The Detroit Red Wings are preparing for a matchup with the San Jose Sharks as they come to town looking to get the most out of the Red Wings on their home ice. It seems like a winnable game against a bad team on paper, but those are precisely the type of games that Detroit has been unable to finish in so far this season.
The Sharks are 3-5-2 in their last ten games and are fresh off two losses as the Red Wings look to get back in the win column after dropping Saturday’s matchup with the Flyers. It’s another home-ice matchup that might serve Detroit well with some time off between games.
On the other hand, they are 3-6-1 in their last ten, which is not any better than San Jose, and they have struggled to win the games that many would label easy victories. The offense continues to find ways to score, but the opposition continues to find ways to convert.
The Red Wings will have to neutralize Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier, who are the Sharks’ forwards mostly likely to do damage. Erik Karlsson is another player the Red Wings will have to monitor when the Sharks have the puck, as he has snapped back from a rough patch in his career and is making a case for Norris Trophy votes with the way he is playing.
Detroit Red Wings game information and prediction vs. Sharks
If the Red Wings want to win this game, they will have an excellent chance to do so. One of the things they have to do is continue creating offense. They have been able to score a lot more in recent games, and the Sharks rank 29th in goals-against per game, so the Red Wings will put themselves in a good spot if they can get a few in the Sharks’ net.
They may be a third-period team, but the Red Wings should be looking to come out hard with some energy, maybe grabbing a goal or two in the first. Obviously, that’s the hope, but getting up early and controlling a lead would allow the Red Wings to do the usual and allow a soft goal or two so San Jose climbs back into it before they take the lead in the third and cap off a win rather than falling to a team they should not lose to.
Let’s get into some game notes, betting odds, and a prediction…
Game: Detroit Red Wings (19-18-8) vs. San Jose Sharks (14-25-9)
When: Tuesday, January 24th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena
Where to Watch: Bally Sports Detroit/ ESPN+
Odds: According to DraftKings, the Detroit Red Wings are the favorite with a -150 payout on the Moneyline. San Jose has a +130 payout on the Moneyline but is the favorite on the Puck Line. The Sharks have a -180 payout at +1.5. Detroit is +155 at -1.5 on the Puck Line. The over/under is set at 6.5, with both the over and the under holding -110 odds.
Prediction: Part of me wants to say hammer Red Wings Moneyline, but they continue to lose the very winnable games. For that reason, I’m staying away from what feels like a trap game on the Moneyline/Puck Line. I like a couple of the prop bets offered on DraftKings. Both teams to score in the first period is +135, and I’m rocking with that. I’m also picking the third period as the highest-scoring at +190 odds.
This seems like a game to live bet, looking at over/under lines after each period or looking into some shot-on-goal lines for players closer to game time. This is a very winnable game for the Red Wings, and they need to come out looking to draw first blood. If they can play with some energy early and finish, it looks good, but if they do what they have been, another loss could be on the horizon.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.