The Columbus Blue Jackets just made sure the Penguins' season ended in disappointment, and now look to do the same against the Buffalo Sabers. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Sabres-Blue Jackets prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Sabres made a push for the playoffs, but acquisitions such as Jordan Greenway did not do enough to get them over the top. The Sabres have won three of their last four games but will end their season tonight. Last night the Sabres saw Craig Anderson call it a career, as they beat the Ottawa Senators. The Blue Jackets, while plagued by injuries, still managed to get a win over Pittsburgh, and hope to end their season on a high note.
Here are the Sabres-Blue Jackets NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Sabres-Blue Jackets Odds
Buffalo Sabres: -1.5 (+126)
Columbus Blue Jackets: +1.5 (-152)
Over: 6.5 (-164)
Under: 6.5 (+134)
How To Watch Sabres vs. Blue Jackets
TV: BSOH/MSG-B
Stream:NHLPP/ESPN+
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Sabres Could Cover The Spread
The Buffalo Sabres' playoff drought will continue this year, as they now own the longest active streak of missing the playoffs in the NHL. This is a major disappointment for a team that showed so much promise throughout the year. Still, with a young core, solid playmakers, and a potnetial goalie of the future, Buffalo should be excited about years to come.
They are ranked fourth in the NHL in goals per game this year at 3.55 goals per outing. While this is one of th best in the league, it has largely come in spurts. In the 20 games since March 1st, they have scored two or fewer goals in eight of them. Conversely, they have scored four or more eight times. Tage Thompsonended his streak of eight straight goals without a game last night. While it was not his fifth hat trick of the season, it was timely. Thompson scored with 3:03 left in the third period to tie the game, and send it to overtime.
Buffalo is also one of the worst at keeping the puck out of the net. On the season they average 3.65 goals per game against them. That total ranks them 25th in the NHL this season. Last night saw a better than average performance, only allowing three goals. Still the penalty kill which is 28th in the league failed again. Tim Stutzle scored on the power play to open the Ottawa scoring. It was on their own man advantage that the Sabres tied up the game, as they sit 8th in the league in power play conversion.
The Sabres are expected to start Devon Levi in their final game of the year. Levi is showing signs of being a quality goaltender recently. Since getting his first start in March, he is 4-2 and has a save percentage of .903. He has four games in which the percentage is over .910, but also one below .820. Levi is attempting to show he is the future for Buffalo, and can with another quality performance tonight.
Why The Blue Jackets Could Cover The Spread
The Blue Jackets have struggled to score all year, ranking 30th in the NHL with 2.54 goals per game. The Jackets were 26th in the NHL in shots on goal and had the worst shooting percentage in the league. The Power play was bottom ten in the league as well, only converting 18.3% of the time. They still struggled to score against the Penguins. They only scored three goals, but that was enough. The Blue Jackets had a power play goal that saw Emil Bemstrom get his seventh goal of the season, while Mikael Pyythia and Stanislav Svozil both got their first asssit on the play.
The Columbus defense also needs an upgrade. They traded Vladislav Gavrikov, while David Jiricek and Adam Boqvist did not show they could replace him. No player on the team had a positive plus/minus rating on the season, including Justin Richards who played just two games for the Blue Jackets. The continued a lot of their poor trends last night. They allowed 36 shots on goal last night, but in a change of pace for the Blue Jackets, everyone was either at 0 or +1 in plus/minus.
Elvis Merzlinkins is still out for the Blue Jackets, so they will most likely turn to Michael Hutchinson tonight in goal. He has been having a rough stretch of games, but played wonderfully last night. He saves 34 of 36 shots on goals, giving him a .922 save percentage. Both goals that went in on Hutchinson were on the power play, but they were also the only two power play shots he saw.
Final Sabres-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick
The Sabres are on a little bit of a hot streak, and playing well. Both teams grinded out victories last night, and look to end their season on a high note. Columbus is having to rely on role players to be primary guys. that can only carry a team so far. This team also carries some weight for the future. Columbus will move from a 13.5% chance at the top pick, to an 11.5% chance with a win. They have already locked in not getting the top odds, but how much the staff values that 2% may play into this game. They will play hard tonight, but it will not be enough.
Final Sabres-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick: Sabres -1.5 (+126)
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