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Oilers vs Sabres Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds and Picks

Goaltending Woes Mix With Superstar Scoring

It’s a superstar showdown this Monday night when Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers visit Tage Thompson’s Buffalo Sabres. With the playoff race heating up, this is a pivotal match for both teams. The NHL lines favor McDavid’s Oilers though Thompson’s Sabres have a way of pulling upsets, especially against Edmonton and the Western Conference.

Oilers are Unstoppable… One Way

The Oilers will always remain a contender for as long as McDavid and co. can keep scoring goals. Edmonton tops the league in goals per game (3.88) and power play percentage (31.9 percent). It is +32 in goal differential and would be in a better playoff position had it been better at also preventing opponents from scoring.

Oilers vs Sabres Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds and Picks
Oilers vs Sabres Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds and Picks

Jack Campbell and the goaltending remain the elephant in the room. While both he and Stuart Skinner have 17 wins apiece, his performance has been much worse. His -20.81 goals saved above average (GSAA) is 70th among qualified netminders.

The $25 million dollar man is having his worst season and all signs indicate it doesn’t get any better. As long as he’s on the ice, it’s tough to bet online on the Oilers. The team will need to score five goals or more just to give it a fighting chance considering Campbell’s struggles. It’s also partly why a whopping 65 percent of its games go over the total (42-18-4).

Sabres Keep Blasting Past the West

If the Oilers have an Eastern counterpart, it’s Buffalo. The Sabres are like the Oilers because they score a lot of goals (3.74 per game, third-best rate in the league) and also give up a lot (3.56 per game). Like Edmonton, the team’s goaltending can shoulder a lot of the blame.

Other than Craig Anderson, Buffalo’s goaltenders consistently get taken to the cleaners. Both Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie have negative GSAAs and save percentages below 90 percent. Both also let in three to four goals per start, which pressures Buffalo to score four or more to win the game.

And yet Buffalo remains a popular NHL pick because the team tends to get online sports betting lines either as a slight favorite or as an underdog. It’s how Buffalo is up nearly eight units on the moneyline. And a good chunk of their success has come against the West where Buffalo is 18-11 (18-9-2) against.

Oilers vs Sabres Game Injuries

Oilers vs Sabres Head-to-Head

Buffalo has won four of its last five home games against Edmonton. And as far as the totals, the over has been hot for betting online on each side. Six of Buffalo’s last seven games have gone over the total while Edmonton’s last six road games have as well.

Oilers vs Sabres Game Information

  • Game: Oilers (34-22-8) vs Sabres (32-25-4)
  • Day/Time: Monday, Mar. 6, 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, PA
  • Oilers vs Sabres Live stream: NHL.TV

Oilers vs Sabres Betting Lines

Oilers vs Sabres Picks and Prediction

McDavid and Thompson will headline the NHL news in this fun tilt. But it will be the goaltenders who will decide the winner. Keep an eye on the updates as Edmonton’s chances will be worse with Campbell over Skinner. With that said, either bet on the Sabres (moneyline or puck line) as they are just as potent offensively and can have better netminding.

Edmonton is listed at -145 in our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Oilers, you have a chance to win $69. The Buffalo Sabres are +125, offering a chance to win $125 on a $100 wager.

The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Edmonton a 59.18% chance to win, with the Sabres at 44.44%.

Oilers vs Sabres Edge

Oilers vs Sabres Results

Oilers vs Sabres Game Summary

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