The Buffalo Sabres (47-23-8) and New York Rangers (33-36-9) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Sabres are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (+105o / -125u). The Sabres are a -142 favorite to win outright, while the Rangers are +120 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into our Sabres vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks.
Sabres vs. Rangers Odds, Pick
| Sabres Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 6.5 105o / -125u | -142 |
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -205 | 6.5 105o / -125u | +120 |
Sabres vs. Rangers Spread: Sabres -1.5 (+170), Rangers +1.5 (-205)
Sabres vs. Rangers Over/Under: 6.5 (+105o / -125u)
Sabres vs. Rangers Moneyline: Sabres -142, Rangers +120
Sabres vs. Rangers Preview
The Sabres head into Madison Square Garden tonight to face a Rangers squad that is riding the high of an 8-1 home blowout against the Capitals on Sunday.
While New York’s recent offensive explosion might tempt bettors to back the home side, our Bet Labs "Fade Home Team Fat and Happy (Road off W)" system says the smart play is on the visitors.\
We are taking Buffalo to win outright, backed by a historically profitable system.
The Sabres enter tonight with a 47-23-8 record and immense motivation, currently tied with Tampa Bay for the Atlantic Division lead with 102 points.
They have been a powerhouse on the road this season with 22 away wins, and they’ve already proven they can handle this environment, having secured a 5-2 victory at MSG back in January.
Individual trends also favor the visitors: goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen boasts a stellar .929 save percentage in eight career games against the Rangers, and forward Ryan McLeod has torched New York for 11 points in 10 career matchups.
The number of bets and percentage of money show increasing support for Buffalo heading into tonight's puck drop.
While the Rangers are coming off a dominant victory, they have struggled at home overall this season, sporting a mediocre 14-19-7 record at the Garden.
Sabres vs. Rangers Prediction, Pick
This NHL fade system highlights situations where a home team like the Rangers comes off a comfortable win at home, while their opponent also enters the matchup with recent success, which is also the case for the Sabres, who beat the Lightning 4-2 on Monday.
The perception of momentum often inflates the price of the home side as the market expects another strong performance, but history shows that teams playing in the same building after a convincing home win are vulnerable to complacency.
At the same time, road teams traveling in off a win tend to carry sharper focus and urgency, especially when the host team may not feel the same pressure to respond.
This creates value by fading the so-called fat-and-happy home side, whose recent success can mask underlying flaws and lead to an overpriced line.
Best Bet: Sabres ML (-142, DraftKings)
