Preview of Oilers vs Sharks: Prediction, Props, and Odds for Thursday Night Hockey

• The Oilers are a heavy -285 moneyline favorite over the Sharks on ESPN+
• Edmonton has won eleven of their last twelve against their Western Conference foes
• See the Oilers vs Sharks prediction, odds and prop bets, below

Two teams with vastly different season outputs square off Thursday Night, with one squad poised to potentially make a run to win the 2025 Stanley Cup, while the other is in a battle to avoid the worst record in the NHL.

The Edmonton Oilers (43-26-5, 91 PTS) are third in the Pacific Division, well on their way to a postseason berth. They visit the San Jose Sharks (20-44-10, 50 PTS) who are in the basement of the NHL.

Online sportsbooks are bullish on the Oilers in the NHL odds, pegging them as heavy favorites. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:30pm ET, with ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+ providing the broadcast coverage in the United States and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.

Oilers vs Sharks Prediction

• Oilers -115 puck line at DraftKings

This is a massive mismatch on ice, given that Edmonton has 41 more points than San Jose and how they’ve dominated against their foes in recent years. However, one key element is expected to be missing, and that’s Connor McDavid being out with a lower-body injury that he suffered March 20th.

The Oilers had dropped three of four once McDavid left the game against Winnipeg, plus leading NHL goal scoring leader Leon Draisaitl missed action with an undisclosed ailment. Since the Deutschland Dangler has returned, the Oilers have won both contests, with Draisaitl putting up three goals and an assist. They’re also expected to not have blueliner Mattias Ekholm and goaltender Stuart Skinner. Calvin Pickard has acclimated himself well as a starter, at least in the short term, allowing two or fewer goals in four of his last five starts.

It’s been another down year for the Sharks, as they’re the worst team in the league. However, their prized #1 draft pick, Macklin Celebrini, hasn’t disappointed, racking up 53 points in 62 contests, though he has no goals (and three assists) in his last six duels.

Seven of the last eleven victories for Edmonton over San Jose have been by two or more markers. It should come as no surprise that the last-place squad is worst in goals allowed per game and third worst in goals per contest.

The -285 odds on the moneyline represents a win probability of 74.03% for Edmonton in the Oilers vs Sharks odds. Our SBD model believes it’ll be a high scoring tilt, won 4.02-3.19 by the Oilers, according to the formula.

In four of the Sharks last five losses in their last seven outings, they’ve been defeated by at least two goals, with losses of 6-1 to the Rangers and 8-1 to the Kings. I expect Edmonton to win with ease in this one with plenty of goals.

Edmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks Odds

The odds show a total of 6.5 goals, with -118 odds to the over. Edmonton is listed as a -285 moneyline favorite, and are -115 to cover the puck line of 1.5 goals. These two teams haven’t been evenly matched, with the Oilers taking eleven of the last twelve meetings.

Odds as of April 3rd at DraftKings. Check out SBD’s DraftKings Sportsbook review to see the available sign-up bonuses.

Oilers vs Sharks Player Props

NHL Player Prop odds as of April 3rd at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Switching over to the player props market, where I’m making Leon Draisaitl scoring a goal my best bet. The Sharks allow the most snipes per game in the league (3.74), and Draisaitl has scored three times in his last two duels. He’s also found the back of the net in three of his last five against San Jose.

In his career, Draisaitl has also racked up 24 goals and 67 points in 61 games in McDavid’s absence.

Oilers vs Sharks prop: Leon Draisaitl anytime goal scorer (-105)

The Edmonton Oilers are set to take on the San Jose Sharks in what promises to be an exciting matchup on Thursday night. Both teams are coming off strong performances in their previous games, with the Oilers currently sitting in second place in the Pacific Division and the Sharks not far behind in fourth place.

The Oilers have been led by their superstar duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have been lighting up the scoresheet all season. McDavid currently leads the league in points with 87, while Draisaitl is not far behind with 75 points of his own. The Sharks will have their hands full trying to contain these two dynamic forwards, but they have a solid defensive core led by Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson that will look to shut down the Oilers’ high-powered offense.

On the other side of the ice, the Sharks will be looking to their own offensive weapons to get the job done. Evander Kane leads the team in goals with 21, while Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier have also been contributing consistently. The Sharks will need a strong performance from goaltender Martin Jones if they hope to come out on top against the Oilers’ potent offense.

In terms of predictions, this game could go either way. The Oilers have been playing some of their best hockey of the season recently, but the Sharks are a tough team to beat at home. It could come down to which team can capitalize on their scoring chances and which goaltender can make the big saves when it counts.

As for props, keep an eye on McDavid and Draisaitl to continue their point streaks, as well as Kane and Hertl for the Sharks. The over/under for total goals scored could also be an interesting bet to consider, as both teams have shown they can put up big numbers on any given night.

In terms of odds, the Oilers are currently slight favorites to win this game, but anything can happen in hockey. It should be a close and exciting matchup between two talented teams fighting for playoff positioning.

Overall, this game has all the makings of a high-scoring, back-and-forth battle between two evenly matched teams. Fans can expect plenty of excitement and drama as the Oilers and Sharks face off on Thursday night.