The Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres are down but not out. Both teams have lost three straight but are surprisingly still in the playoff mix. This meeting between the two will be a “must-win” as far as cliches go, and the NHL lines expect the home team Sabres to get it done. Buffalo has lost seven of its last eight games, unable to stop opponents from scoring.
Predators Eaten By Injury Bug
Even with some brutal losses – like Sunday’s 7-0 thumping at the Rangers’ hands – we can’t entirely blame the Predators. Nashville’s best players are all hurt, including half of their top-six defensemen and all-star forward Filip Forsberg. Still, Nashville is getting some strong play in net to give it some value on the NHL odds.
It’s wild that the nashville predators:
-traded away ekholm, granlund, niederreiter, and jeannot
-are missing forsberg, mcdonagh, carrier, and parssinen due to injury
-are playing pretty badand they are still clinging on in the playoff race
— ryan (@AngryPredsFan) March 18, 2023
Juuse Saros would be a Vezina Trophy contender again had Nashville been a bit better this season. But the 27-year-old hasn’t missed a beat and is still posting a 92.2 save percentage despite a “rough” nine-game stretch, going 3-5 (3-3-2).
Nashville will need Saros or Kevin Lankinen to stay strong in the midst of their injuries on defense. The Preds’ key to success is limiting their opponents’ offense, as Nashville scores just 2.75 goals per game (28th in the NHL). The team is just 12-28 (12-23-5) when it surrenders at least three goals.
Sabres Can’t Stop a Beach Ball
Buffalo has allowed a whopping 4.7 goals per game this month. On top of allowing 7+ goals in three games, the Sabres have allowed five against Philadelphia and Washington. In fact, they haven’t held opponents to fewer than three goals in just one of their last 12 games. The team went 3-9 (3-7-2) in this span.
To make it worse, the Sabres’ offense has cooled off. Buffalo averaged just 2.92 goals per game during this stretch. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, then breaking NHL news with their offensive exploits, have disappeared. Thompson has not scored a goal in his last eight games, while Dahlin has been held off the scoresheet entirely.
But thanks to Buffalo’s abysmal defense, their games’ totals have still been going over. That’s been a hot bet online for this team, as even ol’ reliable Craig Anderson has gotten lit up in some of his last starts. This week, this team missed the Bottom 5 of the NHL Power Rankings, but it could be near the bottom if it can’t snap its skid.
Predators vs Sabres Game Injuries
Predators vs Sabres Head-to-Head
Over 59% of Buffalo’s games have gone over the total (40-27-2). Against the Western Conference, four of its last six games have as well. Nashville is 8-2 in its last 10 games in Buffalo.
Predators vs Sabres Game Information
- Game: Predators (34-26-8) vs Sabres (33-30-6)
- Day/Time: Saturday, March 21, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Location: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
- Predators vs Sabres Live Stream: NHL.TV
Predators vs Sabres Betting Lines
Predators vs Sabres Picks and Prediction
As far as NHL picks, side with the underdog Predators here. Nashville has an edge in goal with either Saros or Lankinen. Buffalo’s gone cold and will have a tough time getting things going facing Nashville’s top goaltenders. Betting online on the game to go ‘under’ is another solid play.
Buffalo is listed at -140 in our NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Sabres, you have a chance to win $71. Nashville is +120, offering a chance to win $120 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Buffalo a 58.33% chance to win, with the Predators at 45.45%.
Predators vs Sabres Trends
Predators vs Sabres Edge
Predators vs Sabres Results
Predators vs Sabres Game Summary
