If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google.
The Buffalo Sabres (5-4-3) and Anaheim Ducks (5-6-1) will meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 10:00 p.m. EDT at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Sabres are favored at -142 on the moneyline, with the Sabres +120 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6.5 (-125o / +105u).
Let's get into our Sabres vs. Ducks predictions and NHL picks.
Sabres vs. Ducks Prediction
Our Buffalo vs. Anaheim best bet is for Cutter Gauthier to exceed his shots on goal mark, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our liveNHL odds page.
Make sure to download the Action Network app for more NHL picks and analysis!
Sabres vs Ducks Odds
| Sabres Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 6.5 -125o / 105u | -142 |
| Ducks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -205 | 6.5 -125o / 105u | +120 |
- Sabres vs. Ducks puck line: Ducks +1.5 (-205), Sabres -1.5 (+170)
- Sabres vs. Ducks over/under: 6.5 (-125o / +105u)
- Sabres vs. Ducks moneyline: Sabres -142, Ducks +120
- Sabres vs. Ducks best bet: Cutter Gauthier Over 3.5 Shots on Goal
Sabres vs. Ducks Pick
Cutter Gauthier is widely regarded as one of the game's premier young pure goal scorers, but you wouldn’t know it looking at his recent box scores.
After exploding for 41 goals last season and securing a massive contract extension this past training camp, Gauthier has managed just two goals so far this season, both coming all the way back in his second game of the year.
While the goal-scoring drought might be sounding alarms from the outside, the underlying shot volume tells a much more encouraging story: Gauthier is still generating heavy chances; he just needs to see one finally hit the back of the net.
The winger continues to fire with frequency, averaging 3.1 shots on goal per game and hitting at least four shots on cage in each of his last two contests.
We're getting an attractive plus-money price on Gauthier tonight largely because the Sabres’ defense has been stout, ranking sixth in the NHL in shots allowed per game, while Anaheim’s offense has sputtered down to 23rd at just 23 shots per game.
However, contextual motivation heavily tilts the ice in Anaheim’s favor tonight. The Ducks will be desperate to purge the bad taste from Tuesday’s collapse against the Vancouver Canucks, where Anaheim blew a 5-2 lead with eight minutes left, surrendering three straight goals to a team mired in a 10-game skid before falling in overtime.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville is one of the most decorated bench bosses of our lifetime, and you can expect Coach Q to have his group dialed in and playing with urgency from the opening faceoff. Against Buffalo's tight defensive structure, Anaheim's primary shooter should see all the volume he can handle as he looks to break out of his slump.
Our Action Network PRO Projections identify substantial value in backing Gauthier's shot volume to clear this mark, with a juicy 11.1% edge against his current market price.
Best Bet: Cutter Gauthier Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+110, DraftKings)
