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posted November 28, 2007 at 15:02 in NHL Articles

Tonight, the San Jose Sharks (-215) look to recover lost home funds against the Los Angeles Kings (+175) when the in-state rivals meet at HP Pavilion and we have your NHL betting cash making selection.

San Jose takes the ice at 11-8-3 to be mid-pack in the Pacific West with 25 points. At HP Pavilion, they're just 3-5-1 with two of the home losses coming against Los Angeles, which is 9-13-1 to be last in its division, having a conference-low 19 points and is 3-6-1 on the road.

 

San Jose, which had won 12-of-14 versus Los Angeles at HP Pavilion entering this campaign, is coming off a 2-1 home loss to the Kings on Saturday night in their last outing. The Sharks are 1-2-0 overall against the Kings this season.

Goalie Evgeni Nabokov made 15 saves in the defeat for San Jose. Nabokov has a started an NHL-high 29 consecutive games, and ranks fifth in the league with a 2.02 goals-against average. That mark is even lower than his career-best 2.19 GAA, from 2001-02 when he won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year.

Nabokov is 1-2-0 with a 2.35 GAA against the Kings this season, and 17-10-0 with two ties and a 2.01 GAA in 30 career games against them.

The Sharks have scored 57 goals this season and is averaging 2.55 per game. Center Joe Thornton leads the team with eight goals, with veteran center Jeremy Roenick second having six.

San Jose ranks second (tied with St. Louis) in the league in defense having allowed just 46 goals on the year, giving up 2.06 per game.

- Sharks are 0-5 in their last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.

- Sharks are 6-2 in their last 8 Wednesday games.

- Sharks are 12-5 in their last 17 vs. Pacific.

- Sharks are 47-14 in their last 61 vs. a team with a winning % below .400.

- Sharks are 3-8 in their last 11 home games.

Net keeper Jason LaBarbera stopped 26 shots in the win for Los Angeles on Saturday. LaBarbera is 1-1 with a 2.03 GAA versus the Sharks this year. In his career, he's 2-3 against San Jose with a 2.03 GAA in five appearances.

Los Angeles, which has scored two goals or less in each of its last five games, has been without Alexander Frolov for the last two contests who suffered a groin injury. The left wing, who has four goals to go with his team-high 16 assists, is uncertain for tonight's game.

The Kings have scored 62 goals this year and are averaging 2.67 per game. Left wing Michael Cammalleri leads the team with twelve goals, with right wing Dustin Brown second having ten.

Defensively, Los Angeles is NHL's fourth-worst (tied with Edmonton) having given up 73 goals, allowing 3.15 per game.

- Kings are 7-21-3 in their last 31 Wednesday games.

- Kings are 19-45 in their last 64 vs. Pacific.

- Kings are 1-6 in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.

- Kings are 3-8 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.

- Kings are 17-50 in their last 67 road games.

- Kings are 20-42 in their last 62 overall.

NHL odds list San Jose the money-line favorite at -215 and -1½ +140 on the spread with a game total of 5½ under -135.

- Sharks are 10-3 in their last 13 games as a favorite of -201 or greater.

- Sharks are 8-3 in their last 11 games as a home favorite of -201 or greater.

- Sharks are 3-8 in their last 11 games as a home favorite.

- Kings are 7-22 in their last 29 games as an underdog of +151 to +200.

- Kings are 3-13 in their last 16 games as a road underdog of +151 to +200.

- Kings are 16-47 in their last 63 games as a road underdog.

Analysis: Too little defense against a solid San Jose team will cost Los Angeles. The Kings are 4-12 in the last 16 contests played in San Jose and 7-20-1 in the last 28 meetings overall. Take the Sharks and bite the book in this one.

NHL Free Picks: San Jose Sharks -215

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