Two of the Western Conference’s top teams clash this Sunday afternoon when the Detroit Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks in this week’s NHL spotlight matchup of the weekend.
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Detroit seemingly unbeatable at home
With a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, the Detroit Red Wings set the NHL record for the most consecutive wins at home with a staggering 21 in a row. The Red Wings are now 24-2-1 at home and are 39-17-2 (39-19 straight up on the NHL betting moneyline) overall, giving them 80 points and the top spot in the Western Conference.
Fueled by their exceptional play at home, Detroit ranks in the Top 5 in the league in both goals for (fourth with 3.1 goals per game) and goals against (fifth allowing just 2.3 goals against per game). Pavel Datsyuk leads the team in points with 57 (15 goals and 42 assists). All-Star goaltender Jimmy Howard, who has missed the last two weeks with a finger injury, is set to make his return Sunday against San Jose.
Sunday’s game will be important to the Western Conference’s standings as both teams look to hold on to their division leads, but it could have added importance if the Red Wings top the Nashville Predators on Friday night. With a home win over Nashville, Detroit’s home winning streak would stretch to 22 games, and would be on the line Sunday against San Jose.
San Jose has games in hand on rival
Currently boasting a 31-17-6 record (31-23 SU on the NHL betting moneyline), the San Jose Sharks hold a three-point lead in the Pacific Division over the division-rival Los Angeles Kings; and with three less games played they have an opportunity to expand on that lead.
But in order to do so, they’ll need to pick up those points on a grueling nine-game road trip that started last Sunday. So far, the Sharks are 1-1 on the road trip with a loss to St. Louis and a win over Washington. San Jose is set to face Tampa Bay on Thursday night and Carolina on Friday night before heading to Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Sunday. The Sharks are 13-8-4 on the road to this point in the season.
Like the Red Wings, San Jose is solid on both offense and defense. The Sharks rank ninth in the NHL in goals for (2.8 per game) and sixth in the league in goals against (2.4 per game). Joe Thornton leads the Sharks in scoring with 50 points (12 goals and 38 assists).
San Jose knows how to beat Detroit
Just looking at the statistics, as well as Detroit’s dominance at home, Detroit may look like an obvious choice to some bettors. But San Jose has consistently had the upper hand on the Red Wings over the last few years.
Each of Detroit’s last two seasons ended at the hands of the Sharks as San Jose knocked Detroit out of the playoffs in five games in 2010 and in seven games in 2011. This season, the Sharks are 2-0 against Detroit in two games, handing the Red Wings one of their two regulation losses at home back in October. San Jose is 14-5 straight up on the NHL betting moneyline in its last 19 games against Detroit.
While the Red Wings did fall to the Sharks back in October, that game was in the midst of a six-game losing streak in which the Wings scored only six goals combined; they are obviously playing at a much higher level now. Still, considering Detroit’s past struggles with San Jose, the Sharks may be worth a look as an underdog if the price is right.
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