Sharks vs Utah Prediction, Picks & Trends for Friday Night Hockey

• We have made our Sharks vs Utah prediction and picks for the final game of Friday Night Hockey.
• Youth is king here with a young San Jose team and Utah’s Clayton Keller leading the way.
• Read below for my Sharks vs Utah prediction, picks, and trends.

The San Jose Sharks have a chance to get in the win column for the first time in 2025-26 when they play the Utah Mammoth on Friday night. Online sportsbooks have now installed Utah as -265 favorites in the Sharks vs Utah odds.

San Jose is 0-1-2 in the early going, while Utah is 2-2. The Mammoth won their only home game of the season on Wednesday over Calgary by a 3-1 score. The Sharks have struggled out of the blocks, but that was expected.

Puck drop is set for this tile at approximately 9:00 PM ET on HULU and ESPN+ from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. It is the final game of this night. Let’s look at the Sharks vs Utah prediction, picks, and trends.

Sharks vs Utah Prediction

My Sharks vs Utah prediction centers on the home ice advantage for Utah. Utah won 3-1 over Calgary on Wednesday night, and now was able to again enjoy some home cooking before tonight’s contest versus San Jose.

The Sharks are playing their first road game of the season. Ryan Warsofsky does not have an easy time of it here. He already has faced heat for not starting top draft pick Michael Misa sooner. Then, there is leaving Yaroslav Askarov out to dry.

Utah, meanwhile, has had its own struggles early on. The Mammoth are averaging 2.0 goals per game and rank near the bottom after four contests. Dylan Gauthier leads the way with four points and two goals. Clayton Keller has struggled with no goals and one point, despite eight shots on goal.

The goalie matchup aids the home side, too. Karel Vejmelka expects to get the nod for Utah based on the schedule. Vejmelka is 2-1-0 with a 1.67 GAA and a .929 save percentage, and he allowed five goals on 70 shots faced in October.

Both Alex Nedeljkovic and Askarov have faced a ton of shots. San Jose allows 39.3 shots per game. Currently, the projection leans to Askarov, who gave up seven shots on 44 shots in his only start against Anaheim.

Sharks vs Mammoth 2025-26 Stats

Utah has gotten off to a slow start season offensively, while San Jose is getting cratered in their defensive zone. Facing more than 18 shots a game against is typically not a recipe for victory.

The Mammoth home ice energy experience at Delta Center is impressive. Andre Tourigny gets a second dish of the home cooking against one of the worst defensive teams in the last several seasons.

Sharks vs Utah Best Bets

• Pick: Utah -1.5 Goals (EVEN at Caesars)
• Pick: Clayton Keller anytime goal (+150 via DraftKings)

This is a spot to utilize Utah here. The Sharks had two nights off after another ugly home loss (this time 5-1 against Carolina). Utah got a night off, so there is no fatigue syndrome to worry about here.

Utah has plenty of offense despite what has short-circuited early in 2025-26. Logan Cooley has also largely struggled with one point in four games, but has generated plenty of chances. The goals will come, and it really is just a matter of when.

Something I do not consider too much is previous records, especially in October. Teams can flip around from night to night, while others hit the struggle bus. One thing is certain. Utah’s power play is not going to continue clicking at 6.3% forever.

At some point, that Utah man advantage is going to make teams play. Their team speed and transition advantage over San Jose is apparent and something to exploit. Players like Clayton Keller cannot be contained forever.

My Sharks vs Utah best bet is Utah to cover the spread at EVEN. The Mammoth should eventually pull away in this one.

Sharks vs Utah Trends

• Utah has won two out of three against San Jose over the past year
• San Jose was the only team to win fewer than 10 road games in 2024-25
• San Jose has covered the Moneyline less than a quarter of the time (20 for last 81)
• Utah has hit the Under in 49 of their last 81 games
• Under is 4-0 for Utah this season

The head-to-head in this incarnation is limited but tilts an advantage to Utah. Add in San Jose’s road record and inability to win on the road, which heavily favors the Mammoth. Every matchup has been decided by one goal, but this matchup has potential for a different outcome.

Last season’s series was split 1-1, but the second meeting was a 2-1 slugfest in Utah. Last year was an adjustment for the team known as the Hockey Club. 2025-26 figures to be a different story.

The under has been money for Utah games, hitting in four straight meetings. That tracks with how good the Mammoth have been defensively early this season. Expect that trend to continue at home on Friday night.