A pivotal contest with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the Buffalo Sabres will travel to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks! Join us for our NHL odds series where our Sabres-Canucks prediction and pick will be made.
At this point of the season, there is no question that Buffalo needs to get hot if they want to find themselves back in playoff contention. Currently, the Sabres are a combined 32-31-5 and are an average road team with a 15-14-4 record. Most recently, it was Buffalo that went down in defeat to the Detroit Red Wings and will be playing this one on the second night of a back-to-back. With their backs up against the wall, it all comes down to this for the Sabres!
On the other side of things, the Canucks possess championship aspirations for the first time in a long time. Overall, Vancouver is actively on a two-game losing streak, but their overall record standing at 42-18-8 tells us that this Canucks squad is not to be messed with. On paper, the Canucks lead the Pacific Division Standings by a whopping eight points and should be a considerate player among the Western Conference contenders to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup when it's all said and done.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Sabres-Canucks Odds
Buffalo Sabres: +1.5 (-146)
Moneyline: +160
Vancouver Canucks: -1.5 (+122)
Moneyline: -194
Over: 6.5 (-106)
Under: 6.5 (-114)
How to Watch Sabres vs. Canucks
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Sabres Will Cover The Spread/Win
If the Sabres are going to shock the Canucks on their home ice, look no further than points-leader Rasmus Dahlin. Believe it or not, the 23-year-old defenseman not only excels on the defensive end of the ice, but he can also inflict a whole lot of damage offensively. At first glance, Dahlin has recorded at least one point in three consecutive games and could very well have an impact on the scoreboard once again.
Furthermore, but the Sabres aren't afraid to be aggressive with their shots on goal. Overall, Buffalo racks up a whopping 31 shots per game on net which could do them plenty of favors in this matchup. While Vancouver doesn't give up a ton of goals in-between the pipes, the more the Sabres crash the net and put the pressure on this Canucks defense, the more good fortune that will occur.
Last but not least, the biggest question that presents this Sabres team is whether or not they can slow down a hectic Canucks offensive assault. At the end of the day, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukonen may have the coolest name in all of sports, and he's also pretty darn good in the crease. Statistically, the 25-year-old from Finland ranks within the top 10 in multiple goaltending categories and may be the sole reason why Buffalo makes this a game.
Why The Canucks Will Cover The Spread/Win
For a team that hasn't participated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in more than four years, the ceiling for this organization could not be higher. Of course, Vancouver has never won a Stanley Cup in their franchise's history, but this season could definitely break the long drought of being champions.
For starters, not only is this offense extremely overwhelming for opposing defenses, but it is their unselfish nature that makes them stand out from the rest of the pack. Undoubtedly, the Canucks aren't afraid to make that extra pass when on the attack and it shows in the assists category. All together, Vancouver has amassed a total of 415 assists on the season which is the third-most in all of hockey. Indeed, don't count on this team to try to play hero ball and instead use a team approach to down the Sabres.
The biggest reason why the Canucks have found themselves on a mini two-game losing streak is due to their surprising dry spell in regards to putting shots up on goal. Like previously mentioned, this is an area where Buffalo excels in and if Vancouver doesn't bring their A game, this could cause them so issues. Luckily, the Canucks are backed by the tremendous J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, and Brock Boeser who are each dynamic on this offense.
Final Sabres-Canucks Prediction & Pick
With each passing game becoming more vital to the overall NHL playoff picture, it doesn't get much more important than contests like these! At the end of the day, it would be wise to side with the Canucks to snap their losing streak and get back in the win column. Overall, Vancouver is a solid squad and are also an impressive 37-31 ATS thus far this season.
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Final Sabres-Canucks Prediction & Pick: Canucks -1.5 (+122)
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