San Jose Sharks at Philadelphia Flyers Betting Preview
The Eagles have a bye in the NFL on Sunday, but it’s still lined up to be a great sports day in the City of Brotherly Love. The Phillies can advance to the World Series with a win over the Padres in the afternoon, and it looks like the Philadelphia Flyers will pick up an easy win over the San Jose Sharks for the nightcap.
Both the Sharks and Flyers are playing back-to-back, but San Jose (1-6-0) is playing in their fourth straight road game. Philadelphia (4-2-0), meanwhile, is back at the Wells Fargo Center following a 3-1 win in Nashville on Saturday. Oddsmakers have the Flyers just -132 favorites here.
Shark’s Offense Very Futile
One positive for San Jose is that they’ll likely see Flyers backup goaltender Felix Sandstrom playing on the back-to-back. If this Sharks offense had to face #1 netminder Carter Hart, who is 4-0 with a 1.75 GAA, it would be a stretch to say they’d even score a single goal.
The Sharks’ offense has been bad, which is pretty obvious when a team starts 1-6. They have been held to two goals or less in all six losses this season; ironically, the only time they scored three was in a 3-2 win over the Rangers and 2022 Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin as +242 underdogs.
Sunday is already the Sharks’ third back-to-back this season, and although Kaapo Kahkonen started the other two, he was in net for Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Devils. That means James Reimer gets the nod going for a second straight win after stopping 21 of 23 Rangers shots on Thursday.
Flyers Should Take This One
The -132 price tag on the Flyers seems kind of low, even though it’s the first time they’ve been favored through five games this season.
This game is a tale of two offenses, with San Jose scoring 3+ goals just once this season and Philadelphia yet to be held under three all year. The Flyers being at home for the first time in over a week definitely helps their chances as well.
Sure the Flyers will not have Hart in net after another masterful performance stopping 31 of 32 Predators SOG on Saturday. Felix Sandstrom makes his second start of the season after allowing four goals on 36 shots at Florida last weekend.
Sharks at Flyers Pick and Prediction
The Flyers would seem to have value even at -160 or higher, so being priced in the -130s is a head-scratcher that almost makes this line look like a trap.
Philadelphia seems to check every box here, being at home, having a better offense, and playing against a San Jose squad playing the last of a four-game East coast road swing.
Maybe it’s overthinking the line, or perhaps this -132 price is just an example of oddsmakers not yet valuing what could be a very solid Flyers team (this is the first time they’ve been favored). Either way, this price screams trap, so join just 25% of the betting public and take the Sharks.
Pick: Sharks +110
