It wasn’t the Winnipeg Jets’ best performance on Tuesday night against Detroit. The Jets lost 7-5, thanks mainly to a poor outing from Connor Hellebuyck in net. But the NHL odds of that happening again should be slim as the Vezina Trophy contender could bounce back big against the Buffalo Sabres, who have their own netminding woes.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Jets vs Sabres. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Hellebuyck, Jets To Bounce Back
Just when we touted Winnipeg for getting its mojo back, it lays an egg against Detroit. That was painful as Winnipeg outplayed Detroit for the most part, but it could not overcome the three early goals Hellebuyck gave up. On the plus side, it is highly unlikely their star goaltender will play that poorly again.
Hellebuyck is 6-3-0 when coming off a loss and only once had consecutive sub-.900 games. As it stands, he still leads the NHL in goalie point shares (7.4) and is still second in goals saved above average (GSAA) (19). But Winnipeg will also have to tighten up defensively, especially against Buffalo.
The Jets outshot Detroit, making Tuesday the first time they’ve lost on the road when doing so (5-1-0). But when they are on the other end, they are just 5-7-1. Winnipeg remains a profitable team as a visitor, with a 10-8-1 record when betting online.
Sabres’ Offense Must Be Its Best Defense
“Offense is the best defense” is the Sabres’ credo, mainly because it does not have much to lean on outside of scoring. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have been as dominant as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. But as far as goaltending goes, the Sabres could use an upgrade.
I have this nugget in my story: the #Sabres have scored 151 goals in just 39 games, meaning they’ve already SURPASSED their total from the first tank season. They scored 150 goals in 82 games in 2013-14 and 153 goals in 82 games in 2014-15.https://t.co/gKestt2fBL
— Bill Hoppe (@BillHoppeNHL) January 11, 2023
Eric Comrie could start this game as he faces his old team. But the former Jet has proven he is not starter caliber as he has lost five straight games. His save percentage is at 88.3% with -7.9 GSAA, and just 33.3 quality start percent. Old man Craig Anderson has been more effective.
Unless the Sabres can get quality netminding, they will be a tough team to trust. It’s why Buffalo allows the seventh-most goals per game at home (3.6) and is just 9-10-2. Still, it will also take a strong effort from the opponent’s goaltender to beat Buffalo like Samuel Ersson did last week.
Jets vs Sabres Game Injuries
Jets vs Sabres Head-to-Head
The Jets have won two of their last three games against Buffalo. And despite the high-flying nature of these squads, the total has gone under in five of their last six meetings.
Jets vs Sabres Game Information
- Game: Jets (26-14-1) vs Sabres (20-17-2)
- Day/Time: Thursday, Jan. 12th, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Location: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
- Jets vs Sabres Live Stream: NHL.TV
Jets vs Sabres Betting Lines
Jets vs Sabres Picks & Prediction
Other than the three early goals Winnipeg allowed against Detroit, the team played like the sportsbook’s favorites. There is much less chance that Hellebuyck (or David Rittich if he starts) plays that poorly here. But on Buffalo’s end, trusting Comrie or Anderson to neutralize Winnipeg’s high-powered offense is a tough ask. Winnipeg gets it done this time.
Buffalo is listed at +105 in our NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Sabres, you have a chance to win $105. Winnipeg is -125, offering a chance to win $80 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Buffalo a 48.78% chance to win, with the Jets at 55.56%.
Jets vs Sabres Trends
Jets vs Sabres Edge
Jets vs Sabres Results
Jets vs Sabres Game Summary
