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The Boston Bruins look to continue their winning streak as they face the Buffalo Sabres. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Bruins-Sabres prediction and pick.
The Bruins come into the game at 25-20-6 on the year, placing them in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, and currently holding on to a playoff spot. Still, the season has not gone as planned, and rumors of Bruins locker room issues continue to persist. In the last game, they faced the Colorado Avalanche. After a scoreless first period, the Avalanche got on the board in the second to make it 1-0. In the third period, Morgan Geekie scored just 25 seconds in to tie the game, and then just over five minutes later to give the Bruins the lead. An empty net goal from David Pastrnak would give the Bruins the 3-1 victory.
Meanwhile, the Sabres are 18-26-5, sitting in last place in the Atlantic Division. This has led to the Sabres considering selling assets at the trade deadline. In their last game, the Sabres faced the Edmonton Oilers. Alex Tuch scored first to give a 1-0 first-period lead to the Sabres. Still, former Sabre Jeff Skinner would tie the game in the period. Both teams would score in the second period as well, and in the third period, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his second of the game to give the Oilers the lead, as they won the game 3-2.
Here are the Bruins-Sabres NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Bruins-Sabres Odds
Boston Bruins: -1.5 (+194)
Moneyline: -126
Buffalo Sabres:+1.5 (-245)
Moneyline: +105
Over: 5.5 (-132)
Under: 5.5 (+108)
How To Watch Bruins vs Sabres
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Bruins is led by David Pastrnak, who leads the team in goals, assists, and points this year. Pastrnak has 24 goals and 35 assists, good for 53 points. He is joined on the top line by Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie. Zacha has 11 goals and 18 assists this year, sitting third on the team in points. Meanwhile, Geekie has 15 goals and 11 assists. He has scored five goals in his last five games.
Brad Marchand, currently on the second line, is second on the team in goals, assists, and points. He has 17 goals and 21 assists on the year. He is joined by Charlie Coyle on the second line. Coyle comes into the game with 12 goals and seven assists. Finally, Elias Lindholm plays on the third line and is fifth on the team in points with eight goals and 16 assists.
Jeremy Swayman is expected to be the goalkeeper for the Bruins in this one. He is 16-16-4 with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Swayman was great in his last start, stopping 27 of 28 shots in a win over the Avalanche. It was the third time in five games he was above .930 in save percentage and took the win.
Why the Sabres Could Cover the Spread/Win
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in both goals and points this year, playing from the top line. He comes into the game with 22 goals and 18 assists, with four goals and seven assists on the power play. He is joined on the top line by JJ Peterka, who is fourth on the team in points. Peterka comes in with 11 goals and 24 assists while having three goals and seven assists on the power play.
Meanwhile, the second line is led by Jason Zucker, who is second on the team in points. He comes in with 16 goals and 20 assists this year, with nine goals and six assists on the power play. Alex Tuch joins him, and he comes into the game with 16 goals and 19 assists this year. Finally, Rasmus Dahlin has been solid from the blue line. Dahlin comes in with six goals and 28 assists this year, sitting fifth on the team in points.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to be in goal for the Sabres in this one. He is 15-15-4 on the year with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. He has been solid as of late, giving up three or fewer goals in three of his last five starts, going 2-3-0 in those five games.
Final Bruins-Sabres Prediction & Pick
The Bruins come in as the favorite in terms of odds in this NHL game. They have played well as of late winning five of the last seven games. Further, while they are 20th in the NHL in goals against per game, with 3.10 per game, the average is below three per game in those seven games. Meanwhile, the Sabres are 29th in the NHL in goals against per game, while they are scoring just three goals per game. In their last seven games, the Sabers have surrendered 29 goals as well. Take the team playing better defense here.
Final Bruins-Sabres Prediction & Pick: Bruins ML (-126)
