The Buffalo Sabres (46-21-8) and Ottawa Senators (38-26-10) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Senators are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (-100o / -118u). The Senators are a -120 favorite to win outright, while the Sabres are -100 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Sabres vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks.
Sabres vs. Senators Odds, Pick
| Sabres Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -247 | 6.5 -100o / -118u | -100 |
| Senators Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +202 | 6.5 -100o / -118u | -120 |
- Sabres vs. Senators Spread: Senators -1.5 (+202 ), Sabres +1.5 (-247)
- Sabres vs. Senators Over/Under: 6.5 (-100o / -118u)
- Sabres vs. Senators Moneyline: Sabres -100, Senators -120
Sabres vs. Senators Preview
Buffalo Sabres
In a matter of days, the Sabres will likely clinch their first playoff berth in over a decade. And you can’t help but feel amazing for the fanbase that lived in peril for so long.
During March, they continued this glorious hot streak by going 11-2-2 and have been one of the more efficient 5-on-5 offensive teams.
They have such a deadly combo of Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch up front, and captain Rasmus Dahlin has been on a heater with seven points in his last seven games.
The one part that may come back to bite them is the defense. Last month, Buffalo had ranked 20th in 5-on-5 defense with a 2.87 xGA/60, and come playoff time, if this keeps up, the Sabres will be playing a very dangerous game.
Goaltending matchups typically don’t get announced until later, so if I had to guess, I think we see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen a lot more down the stretch with a .915 SV% in March, as well as an 8.5 GSAx over his last 10 games.
Alex Lyon has been incredible, but as we’ve seen in the four years he’s had a full-time gig, when you overwork him, his play drops off. Let him rest for the playoffs in case Luukkonen runs into trouble, because Lyon can carry a team when he’s fresh.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa has always had the talent to run with the big boys, but goaltending has set this team back.
Linus Ullmark was supposed to be the catalyst for change in Canada’s capital, and for the most part, it’s been kind of a disaster. However! To his credit, he’s been performing better when it has mattered most.
Over his last 10 games, he’s played to a 1.1 GSAx and an .878 SV%.
And I know what you’re thinking… What’s so special about that? Nothing. But the 1.1 GSAx is the thread that’s holding this team together.
It used to be that he couldn’t stop a beach ball, but at least he’s making saves that he should be making.
Aside from Ullmark, this team is very well-rounded, with one of the best rosters in the league. Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson, Dylan Cozens, I could go on. Though the Sens will be missing Thomas Chabot with a forearm injury.
Sabres vs. Senators Prediction
Buffalo is in a great position moving forward, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes the foot off the gas down the stretch.
But until the Sabres clinch a playoff spot, every game is going to matter – which makes this all the more difficult.
I don’t particularly love the matchup from a Buffalo perspective, as I can see the Senators overwhelming the Sabres on the offensive end.
I’ve been super impressed by Buffalo’s goaltending, with both Lyon and Luukkonen playing like dynamite netminders.
But with that defense in front of them, you may be asking for too much.
My betting record has been brutal as of late, but I’m trusting the process.
Ottawa has a whole lot more to play for, but its goaltending against that offense? This sounds like a recipe for the over.
Pick: Over 6.5 (+104, FanDuel)
