sharks will need to tighten up defensively and find a way to break through against a Colorado team that is still searching for consistency.
Key Matchups and What to Watch
1. Goaltending Battle
Both teams have had their struggles in net, with Georgiev fighting inconsistency for the Avalanche and Blackwood and Vanecek struggling for the Sharks. If Colorado’s defense can limit high-danger chances, Georgiev’s strong career record against the Sharks might help tilt the game in the Avs’ favor.
2. Nathan MacKinnon vs. Sharks’ Defense
MacKinnon is the engine of Colorado’s offense, and his late-game heroics against Anaheim show that he is rounding into form. The Sharks’ defense will have to focus on limiting his impact, especially in the clutch.
3. Sharks’ Scoring Depth
While Tyler Toffoli has been the Sharks’ most consistent offensive threat with four goals, San Jose needs more contributions from the rest of the roster. Mikael Granlund has provided some support with five assists, but secondary scoring will be key if they hope to break through against the Avalanche.
Game Outlook
The Avalanche, coming off a momentum-boosting overtime win, will look to build on that and start their three-game road trip on a positive note. The Sharks, meanwhile, are desperate for a win and will need a complete team effort to end their losing streak.
Prediction
The Avalanche have the edge in firepower and goaltending, and with MacKinnon and Rantanen leading the way, they should be able to hand the Sharks their sixth straight loss.
Avalanche 5, Sharks 2
