Rangers vs Sharks Prediction, Picks, Odds and Lineups – Friday Night Hockey (Jan. 23)

• San Jose is a -120 home favorite over the Rangers on Friday night
• New York has lost 10 of their last 12 games while bleeding goals
• See my Rangers vs Sharks pick and best bets for Friday Night Hockey below

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The Rangers (21-24-6) wrap up their West Coast road trip in San Jose against the Sharks (25-21-3) on Friday night. New York limps into SAP Center having lost 10 of their last 12 games and allowed 39 goals in seven games without Igor Shesterkin. San Jose enters with an 8-of-11 winning stretch before their Tampa Bay loss. Online sportsbooks have the Sharks as home favorites per the latest NHL odds.

Puck drop is set for 10:00 pm ET from SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Here is my Rangers vs Sharks prediction and pick, along with the latest odds and projected lineups for Friday Night Hockey.

Rangers vs Sharks Prediction

• Sharks 5, Rangers 3

My prediction is a high-scoring game with the Sharks winning at home. New York is in complete freefall, posting a 2-7-1 record over their last 10 games while allowing 35 goals. San Jose has momentum with an 8-of-11 stretch before their Tampa Bay loss, and they’re 4-0 when bouncing back after a defeat this season.

The goaltending matchup heavily favors San Jose. Spencer Martin gets the start for New York with a 6.24 GAA in limited action. Alex Nedeljkovic counters with a 2.96 GAA and has been solid when facing quality chances.

The Rangers have been a disaster defensively since losing Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox to injuries. They’ve allowed 39 goals in seven games without Shesterkin, averaging 5.57 goals against. That’s dead last in the NHL over that stretch.

NYR vs SJ: 5-vs-5 Advanced Stats (Last 10 Games)

Neither team is controlling possession at even strength. The Rangers sit at 46.11% Corsi while San Jose checks in at 44.13%. Expected goals percentage shows New York at 46.99% and the Sharks at 41.65%.

The PDO numbers show the real issue. New York’s 0.948 mark reflects genuine struggles at both ends – they’re shooting just 10% while their goalies are stopping only 84.78% of shots. San Jose’s 0.973 PDO is healthier but still below 1.000.

Rangers vs Sharks Pick

• Sharks Moneyline -120
• Over 6.5 Goals (-135 at Bet365)

My pick is the Sharks moneyline and over 6.5 goals. San Jose’s high-danger save percentage sits at 90.52% over their last 10 games, while New York’s is just 83.84%. The Sharks are converting at 16.33% on high-danger chances compared to the Rangers’ 7.14%. That gap becomes critical when games get to dangerous areas.

The Sharks also have a perfect 4-0 record this season when responding after a loss. They got blown out 7-2 by Vegas in their last home game, but that came after winning 3 of 4 at SAP Center. New York has won just once in their last eight games and shows no signs of turning things around.

For the over, the recent trends are clear. Over has hit in 6 of the Rangers’ last 7 games overall and all 6 of their last 6 road games. Over is 5-2 in the Sharks’ last 7 games against teams with losing records. The line is juiced to -135 at Bet365 for a reason – books know New York’s goaltending crisis and San Jose ranking 30th in goals allowed per game means both teams should find the net.

The Rangers still have offensive talent with Artemi Panarin (19 goals, 56 points) and their 23.2% powerplay ranks 9th in the league. San Jose’s 77.48% penalty kill sits 26th, so special teams could provide scoring chances. Macklin Celebrini leads a Sharks offense that ranks 4th in the NHL in shooting percentage.

Rangers vs Sharks Odds

San Jose sits as a -120 favorite on consensus lines, which translates to roughly 54.5% implied probability. That feels light considering the Rangers are 1-7 in their last eight and averaging 5.57 goals allowed per game without Shesterkin.

New York at +100 carries 50% implied probability, but there’s no evidence they can slow down opposing offenses right now.

The 6.5 total is heavily juiced to the over, with the under coming back at +115. Books are begging you to take the under because they expect goals. The best price on the over is -135 at Bet365, and I’m happy to pay the juice given how both defenses have performed lately.

San Jose’s puck line at +205 offers decent value if you’re betting on a multi-goal win.

Odds as of Jan. 23. Check out the best online sportsbooks to find current betting lines.

Rangers vs Sharks Projected Lineups

New York Rangers Projected Lines

Forwards:

J.T. Miller – Mika Zibanejad – Gabe Perreault
Artemi Panarin – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafreniere
Brennan Othmann – Noah Laba – Will Cuylle
Taylor Raddysh – Sam Carrick – Anton Blidh

Defense:

Vladislav Gavrikov – Braden Schneider
Carson Soucy – Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson – Scott Morrow

Goalie: Spencer Martin

Spencer Martin was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and is expected to start. Martin owns a 6.24 GAA through limited appearances. The Rangers are dealing with major injuries – Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, Adam Edstrom and Conor Sheary are all out with lower-body injuries.

San Jose Sharks Projected Lines

Forwards:

Collin Graf – Macklin Celebrini – Will Smith
Pavol Regenda – Alexander Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli
William Eklund – Michael Misa – Adam Gaudette
Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves

Defense:

Dmitry Orlov – John Klingberg
Mario Ferraro – Timothy Liljegren
Sam Dickinson – Vincent Desharnais

Goalie: Alex Nedeljkovic

Spencer Martin vs Alex Nedeljkovic Stats

Nedeljkovic gets the nod for San Jose with Yaroslav Askarov serving as backup. The Sharks’ goaltending tandem has stopped 88.5% of shots, ranking 22nd overall. Philipp Kurashev participated in morning skate wearing a non-contact jersey after missing 16 games.

San Jose is without Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed), Ty Dellandrea (lower body), Philipp Kurashev (upper body) and Shakir Mukhamadullin (upper body). The Rangers are missing Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, Adam Edstrom and Conor Sheary, all with lower-body injuries.