The Anaheim Ducks will head to Upper New York to face off against the Buffalo Sabres for a matinee game at the KeyBank Center. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Ducks-Sabres prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Ducks suffered a horrific 9-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at the Scotiabank Arena. They allowed Auston Matthews to score three minutes into the game. Then, they allowed three more goals, which would eventually force Lukas Dostal out of the game. It got even worse in the second period as the Leafs pelted John Gibson with four more goals. Overall, Dostal finished with 14 saves with four goals allowed, while Gibson allowed four goals with nine saves. Ryan Strome led the little offense the Ducks managed, with one goal and one assist. Also, Frank Vatrano had a goal. The Ducks won only 44 percent of their faceoffs. Additionally, the Ducks went 1 for 3 on the powerplay. The Ducks also struggled on the penalty kill, killing only one penalty on five chances. Lastly, the Ducks leveled 50 hits and blocked 13 shots.
The Sabres defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in overtime. Amazingly, it was scoreless until the third period. Casey Mittelstadt scored 39 seconds into the period to put the Sabres on the board. Then, they allowed the Wild to score two goals to grab the lead. But the Wild tied it with 37 seconds left in the game when Dylan Cozens scored to tie it and send it into overtime. Later, Henri Jokinarju won the game 1:29 into OT with a game-winning goal. The Sabres won despite going 0 for 3 on the powerplay. Also, they went 3 for 4 on the penalty kill. The Sabres also leveled 15 hits and blocked 10 shots.
The Ducks defeated the Sabres 4-2 at Honda Center last month. However, the Sabres have gone 5-4-1 over the past 10 games between the teams. But the Sabres are also 2-2-1 over the last five home games against the Ducks.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Ducks-Sabres Odds
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +146
Buffalo Sabres: -1.5 (+134)
Moneyline: -178
Over: 6.5 (-114)
Under: 6.5 (-106)
How to Watch Ducks vs. Sabres
Time: 12:35 PM ET/9:35 AM PT
TV: ESPN+ and MSG
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Ducks Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Ducks have struggled to score goals this season and often have had games where scoring has not come easily. It's been a mixture of factors, from turnovers to taking bad shots to just not connecting with teammates. Moreover, the young guys have not evolved, which means the veterans are doing what little scoring is happening.
Vatrano leads the Ducks with 24 goals and 18 assists, including 10 powerplay markers. Thus, he will hope to replicate what he did against the Leafs. Troy Terry has been solid but inconsistent. So far, he has 15 goals and 24 assists, including three powerplay markers. Adam Henrique has 15 goals and 20 assists, including four powerplay conversions. Now, he will hope to continue putting up numbers. Mason McTavish had a great start to the season. However, he currently is stuck at 15 goals and 18 assists, with four powerplay conversions. Ryan Strome has nine goals and 21 assists, including two powerplay snipes. Meanwhile, second-overall pick Leo Carlsson has eight goals and 13 assists through 35 games. The Ducks are 29th in goals, 27th in shooting percentage, and 19th on the powerplay.
After completely dissolving against the Leafs, Gibson will still likely get the start. Gibson enters this game with an 11-19-1 record with a 3.07 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. Ultimately, he will play behind a defense that is 28th in goals against and 25th on the penalty kill.
The Ducks will cover the spread if they can actually play good defense. Likewise, they need to stay out of the penalty box.
Why The Sabres Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Sabres are in a similar position as the Ducks. Unfortunately, what they had hoped would be a playoff season is not coming to fruition. They still will likely miss the playoffs due to several factors. Surprisingly, the offense has not come together as they believed it would.
Mittelstadt is their best player, with 13 goals and 31 assists, including one powerplay goal. Also, Rasmus Dahlin has 14 goals and 27 assists, including four powerplay conversions. Alex Tuch has 15 goals and 22 assists, including two powerplay markers. Likewise, JJ Peterka has 19 goals and 17 assists, including one powerplay snipe. Tage Thompson has struggled this season through injuries and bad play. So far, he has 15 goals and 16 assists, including four powerplay conversions through 43 games. The Sabres are 20th in goals, 26th in shooting percentage, and 28th on the powerplay.
The Sabres will likely go with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Currently, he is 14-13-2 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a save percentage of .914. Luukkonen will play behind a defense that is 14th in goals against. Additionally, they are 17th on the penalty kill.
The Sabres will cover the spread if Thompson can play well. Then, they need to frustrate the Ducks with tight defense.
Final Ducks-Sabres Prediction & Pick
It's a battle of two bad teams. Ultimately, the only reason why the Ducks can cover the spread is because the Sabres tend to play down to bad opponents. But in this case, you need to remember that the Ducks and Sabres always play at least one game a year where the other wins. They already had the game where the under hit.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Ducks-Sabres Prediction & Pick: Over: 6.5 (-114)
Follow Us
Subscribe