San Jose Sharks vs New York Rangers Picks and Predictions January 23rd 2026

The New York Rangers travel west for a late puck drop against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Friday night, with game time set for 10:30 p.m. ET. San Jose is favored at -132 on the moneyline, while New York is a slight underdog at +111. It’s an intriguing matchup between two teams trending in opposite directions: the Rangers are heating up and finding form, while the Sharks are trying to rebound after a run of inconsistent performances despite sitting as home favorites.

Oddsmakers have shaded this line slightly toward the Sharks, but it’s hard to ignore how volatile they’ve been over the last month. With the total listed at 6.5, bettors have a few ways to attack this one depending on your read of San Jose’s scoring potential and New York’s defensive stability. This isn’t a typical East vs. West coast throwaway — there’s real value if you spot the right angle.

Rangers vs Sharks Odds

Below are the current betting odds. Keep tabs on the latest NHL odds before puck drop for any line shifts, especially if goaltenders are confirmed late.

Team	Moneyline	Puck Line	Total
New York Rangers	+111	+1.5 (–225)	O 6.5 (–128)
San Jose Sharks	–132	–1.5 (+182)	U 6.5 (+106)

Rangers Betting Form

New York has found some late-January rhythm after a choppy middle stretch of the season. The Rangers have won three of their last four and leaned on their defensive structure and elite goaltending to close out close games. Igor Shesterkin has started to round back into form, which makes them dangerous in any underdog role — especially on the road, where they’ve actually been more disciplined defensively.

Offensively, it’s been more of a grind. Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are still driving scoring chances, but this team tends to win low-event games rather than trading goals. That plays well into puck line value and potentially supports the under if they dictate tempo. Special teams are still solid, with a power play that ranks near the top 10 and a penalty kill that’s been improving.

Dive deeper into trends and performance metrics on the New York Rangers stats and results. From a betting perspective, they’ve covered the puck line in four of their last five road games and tend to keep things tight even in losses.

Still, it’s worth tracking availability via the New York Rangers injury report. A couple of depth forwards have been in and out of the lineup, and while not headline names, they impact matchup depth and special teams rotations.

Sharks Betting Form

San Jose enters this game slightly favored but without much momentum to justify the price. They’ve dropped four of their last six and have been wildly inconsistent at home, losing by multiple goals in two of their last three at SAP Center. The offense has come and gone — capable of putting up five goals one night and getting shut down the next.

Their defensive zone structure has been a major problem, and goaltending hasn’t bailed them out. If the Sharks don’t get quality play in net, they rely heavily on offensive surges to win. The top line centered by Tomas Hertl can still do damage, and the Sharks’ power play has had success against weaker PK units, but New York doesn’t fit that mold.

Their home record isn’t strong enough to lean into automatically, and the puck line at -1.5 (+182) reflects that volatility. You can see the full breakdown on the San Jose Sharks schedule and stats to track how rare their multi-goal wins have been this season.

Be sure to confirm availability on the San Jose Sharks injury report — a few defensive pieces have missed time recently and could swing this line in either direction closer to puck drop.

Rangers vs Sharks Matchup Breakdown

There’s a lot to consider here beyond the surface-level odds. Start with goaltending — Shesterkin vs. whichever netminder San Jose rolls out is a mismatch. If the Rangers play to their identity, keep things tight, and limit turnovers, they’re absolutely live as an underdog. San Jose, while capable offensively, hasn’t shown the discipline to close out games against stronger-structured teams.

This game could come down to:

• Rangers’ penalty kill vs. Sharks’ power play
• Shot volume (Rangers suppress well, Sharks don’t)
• Goaltending edge (Rangers by a clear margin)
• Road rest advantage — Sharks are in the middle of a congested stretch

If you’re working to sharpen your angles on pace, schedule impact, and team tendencies, check out our NHL betting guide to learn how style clashes affect total and puck line betting.

Rangers vs Sharks Predictions and Best Bets

From a price/value perspective, this is a good spot to back New York Rangers moneyline (+111). You’re getting a better goalie, a more structured team, and recent form that suggests they’re turning a corner. The line leans toward San Jose likely due to home ice, but that hasn’t been a consistent edge for them all year.

For totals, 6.5 is a big number. Despite the juice on the Over (-128), I lean toward the Under 6.5 (+106) if Shesterkin starts. New York will try to control the game with structure, and unless San Jose’s top line explodes, this one profiles as a 3–2 or 4–2 final.

Puck line is too risky on the Sharks’ side at +182 — they’ve rarely won by margin. On the other end, laying -225 for +1.5 on the Rangers isn’t playable either. This is a moneyline or total spot, not a puck line game.

Best Bet: New York Rangers moneyline (+111)

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