Posted at 10:00 AM EST. Odds are subject to change.

San Jose +125 over Florida

10:00 PM EST. Florida comes into San Jose with the championship pedigree and the name recognition, but neither one earns a team a free win. The Panthers are being asked to travel across the country after defeating the Cup champs on opening night and handle a Sharks' club that has quietly made some serious changes. San Jose is no longer content to be the league’s convenient doormat. The front office went shopping, brought home some muscle and added enough experience to make this a much different opponent than the one Florida might have expected to find.

The Sharks have built a lineup that can make the evening physically demanding. Macklin Celebrini is becoming the centerpiece, and there is more support around him now with Will Smith, Mason Marchment and the new additions on the blue line. Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse aren't exactly the sort of defensemen opponents enjoy seeing coming around the corner. Florida is used to handing out punishment, but tonight it may discover that the other side brought its own supply.

There is also something to be said for starting the season at home. San Jose gets the crowd, the familiar surroundings and a chance to make an early statement against a team that arrives with a championship reputation. The Panthers have the bigger name, but that also means they carry the expectation. The Sharks can play with freedom, attack their opportunities and make Florida earn every inch of ice. We like the home side’s chances of turning this into a much tougher night than the visitors have planned.

We’re not asking San Jose to win the Stanley Cup tonight. The improved roster, the young talent and the enthusiasm of a hungry team starting the season gives us a legitimate reason to believe they can win its opener.

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