The San Joe Sharks will be looking to keep pace in the race for Western Conference wild card spots when they host the faltering Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night in NHL betting action at SAP Center.

The Sharks saw a four-game win streak halted Saturday’s 6-3 loss to Nashville, but remain just two points back in the race for the second wild card in the West. The Predators and Los Angeles Kings share possession of the second wild card, and are facing off tonight in LA.

The Blackhawks close out a three-game road trip in San Jose after skating to a 4-2 victory in Seattle on Saturday. The win snapped the club’s five-game slide. However, Chicago has posted consecutive wins just once while losing 20 of 27 contests since January 22.

The Sharks get set to hit the ice as -170 home favourites on Monday’s NHL odds, and as a high-value +140 bet on the NHL puckline. The Blackhawks trail as +140 underdogs, and the total is listed at 6.5.

Blackhawks vs. Sharks NHL Betting Odds

The Blackhawks rolled to a decisive 6-3 home victory in their first date of the season with the Sharks, snapping a two-game head-to-head losing streak, with both of those recent defeats coming in San Jose. But overall, the Blackhawks have taken six of eight from San Jose, including a pair of wins at SAP Center.

Four of the past six meetings between these clubs have been settled by multi-goal margins, and the OVER has gone 6-2-2 in totals betting over their past 10 tilts.

The Sharks have rekindled their playoff hopes during their current 4-1-0 run, which comes on the heels of a six-game slide that threatened to take the club out of contention. The Sharks have seen three of their four recent wins come by just a single goal. They have averaged 3.80 goals per game over that stretch after scoring just two goals per game during their preceding swoon, which featured five defeats by multi-goal margins.

The Blackhawks have seen their season-long offensive woes persist during their latest slide. Chicago shooters have averaged just 1.92 goals per game while losing nine of 12, and scored just a single goal in three of their past six contests.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have regularly seized the early advantage, scoring first in four of their past five contests, but have squandered those leads in all but one outing despite scoring five times after 40 minutes over their past four games.

Connor Bedard has padded his team lead in points with four assists in four games, capped by Saturday’s two-helper effort, but has failed to score in five games and has tallied just five total goals since the beginning of March.

Tyler Bertuzzi has potted three markers in three games after finding the mark just once in his previous nine outings.

Monday’s expected netminder, Spencer Knight, is coming off a solid 32-save performance while allowing just one goal in last Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Edmonton after enduring a forgettable March, during which he surrendered 4+ goals five games while compiling a 2-3-4 record.

San Jose Sharks

With just three home games remaining before they close out their schedule with a crucial Central Division road trip, the pressure is on the Sharks to pick up points and close the gap on the Preds and Kings.

Teen phenom Macklin Celebrini has done his part, potting six goals and setting up four others over the past six games. Overall, Celebrini has piled up 13 goals and 13 helpers in his past 18 home appearances, and is worth backing as a +115 bet on the NHL player props to turn in another multi-point performance on Monday.

Veteran centre Alexander Wennberg is enjoy a welcome late-season resurgence, picking up five goals and three helpers during a six-game points streak. Collin Graf has become the third Sharks player to record 20 goals while scoring once and tallying three points during a three-game points treak.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Blackhawks vs. Sharks?