The San Jose Sharks (7-9-1) and Minnesota Wild (11-3-3) battle in a Friday game in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The opening faceoff at Grand Casino Arena will be at 8 p.m. ET (NHL Network). Let's analyze NHL odds around the Sharks vs. Wild odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
2025-26 season series: San Jose won 3-0 with 2 wins in Minnesota
San Jose last played Wednesday, falling as a +140 road underdog to the Los Angeles Kings 7-2 (Over 6.5). The Sharks allowed 3 first-period goals and never recovered in what marked its third straight setback and fifth loss in its last 6 games. Friday's tussle in Saint Paul marks the middle stop on a 3-game road trip that concludes Saturday at the Dallas Stars.
The Wild last played Tuesday, defeating the
Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 (Over 5.5) as a -185 road favorite. Minnesota notched an early 3-0 lead in the wire-to-wire conquest. LW Matt Boldy collected a goal and an assist, extending a point streak to 6 games. The Wild are 5-0-1 over their last 6 contests.
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Sharks at Wild odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:52 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Sharks +202 | Wild -250
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Sharks +1.5 (-118) | Wild -1.5 (-104)
- Over/Under (O/U): Over 6.5 (-102) | Under 6.5 (-124)
Sharks at Wild projected goalies
Yaroslav Askarov (4-7-0, 3.29 GAA, .888 SV%) vs. Jesper Wallstedt (10-2-3, 2.06 GAA, .920 SV%)
Askarov went the route and made 20 saves while allowing 7 goals Wednesday in Los Angeles. The Kings converted 3 of 5 power-play opportunities against the 24-year-old, who has started 4 of San Jose's last 5 games.
Wallstedt stopped 23 of 25 shots in Tuesday's win at Philadelphia. The 23-year-old has allowed 2 or fewer goals in 4 of his last 5 appearances.
Sharks at Wild picks and predictions
Prediction
Wild 5, Sharks 2
Moneyline
The Wild are the likable side here, even at a price of -250. Most bettors will look to avoid that outlay, though. PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
Minnesota has played just 5 games at home so far; the Wild lost their last home tilt, a 4-3 overtime setback vs. the New York Islanders Oct. 29. Before that they had been 4-0-0 on home ice. Look for Minnesota to want to establish some home dominance against a club that had their number a year ago.
Those Sharks wins over the Wild last season were in a shootout and 2 overtime games. And Minnesota had leads in 2 of those games. Prior to that trio of triumphs, San Jose had lost 7 in a row to Minnesota (2023-25).
San Jose coughed up 3 power-play goals in its last game, has filed 11.3 penalty minutes per game since Oct. 13, and is facing a Minnesota club that has found twine on 25.4% of its PP opportunities (eighth NHL).
In even-strength situations, that suits the Wild fine, too. They generate a lot of scoring chances, and their Kirill Kaprizov-Joel Eriksson Ek-Boldy line has been one of the best in the league this season.
BACK MINNESOTA -1.5 (-104).
Over/Under
The Over is 7-3 across the last 10 meetings.
If Askarov goes for the Sharks, he has been a road struggler (.878 SV% in his career). He's up against a Wild club that has scored 24 goals while going 5-0-1 over its last 6.
Expected-goals stats are bullish on both sides scoring more and yielding more in 5-on-5 play. Throw in some PP production, and the OVER 6.5 (+102) is the likable side.
Best prop bet
Wild LW KIRILL KAPRIZOV OVER 0.5 GOALS (-125) is a play with leverage.
Kaprizov is the NHL goals leader with 15. He found the back of the net 4 times across Minnesota's first 4 home games, and he gets a lot of ice time on an uber productive line. Kaprizov logged only 3 shots over Minnesota's last 2 games. Look for him to be a frequent threat in this tussle against a San Jose squad that can get leaky when it comes to coughing up shots from the slot.
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild odds, picks and predictions
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