Don't look now, but the Buffalo Sabres and the Winnipeg Jets face-off on Thursday with major implications on the line! With that being said, let's take a glimpse at our NHL odds series, where our Sabres-Jets prediction and pick will be made.
The last time the Sabres last suited up for action on the ice, they extended their winning ways even further and now find themselves in the midst of a four-game winning streak after besting the Blues on the road by a score of 5-3. Possessing one of the more high-octane offenses in all of North America, Buffalo is playing at an elite level as we inch closer to the All-Star Break.
As for the Jets, Winnipeg remains as one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference thanks to their tremendous balance from the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. Most recently, the Jets fell on hard times in a narrow 2-1 loss to Nashville, but they still sit with a 31-17-1 record heading into this one.
Here are the Sabres-Jets NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Sabres-Jets Odds
Buffalo Sabres: +1.5 (-160)
Winnipeg Jets: -1.5 (+130)
Over: 6.5 (-120)
Under: 6.5 (-104)
How To Watch Sabres vs. Jets
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Sabres Could Cover The Spread
In order for Buffalo to come away with a covering of the spread later this evening, their first act of business will need to be figuring out to return to their stellar offensive play that happened to be anything but against the Predators on Tuesday. Although Buffalo was held to only one goal in that contest, this is a roster that is filled with more speed than a Daytona 500 race. At the moment, the Sabres are trending in the right direction when it comes to finding a way to cover the spread this evening.
More specifically, then Sabres' best chances will be to continue playing a team-oriented style of play that prioritizes finding the open skater with the open shot on net. Currently, Buffalo has tallied the third-most assists in the entire NHL and are seemingly at their best when then are playing unselfishly.
Of course, few defensemen around the league have been implementing this style of play to near perfection more than Rasmus Dahlin, who currently has racked up 39 assists alone at the defenseman position. Not only is this quite impressive at the position he plays when on the ice, but he also boasts 53 points total which puts him within the top 20 in that statistic. Continuing to get Dahlin involved at the top of the blue line will be vital, especially when and if the Sabres get some power-play chances throughout the night.
As it stands, Buffalo is only surviving opponent's power-plays 73% of the time and are often plagued by their inability to clear the puck out of their own zone. Alas, keeping the Jets at bay on the power play will go a long ways in the Sabres coming out on top in tonight's duel.
Why The Jets Could Cover The Spread
Already entering play with a 17-6 record within the confines of their home arena, there are plenty of reasons why it would be smart to put a few extra dollars on the Jets treating their fans to a spread-covering victory on Thursday.
For starters, the biggest advantage that Winnipeg has over Buffalo in this one is the fact that the Jets strive on playing a ferocious brand of defense. In comparison to a Sabres squad that often gives up a plethora of scores due to some bad defense, the Jets are only surrendering on average 2.61 goals per game and is a big reason why Winnipeg has been so successful up to this point of the regular season.
In addition, the outstanding play of Connor Hellebuyck in his pursuit to being one of the top goaltenders in the league has certainly played a large role in Winnipeg's winning ways. Taking a closer look, Hellebuyck has been on an absolute tear of late as he is fresh off of a 39-save performance in the loss to Nashville and was the lone bright spots throughout that clubhouse on Tuesday.
As a whole, the 29-year-0ld net-minder has posted top-five statistics in nearly every goaltending category this season and could prove to be the ultimate equalizer if Winnipeg struggles even slightly to keep up offensively with a high-flying Sabres attack.
Final Sabres-Jets Prediction & Pick
There is no question that both of these squads have playoff aspirations in the back of their minds, but it will end up being the Jets and their home dominance that ends up having the last laugh in this showdown.
Final Sabres-Jets Prediction & Pick: Jets -1.5 (+130)
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