Florida Panthers vs San Jose Sharks Prediction, 10/1/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Florida Panthers vs San Jose Sharks

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026

Location: SAP Center in San Jose, CA

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Panthers (-139) Sharks (+120)

The Florida Panthers (40-38-4 last season) are hitting the road to SAP Center on Thursday where they will attempt to beat the San Jose Sharks (39-35-8 last year). The odds on this game have the Panthers at -139 while the Sharks are priced at +120. The over/under comes in at 6.5.

The Florida Panthers had a good night with a 1-0 victory over the Hurricanes in their previous game. Florida amassed 17 mins in the box for this matchup. Furthermore, they had 7 attempts on the power play but weren't able to score. The Panthers offense left a lot to be desired in the win. While out there on the ice, they scored on 1 out of the 20 shots they looked to score on.

Get all of our NHL Betting Picks

At even strength, the Panthers let the opposition score 222 goals while notching 194. Florida Panthers opposition had 273 power play opportunities (2nd in the league) and came away with 52 goals in those chances. When talking about their scoring, the Florida Panthers accounted for 246 goals (19th in hockey) during the previous year and conceded 274. Florida attempted 2,292 shots and had a shooting percentage of 10.7%. For the year, the had a total of 84 points and their points percentage was .512. The Panthers had 2,197 shots tried against them and held a save percentage of .875. Florida wrapped up the season with 265 power play opportunities and scored 52 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a percentage of 19.62%.

Patrolling the crease for the game will be Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom has played in 578 matchups over the course of his professional hockey career. He has compiled a mark of 264-231-64 and he started in 560 games. Opponents have tallied 1,516 goals against Markstrom in his pro hockey career and his goals against average per game is 2.71. Markstrom has seen 16,218 shots against him and has accrued 14,702 saves. He has a save percentage of .907 during his 28,408 mins in the crease. Over the course of his career, Markstrom has 292 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .521.

When they took the ice last, San Jose opposed the Jets in a game where the Sharks got the victory by a mark of 6-1. They had 2 power play chances in this contest and tallied 1 out of those opportunities. The Sharks recorded 6 goals out of the 33 shots on goal they were seeking.

Last year, the San Jose Sharks earned a total of 249 goals, 86 points, as well as a points percentage of .524. They permitted 290 goals to be scored by of a combination of 232 goals at even strength and 58 goals while they had less men on the ice. The Sharks earned 195 goals at even strength and 54 goals (12th in pro hockey) while having a power play advantage. They had a total of 255 power play opportunities and they have a power play percentage of 21.18%. San Jose has tried 2,111 shots (26th in pro hockey) and accumulated a shooting percentage of 11.80%, while allowing the other team 2,431 shots. They accumulated a penalty kill rate of 76.42% on their opponent's 246 power play opportunities, and their save percentage was 88.1%.

Across the ice you are likely to see Yaroslav Askarov in the crease. He has racked up 1,568 saves out of 1,768 shots taken, giving him a rate of .887. Askarov has earned a career record of 26-27-6 and has been in goal for 63 contests. He has been a starter 61 contests and has played 956 mins. Askarov's quality start percentage comes out to 45.9% and he has 28 quality starts in his NHL career. Opponents are averaging 3.28 goals per game and he has relinquished 200 goals overall.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Florida (-139)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get NHL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.