Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks Picks and Prediction for Thursday, October 9, 2025
Use Code WWWC Vegas Golden Knights (0-0-0) vs. San Jose Sharks (0-0-0)
The opening week of the 2025-26 NHL season continues Thursday, October 9, with a huge 14-game card, including the Pacific Division showdown at SAP Center at San Jose, so we have prepared the Golden Knights vs. Sharks prediction to get you covered.
Last season, the Golden Knights swept their three-game series against the Sharks. Vegas won a couple of games at SAP Center at San Jose (6-3 and 4-2), and the Golden Knights are now undefeated in seven straight meetings with the Sharks.
Read more about this Golden Knights vs. Sharks prediction, and check out all our NHL picks for Thursday’s slate. Vegas is a -188 moneyline fave with a total of 6.0 goals, and the puck drop is set at 10:00 PM ET.
The Golden Knights play without rest
Wednesday’s games have been excluded from the analysis, and the Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night. It was the season opener for the Golden Knights, while the Kings were coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
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The Golden Knights enter the 2025-26 season as one of the strongest favorites to go all the way. They sit at +950 to win the 2026 Stanley Cup. Last season, the Golden Knights won the Pacific Division title and eliminated the Minnesota Wild before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs.
Vegas went 50-22-10 in 2024-25. The Golden Knights were fifth in the league in goals for (3.34 per game) and second in power-play percentage (28.3%). They ranked third in goals against (2.61) and 26th in penalty killing (75.7%).
In the offseason, the Golden Knights made a big move. They acquired the 28-year-old winger Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs, sending forward Nicolas Roy in return. Marner has been one of the best wingers in hockey over the last few years. He posted 102 points (G27, A75) last season.
In the crease, the Golden Knights will continue to lean on Adin Hill. The 29-year-old goalie was terrific in 2024-25, going 32-13-5 with a 2.47 GAA, four shutouts, and a .906 save percentage. Akira Schmid will serve as a backup.
The Sharks’ rebuild continues
The San Jose Sharks made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2019. Since then, the Sharks have been one of the worst teams in the NHL. Last season, San Jose went 20-50-12, finishing dead last in the league.
The Sharks’ 2024-25 campaign was a complete disaster. San Jose ranked 32nd in the league in both goals for (2.54 per game) and goals against (3.78). The Sharks were 26th in power-play percentage (18.6%) and 28th in penalty killing (74.2%).
San Jose made a ton of moves in the offseason. The Sharks decided to move on from defensemen Jan Rutta, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Henry Thrun, replacing them with John Klingberg, Cole Clayton, and Nick Leddy.
On the other side of the puck, wingers Jeff Skinner, Adam Gaudette, Philipp Kurashev, and Oskar Olausson are new faces. Yet, the Sharks’ top line remains untouched, and the first overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft Macklin Celebrini will look to build on his successful rookie campaign (G25, A38).
Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic will share the crease in 2025-26. Askarov will try to establish himself as one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL after 4-6-2 with a 3.10 GAA and .896 save percentage in 2024-25. Nedeljkovic spent the last season with Pittsburgh, going 14-15-5 with a 3.12 GAA and a .894 save percentage.
Golden Knights vs. Sharks Pick
Spread Pick for Golden Knights vs. Sharks
- Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 (5 units)
These two teams met each other three times in the preseason, and the Sharks went 2-1-0 against the Golden Knights. Now, when it matters, the Golden Knights will take care of business and beat the Sharks by at least two goals.
Vegas will take the ice on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Golden Knights have great depth. I expect them to torture the Sharks’ defense. As I mentioned, San Jose has some new guys on the blueline, and they will need time to gel.
Over/Under Pick for Golden Knights vs. Sharks
- Over 6.0 (5 units)
On paper, the Golden Knights look like one of the best offensive teams in the NHL. Mitch Marner is fresh off a career-best season, and he’ll make everyone around him better. Jack Eichel posted 94 points in 77 games last season, while five guys scored at least 23 goals.
The Sharks won’t be able to cope with the Golden Knights’ offense. The question is whether San Jose can score enough to push the total over the line. The Sharks have some talented forwards at their disposal, so I’m backing the over. Four of the last five regular-season encounters between Vegas and San Jose have seen at least six goals on the scoreboard.
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