SAN JOSE SHARKS @ EDMONTON OILERS
Ice Hockey : North America : NHL
Monday, January 23rd, 2012, 9:30PM US
(2:30AM GMT)

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PREVIEW

This should be a good match tonight between 2 sides desperate to end losing streaks.

San Jose are in Edmonton having dropped 2 straight games, and 3 of their last 4. Meanwhile Edmonton have lost 3 straight games, and won just 1 of their last 9. Clearly, they are the inferior team on current form.

San Jose may have lost 3 of their last 4 but those losses have come against the Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks. You're going to see all those teams still playing once the regular season ends. San Josey are now facing an Edmonton side that has a 17-26-4 mark this season. Edmonton are vulnerable too, rarely putting up much of a fight in their losses. In 9 of their last 11 losses, they've been hit for at least 4 goals!

It's barely ok to let in that many goals, if you have the offence to bail you out. Edmonton don't. The Oilers have not scored more than 2 goals in any of their last 7 matches. They have scored just 7 goals in regulation time of their last 7 games. They are taking that crappy form up against a Sharks side that is allowing a miserly 2.15 goals away from home.

Yes, San Jose have shipped a bunch of goals in their recent losses, but all the more reason to expect them to take it out on a weaker opponent whose number they own. I can see them giving up no more than 1 goal against Edmonton tonight.

BETTING VERDICT

San Jose is the better team, and the recent head to head shows it, with the Sharks winning 10 of the last 12 meetings with Edmonton. The last match finished 3-2 to the Sharks and I think this one won't be as close. Comfortable away win.

The Pick :

San Jose Sharks

HANDICAP BETTING :

Take the San Jose Sharks -1.5 @ 2.74 (Pinnacle)