The Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks will face off in the NHL on Thursday night. This is the first game of the season for the Sharks and they will look to upset a Vegas team that is playing on the second night of a back-to-back here. The Sharks have been one of the worst teams in hockey over the last couple of years and will try to change that starting with this game. Before the puck drops in San Jose, continue reading to get my Golden Knights vs Sharks prediction.
Our Golden Knights vs Sharks Pick
- Pick: San Jose Sharks Moneyline
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Vegas Golden Knights vs San Jose Sharks
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 9, 2025, 10:00 pm ET
- Venue: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Golden Knights vs Sharks Odds
| Odds | Line |
|---|---|
| Moneyline | Vegas −195, San Jose +165 |
| Puckline | Vegas −1.5 (+130), San Jose +1.5 (-155) |
| Total | 6.5 |
Key Storylines
Recent form
- Vegas enters fresh off a thrilling 6–5 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Kings. They nearly erased a multi-goal deficit to win the game, but fell short in their first shootout of the season.
- The Sharks are opening their season in this game. They managed just 52 points last season, the fewest in the league, and will try to get off to a better start here.
- Historically, Vegas has dominated this matchup. In the head-to-head across all seasons, Vegas holds 34 wins to 13 for the Sharks.
- This is the first road game of the season for the Knights after they lost their opener at home on Wednesday.
- Fatigue could be a factor in this contest, with the Knights on the second game of a back-to-back.
Goaltending
Aidin Hill struggled in his season opener in net for the Knights. He isn’t likely to play in the second game of a back-to-back. Instead, Akira Schmid is likely to get the start here. San Jose’s goaltending situation was all over the place last year. Yaroslav Askarov is set to be the team’s starting goalie to begin this season and he will try to provide some stability for them starting with this game.
Key skaters
- Jack Eichel: Coming off a 94-point season, Eichel started this season with a goal and three assists on Wednesday night.
- Pavel Dorofeyev: He had a hat trick on Wednesday night for Vegas and will be important again in this game.
- William Eklund and Macklin Celebrini: These Sharks forwards will be under the spotlight as their team hopes for offensive punch from them against a team skating on tired legs.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Jack Eichel | Over 1.5 points |
| William Eklund | Over 0.5 goals |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | Over 0.5 goals |
Golden Knights vs Sharks Model Projection
Score Projection: San Jose 3 – Vegas 2
Win Probability: Vegas 50%, San Jose 50%
Final Thoughts
I think that we are in for a surprise in this matchup from San Jose. The Sharks have the rest advantage and are on home-ice in this game. Vegas is going to be one of the best teams in the league this season, but having to play on the road on a back-to-back is going to be too much for them to overcome here. I’ll take the Sharks to get the job done at plus money.
