The Montreal Canadiens will welcome the Buffalo Sabres into Canada for a rivalry matchup between the two teams at the clear bottom of the Atlantic Division. After making a Stanley Cup final appearance last season, the Montreal Canadiens have gone the complete opposite direction as they are last in the league with 29 points. The Buffalo Sabres have been putting up fights all season long, but still can't seem to get a consistent streak going as they only have 40 points on the season. Both teams will be looking to sell at the trade deadline as they both, more specifically the Canadians, are in full “tank for Shane Wright” mode. With that, it’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Sabres-Canadiens prediction and pick.
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Here are the Sabres-Canadiens NHL Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Sabres-Canadiens Odds
Buffalo Sabres: +1.5 (-290) (-108 ML)
Montreal Canadiens: -1.5 (+225) (-111 ML)
Over: 6.5 (+100)
Under: 6.5 (-122)
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Why The Sabres Can Cover The Spread/Win
This is game two of the Sabres' five-game road trip as they look to bounce back after a tough 7-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, extending their losing streak to three games now. Buffalo has an overall record of 16-27-8 on the season and just 8-13-4 on the road. The offensive production for Buffalo has actually been the better part of their season, putting up 2.67 goals per game with the likes of Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson.
However, their defense, who is led by Rasmus Dahlin, is allowing 3.55 goals per game, which is mainly due to the defense allowing their goaltenders to see open shots. Speaking of which, goaltender Dustin Tokarski is expected to get the start tonight as he is 5-7-4 on the season, allowing 3.35 goals per game with a .902 save percentage. The 32-year-old will look to shut the door against a hot Canadiens team.
Why The Canadiens Can Cover The Spread/Win
The Montreal Canadiens are ending a mini two-game homestand tonight before heading out on a five-game Western Canadian road trip. Since Montreal hired their new head coach, Hall-of-Fame player, Martin St. Louis, they have been dialed in, just playing for pride at this point. The Canadiens are 11-33-7 on the season where seven of those wins have come at home. Montreal has also been heating up as they're now on a three-game winning streak heading into this game. They would have to run the table for the rest of the season if they have any chance at a playoff spot this year, but at least the Canadiens are heading in the right direction for next season.
The scoring hasn't been Montreal's strong suit as they've only scored 2.25 goals per game, and their defense is arguably worse, as they allow 3.86 goals per game. Maybe their goaltending in Sam Montembault will be better tonight as he gets the call to defend the home crease tonight. Montembault is allowing 3.71 goals against per game and is sporting a .898 save percentage. The Canadiens will look to stay hot and extend their win streak at home tonight.
Final Sabres-Canadiens Prediction & Pick
Let's be honest, unless you're either a big Sabres/Canadiens fan or you are placing bets on the game, you might as well forget this matchup even happened. With that said, we're all here for the betting tips, so here are my two cents: The Habs (Canadiens) have looked like a completely different team in these past few games, winning against the Maple Leafs and Blues. The Sabres have lost six of their last eight appearances and are looking to be without some key players, including Rasmus Dahlin. I'm not sure how long this streak of good play will last for Montreal, but I'm willing to ride their train for now, especially at home.
Final Sabres-Canadiens Prediction & Pick: Montreal Canadiens (-111 ML)
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