Sabres Look to Salvage Winless Homestand
Two struggling teams meet in Buffalo as the NHL betting odds have it as a toss-up between the Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks. The Sabres have lost five straight games while Vancouver has lost three straight and four of its last five. It’s tough to pick a side here, though, in what we could see is a game with plenty of scoring.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Canucks vs Sabres. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Canucks Killed By Penalties
It’s unfair to point to one player or one glaring issue for Vancouver’s abysmal start. But if the team can fix just one thing, it better be the penalty kill (PK). At 61.8 percent, the Canucks are worst in the NHL in this department. In fact, a third of the goals Vancouver has allowed have come from them being short-handed.
Vancouver’s power play (PP), which is actually its strength at 27.6 percent (fifth in NHL), is negated by the goals the Canucks allow on the other end. The Canucks are -5 on special teams despite having had more PP opportunities (58) than their opponents (55).
The Canucks are actually not that bad on 5-on-5, especially when you consider their goal-tending. Vancouver may be below average in Corsi for percentage and scoring chances ratio, but they are 15th in PDO and “only” -3 in goal differential. If they can rectify their horrendous PK, they could be worth betting online again.
Sabres Crash Back to Earth
Just when it seemed like Buffalo was hitting the next level, the Sabres relapsed back to their old selves. Buffalo’s offense, which was scoring 4.3 goals per game (second), has slowed to a crawl and is averaging just 2.4 in its last five games. And then there is the defense (or lack thereof).
The Sabres have allowed 4.8 goals per game, which is last in the NHL. Buffalo has been outscored by double in this stretch and that’s partly due to poor goaltending and terrible penalty-killing. Eric Comrie is best suited as a backup as the 27-year-old has not had a save percentage above .870 in his last five starts.
Craig Anderson, the league’s oldest player, has been the better net-minder, though he’s struggled in his last three starts with an .886 save percentage.
To Buffalo’s credit, four of the five teams it lost to can be considered the best teams in the NHL. Losses to Arizona and Montreal notwithstanding, the Sabres have typically handled business against fellow also-rans.
Canucks vs Sabres Game Injuries
Canucks vs Sabres Head-to-Head
Buffalo and Vancouver have been evenly matched in recent history. Each team holds five wins over the other in their last 10 meetings. The total has gone over in seven of these games.
Canucks vs Sabres Game Information
- Game: Canucks (4-0-3) vs Sabres (7-8-0)
- Day/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Location: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
- Canucks vs Sabres Live Stream: NHL.TV
Canucks vs Sabres Betting Lines
Canucks vs Sabres Prediction
Picking sides, we like the Sabres to get back on track here. This team is a bit more potent offensively and is 5-2 in its last seven games against Pacific Division opponents. But the best bet on the sportsbook is for the game to go over its 6½ total. Both teams have prolific PPs and struggling PKs. The goaltending has also been inconsistent so expect a lot of goals.
The Buffalo Sabres are listed at -120 in our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Sabres, you have a chance to win $83. The Vancouver Canucks are +100, offering a chance to win $100 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Sabres a 54.55% chance to win, with the Canucks at 50.00%.
Canucks vs Sabres Trends
Canucks vs Sabres Edge
Canucks vs Sabres Results
Canucks vs Sabres Game Summary
