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It could be hard to believe, but the Buffalo Sabres have had great success against the Vegas Golden Knights over the past few seasons. Sometimes, teams match up better against their opponents regardless of their quality, which is the case in this game. The answer could also be that the Sabres have plenty of motivation in games against the Golden Knights as they play against their old captain, Jack Eichel. Nevertheless, the Sabres have won three straight games by a combined score of 15-6 and six of the past ten meetings. The difference this season is that the Sabres have been struggling for most of the year, while the Golden Knights could be playing some of their best hockey since they won their first Stanley Cup. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Sabres-Golden Knights prediction and pick.
Here are the Sabres-Golden Knights NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Sabres-Golden Knights Odds
Buffalo Sabres: +1.5 (-155)
Moneyline: +160
Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+130)
Moneyline: -190
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How To Watch Sabres vs. Golden Knights
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: MSG Buffalo, SCRIPPS
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Sabres Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Sabres made their fans wonder what could have been when they won three straight games through the holiday break. The truth is that those wins were against the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues, some of the league's worst teams. The Dallas Stars humbled them on New Year's Eve with a 4-2 victory, and they then suffered a heartbreaking loss against the Colorado Avalanche in the first game of 2025. The Sabres had a 5-3 lead with three minutes remaining in the third period before Cale Makar and Jonathan Drouin scored back-to-back goals to send it to overtime. Devon Toews completed the comeback for the 6-5 win. Will the Sabres gain confidence from being three minutes away from defeating the Avs? Or will this send them into another tailspin?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has taken over the net in Buffalo, starting five consecutive games. He has been performing well, owning a 3-1-1 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, and a .898 save percentage. The question in this game is whether Luukkonen will get another start or whether the Sabres will give James Reimer an opportunity.
Why the Golden Knights Could Cover the Spread/Win
In their most recent game, the Golden Knights readily bounced back from their upset loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Vegas knew they couldn't lose back-to-back games as massive favorites, so they took care of business against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. It was their seventh win in eight games, putting them six points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have been in cruise control for most of this season.
The Golden Knights hold the goaltending edge in this game, as Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov have been rolling. They have a combined 4-1-0 record with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.
Final Sabres-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick
The Golden Knights already have the goaltending edge, but Reimer starting for the Sabres will heavily sway the game in Vegas's favor. The Golden Knights have an advantage all over the ice, and it'll be hard for the Sabres to bounce back after their effort in Thursday's game against the Avalanche.
Final Sabres-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 (+130)
