San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings Picks and Predictions for Saturday October 17 2026
You know what bothers me about Detroit? They finally win a hockey game, and suddenly we’re supposed to believe they’ve got everything figured out. Come on. They beat Philadelphia 2-1 Thursday, and the Flyers haven’t won a game all season. I’m glad Detroit got the two points, but I’m not throwing a parade over that one. San Jose, meanwhile, went into Nashville and came away with a shootout win. Nothing pretty about that game either. Both clubs have been having their problems, which makes Saturday’s matchup at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit pretty interesting. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET on October 17, 2026. Detroit is listed around -139 on one betting board, with San Jose getting +119. The Wings are favored because they’re home, I suppose, but I think this game is closer than that. Check out our free NHL picks for more NHL predictions throughout the season.
San Jose Sharks Have Been Hard To Figure Out
San Jose is 4-3-0, and I’ll tell you, this team can drive a bettor crazy. They opened the season by beating Florida 4-3 in overtime, then knocked off Los Angeles 5-4 in another overtime game. Not bad, right? Then Dallas shut them out 5-0. They bounced back to beat St. Louis, lost to Edmonton and Boston, and finally got past Nashville 3-2 in a shootout Thursday. The Nashville game almost got away from them. San Jose was leading 2-1 with less than a second left when the Predators tied it. Less than a second! Somehow, the Sharks recovered and won the shootout. That’s a pretty good response from a team that could’ve easily let that late goal ruin its night.
The Sharks have scored 18 goals and allowed 25 through seven games. That’s 2.57 scored and 3.57 allowed per night. There’s your problem. They can score enough to hang around, but they’ve been giving up too much at the other end. Boston put six on them Tuesday, and Dallas scored five without allowing a goal. San Jose’s defense has been getting caught out of position, and the goaltending hasn’t always been able to clean up the mess. But here’s something worth remembering. They held Edmonton to three and Nashville to two. They’re capable of playing tighter hockey when they stay disciplined. Detroit isn’t exactly an offensive powerhouse, so maybe this is a chance for the Sharks to keep things under control for a change.
San Jose’s leading scorer has been doing his part, and the Sharks have gotten some decent contributions from their younger forwards. Their top offensive players have been creating chances, but the team hasn’t always been finishing them. The goaltending was the big difference Thursday. San Jose’s starter made 32 saves against Nashville, including some big stops in overtime. That’s the kind of performance they need Saturday. The Sharks have also been dealing with a few injuries. Adam Gaudette has missed time with an upper-body problem, while Alex Barre-Boulet has been unavailable. The good news is that their top offensive threat returned from a lower-body injury earlier this month and has been back in the lineup. San Jose isn’t a great defensive team, but they’ve shown they can beat some decent opponents when the goalie gives them a chance.
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Detroit Red Wings Still Have Plenty To Prove
Detroit is 2-3-2, and the Red Wings finally snapped a three-game winless streak Thursday by beating Philadelphia 2-1. Now, I don’t want to take anything away from a win, but we’re talking about a Flyers team that’s 0-6-3. Detroit needed a goal with less than five minutes left just to put them away. Before that, the Wings lost 5-4 in overtime to New Jersey, 1-0 in a shootout to Montreal, and 6-3 to Seattle. They’ve had some good stretches, especially offensively against New Jersey, but they haven’t been able to put together a full game often enough. The Philadelphia win was a relief more than anything else. Saturday gives them a chance to win two straight for the first time this season.
Detroit has scored 16 goals in seven games and allowed 20. That’s 2.29 scored and 2.86 allowed per night. Those aren’t numbers that make me excited about laying money on the Wings. They’ve scored two goals or fewer in four of their seven games, and they were shut out twice. The power play has been decent at times, but it went 0-for-4 against Philadelphia. Four chances and nothing to show for it. The good news is the defense played better Thursday, holding the Flyers to just 18 shots. But let’s be fair. Philadelphia has been struggling to generate shots against everybody. San Jose has more offensive punch than the Flyers, and Detroit is going to need to do a better job protecting its net than it did against Seattle and New Jersey.
Detroit’s leading offensive players have been producing when the team gets rolling, but the scoring has been too inconsistent. Their top goal scorer has four, and their leading playmaker has five assists through seven games. The goaltending has been up and down, although the Wings got a solid performance Thursday with 17 saves on 18 shots. Detroit is also dealing with some injuries. Marco Kasper is out with an upper-body injury, while J.T. Compher and Mason Appleton have missed time with undisclosed problems. Carter Bear has also been sidelined. Those absences haven’t helped the offense, and Detroit doesn’t have enough scoring depth right now to shrug them off. The Wings can beat San Jose, but they’re going to have to earn it. I don’t see this being an easy night.
San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings Picks and Predictions
San Jose Sharks Moneyline (+119)
I’m taking San Jose, and the price is a big part of it. Detroit has won two games in seven tries, and one of those came against a Philadelphia team that hasn’t won anything. So why are the Wings favored? Home ice, I suppose, and the Sharks’ defense hasn’t exactly been wonderful. But San Jose has beaten Florida, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Nashville. They’ve shown they can win tight games, and Thursday’s shootout victory was a good example. The Sharks blew a lead with less than a second left and still found a way to win. That’s worth something. Detroit’s offense has been struggling, and I don’t think the Wings are in a position to take advantage of every mistake San Jose makes. Now, if the Sharks start handing out odd-man rushes like they did against Boston, this pick could look pretty foolish. But at +119, I’m willing to take that chance. Give me San Jose to win another close one on the road.
Under 6.5 Goals
I’m going under 6.5, and I think this one comes down to Detroit’s offense. The Wings have scored 16 goals in seven games. That’s barely more than two per night. San Jose has been giving up plenty, I know, and that’s the part that worries me. Boston scored six on the Sharks Tuesday, and Dallas shut them out while scoring five. But Detroit isn’t Boston, and it hasn’t been creating enough chances to make me think it’ll suddenly put up five or six. San Jose’s last game finished 2-2 before the shootout, and Detroit just played a 2-1 game against Philadelphia. Both teams have been involved in some high-scoring games, so there’s definitely a chance this gets away from us. But I think the Wings will try to keep things tight at home, and San Jose showed Thursday that it can play a more disciplined game. Something like 3-2 either way feels right. Give me the under 6.5.
Final Picks: San Jose Sharks Moneyline (+119) and Under 6.5 Goals
This article was completed on October 16, 2026. Betting odds, starting goaltenders, injury reports, and other game information may change before puck drop.
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