San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings Picks and Predictions for Saturday October 17th 2026

The San Jose Sharks will pay a visit to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. The game will start at 7:00 pm ET. San Jose is 4-3-0 and 5th in the Pacific Division, and Detroit is 2-3-2 and last in the Atlantic Division. The Sharks have won two of the past four games, including a 3-2 shootout last time out over Nashville. Detroit is coming off a 2-1 win over Philadelphia. Build your bankroll with our free NHL picks.

San Jose Sharks Need Better Defensive Play

San Jose defeated the Predators 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday, after losses to Boston and Edmonton. The Sharks are scoring 2.57 goals per game on 26.7 shots per game, while allowing an average of 3.57 goals and 27.6 shots per game. San Jose has scored three or fewer goals in five straight games. The power play is scoring 20.0% of the time, while the penalty kill has been successful 81.8% of the time.

Macklin Celebrini has 8 points to lead San Jose, including 2 goals and a team-best 6 assists. Tyler Toffoli has posted five points, and Will Smith has scored three goals to lead the Sharks. Goalie Yaroslav Askarov has struggled at 2-3-0 with a .848 save percentage and 3.99 goals-against average. Alex Nedeljkovic is 2-0-0 with a .933 SV% and 1.90 GAA.

Injuries: Darnell Nurse, Quentin Musty and Kyle Keyser are out.

Detroit Red Wings Continue to Struggle Offensively

Detroit defeated Philadelphia in its most recent game, 2-1, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Red Wings average 2.29 goals per game while taking 31.0 shots; Detroit allows 2.86 goals per game on 26.0 shots. Detroit has scored two goals or fewer in three of the past four games. The Red Wings' power play scores 16.7% of the time, while the penalty kill has been successful just 69.6% of the time.

Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit in goals with four, assists with four and points with eight. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has five points, while Viktor Arvidsson has scored three goals. Goalie John Gibson is 1-3-1 with a .863 save percentage and 3.76 goals-against average. Daniil Tarasov is 1-0-1 with a .965 SV% and 0.80 GAA.

Injuries: Simon Edvinsson, J.T. Compher, Mason Appleton and Marco Kasper are out.

Key To The Game

Detroit takes 4.3 more shots per game than San Jose and allows 1.6 fewer. The Sharks have the stronger penalty kill, while Detroit has struggled with the man disadvantage. Goaltending will be important, with both teams averaging fewer than three goals per game.

San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings Pick

• San Jose Sharks

San Jose has been victorious in two of its past four games and is 2-1-0 on the road. Detroit has won two of seven games and is 2-3-1 at home. The Sharks have the advantage in goals scored per game, while Nedeljkovic has been performing with a .933 save percentage. Detroit has struggled offensively, and San Jose has enough scoring to take advantage of the Red Wings' penalty kill on Saturday. 

San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings Over/Under Pick

• Under

San Jose is averaging 2.57 goals per game and Detroit averages 2.29. The Sharks have netted three goals or less in five consecutive outings. The Red Wings have scored two goals or less in three of their last four games. Detroit has allowed just one goal in two of its past three games. Those numbers support a lower-scoring matchup on Saturday night.