Tampa Bay Lightning vs San Jose Sharks Preview, 1/3/2026 NHL Predictions, Top Bets & Odds

Home » Tampa Bay Lightning vs San Jose Sharks Preview, 1/3/2026 NHL Predictions, Top Bets & Odds

  • Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. San Jose Sharks
  • Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026
  • Venue: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
  • Broadcast: NBC Sports California
  • Betting Odds: Lightning (-275) Sharks (+220)

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The San Jose Sharks (20-17-3) are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (23-13-3) at SAP Center this Saturday. The betting odds favor Tampa Bay at -275, while San Jose sits at +220. The total score over/under is positioned at 6.5.

NHL Picks Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning recently secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. With an impressive offensive performance, the Lightning converted 4 goals from 29 shots taken. They capitalized on 3 power play opportunities, scoring once. During this match, Tampa Bay spent a total of 6 minutes in the penalty box.

This season, opponents have targeted the Lightning with 132 power play attempts (ranking 4th in the NHL) and have scored 20 goals in these situations. Tampa Bay has faced 1,047 shots against them, boasting a save percentage of .902. They have taken 1,072 shots, achieving a shooting percentage of 12.0%. At even strength, the Lightning have allowed 83 goals, while netting 107 themselves. The team has capitalized on 126 power play opportunities, scoring 22 times, resulting in a power play percentage of 17.46%. With 49 points accumulated this season, their points percentage stands at .628. Overall, the Tampa Bay Lightning have scored 129 goals (6th in the league) and allowed 103 goals against.

In goal for this matchup will be Andrei Vasilevskiy. Over his career, Vasilevskiy has participated in 564 games with a record of 346 wins, 170 losses, and 37 overtime losses. He has started in 554 matches, conceding 1,390 goals, leading to a goals-against average of 2.51. Having faced 16,736 shots, he has made 15,346 saves, resulting in a .917 save percentage over 28,679 minutes in goal. Vasilevskiy has recorded 323 quality starts, with a quality start percentage of .583.

In their last game, the San Jose Sharks faced the Minnesota Wild, finishing in a tie at 3-3. They managed only one power play attempt, converting once, while scoring 3 goals from 28 shots taken.

This season, the San Jose Sharks have tallied 122 goals and 43 points, achieving a points percentage of .538. They have given up 138 goals, including 111 at even strength and 27 while short-handed. San Jose has found the net 97 times at even strength and 25 goals (ranked 11th in the league) on power plays. They’ve had 135 power play opportunities, yielding a conversion rate of 18.52%. With 1,003 shots taken (30th in the league), they boast a shooting percentage of 12.16%, while allowing 1,254 shots from opponents. Their penalty kill stands at 78.57%, successfully defending against 126 power plays, alongside a save percentage of 89.0%.

In goal for San Jose is likely to be Yaroslav Askarov, whose opponents average 3.10 goals per game, accounting for 124 goals allowed this season. His quality start rate is 55.0%, achieving 22 quality starts throughout his career. He has started in 40 games, spending 908 minutes in net. Askarov’s career record stands at 20-17-3 across 42 games, with 1,083 saves made out of 1,207 shots, resulting in a save percentage of .897.

Which team will prevail in tonight’s NHL matchup against the spread or on the moneyline?

Prediction: Bet on San Jose (+220)

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Pick: San Jose Sharks (+220)
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