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The buffalo sabres come in off a huge disappointment in Washington, as they gave up a third-period lead en route to a loss. They head to Philadelphia to face the Philadelphia Flyers, who have lost five straight games. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Sabres-Flyers prediction and pick.
The Flyers are struggling to put pucks in the net right now, with only six goals during their four-game losing spell, while only scoring 1.67 goals per game in a current 1-8 run. The Sabres are finding themselves struggling as well, with seven losses in their last nine games, while giving up 4.44 goals per game during that span. One team will be looking to turn things around as Buffalo attempt to get back in the Wild Card race, and the Flyers look to stay out of the Metropolitan basemen.
Here are the Sabres-Flyers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Sabres-Flyers Odds
Buffalo Sabres: -1.5 (+158)
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-192)
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How To Watch Sabres vs. Flyer
TV: SN1 / MSG-Boston
Stream: NHLPP/ ESPN+
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Sabres Could Cover The Spread
Offensively, Buffalo is one of the best in the league, averaging 3.65 goals per game, which is good for 3rd in the NHL. Their 11.3% shooting percentage is 3rd in the NHL. While they have been a solid offense, they were struggling to score until the last two games. They have four goals in each of the past two games, after a very cold stretch of scoring. Four goals were not enough against Washington, and the defensive side of the ice has not been the best recently. They gave up five to Washington, ten to Dallas, and seven to Boston. All of these games are in the past ten games.
Five guys on the Buffalo roster have over two goals with Thompson, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, and Olofsson. They are also all in the top 60 in total points this season. Surprisingly, none of them recorded a point against Washington, showing that the Buffalo firepower can come from others areas of the ice. These guys have not been the stellar stars they were early in the year. Tage Thompson has not scored since March 4th. Skinner has a plus/minus of negative three in March. Cozens only has five points and is minus six in March. They need to get going to keep pace in the Wild Card race.
The 41-year-old Craig Anderson gets the start in net tonight for Buffalo. He is tied for sixth in the NHL with a .917 save percentage. Anderson has played against the Flyers once this year, giving up four goals in a loss. The goalie has also not been playing great overall. He has given up 16 goals in his last five starts and only has two games with a save percentage higher than his season average in that time frame. At 10-9-2, he has not been the best option for Buffalo this year, but he has shown games in which he can be serviceable, including mop-up duty against Toronto.
Why The Flyers Could Cover The Spread
The Flyers have struggled a lot this season. One of the major areas of concern has been scoring. Currently, the Flyers are 29th in the NHL in scoring, averaging only 2.55 goals per game. Their power play is dead last in the league, and their shot percentage is third to the bottom. There is no one player who can take over the offensive side of the ice, with Travis Konecny being the team’s leading scorer. His 54 points tie him for 79th in the NHL, although he has done that in just 52 games. He is also the team’s leading goal scorer, with 27 on the season. That is tied for 43rd in the league. Problem is, he is injured.
Attempting to replace Konecny is Owen Tippett, who only has 34 points on the year and 18 goals in 62 games. No other player on the team is over 50 points on the year, making it one of the league’s worst in terms of individual production. Kevin Hayes is close, as he sits with 49 points on the season. He is assist-focused though, and with no major goal scorers, it is hard for him to get into the points column.
The problems are on both sides of the ice though. Only six players on the roster have a positive plus/minus rating on the season. Of those six, only two, Noah Cates, and Nick Seeler, have played over 50 games, and both are on defense.
In goal tonight will be Carter Hart, who has not played well this year. His 2.96 goals against average, and .906 save percentage rank him 25th or worse in the NHL. He only has one game in his last seven that has a save percentage over .900, and that was also his only win. Hart did show promise in that game, holding the Red Wings to one goal with a .962 save percentage.
Final Sabres-Flyers Prediction & Pick
This pick should be easy. Buffalo can score a lot of goals in a hurry. They have great offensive weapons that need a game to get back on track. Philadelphia not only cannot score, but also struggle to defend. Their goaltending play has been suspect, and they are missing their best player.
Final Sabres-Flyers Prediction & Pick: Buffalo -1.5 (+158)