Will Sabres-Bruins Be High-Scoring Affair?
If you’re looking at the NHL betting odds for Saturday’s Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins matchup, bettors have to be wondering about whether it’s going to be a high-scoring affair.
After all, the Sabres lead the league in goals per game at 4.00 while the Bruins are right behind them in second place with 3.80 tallies per contest.
Keep in mind that the first meeting between the teams resulted in a 3-1 win for Boston, so maybe goals aplenty are not on the menu. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup and see what’s the best option for those who bet online.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Sabres vs Bruins. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Sabres Have Won Five Straight
The Sabres are much further along in their development than anyone thought they’d be. After all, their regular season point total was set at 77.5 but they’re on pace to blow by that with 89.
Their offence has been electric as they lead the league in goals scored per outing. They have three players in the top 30 as Tage Thompson has 50 while Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin have 37.
They typically have to outscore opponents in chaotic, high-scoring affairs to get in the win column. However, those making their NHL picks have seen them slowly come around at the defensive end of late.
They’ve allowed nine goals in their last five. Ukko-Pekka Luukonen is having a good month so far as he has a .905 save percentage. If he can be in that range or slightly higher on Saturday, the Sabres can pull out a win.
Bruins Are Still Unstoppable
The Bruins started the season with 20 wins in their first 23 games, so seeing them “slump” to 8 wins in their last 12 is a clear indication of a slowdown. However, at a closer look, there’s nothing to worry about.
To start, each of the four losses has come by exactly one goal and three of them were in extra time. Boston hasn’t lost by two or more since November 23. That’s actually worth keeping in mind for puck line (or alt puck line) purposes in the sportsbook. NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks.
The Bruins have been alternating goaltenders for seven straight games, which means this should be Jeremy Swayman’s outing.
It’s important to note that he’s much better at home than on the road. He’s posted a 1.78 GAA and .931 save percentage at home compared to 4.05 and .850 on the road.
Sabres vs Bruins Game Injuries
Sabres vs Bruins Head-to-Head
These two teams have squared off once this season and the Bruins came away with a 3-1 win. If it’s a low-scoring affair, that favours Boston.
Sabres vs Bruins Game Information
- Game: Sabres (17-14-2) Bruins (28-4-3)
- Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Saturday, Dec 31, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Sabres vs Bruins Live stream: NHL.TV
Sabres vs Bruins Betting Lines
Sabres vs Bruins Picks & Prediction
The key to this game will be the pace of play. The Sabres want a freewheeling, high-scoring contest while the Bruins would like a slower, defensive grind.
The Bruins are at home in this one, so they should be able to dictate that pace. They are 18-0-2 at home and they typically get their way when playing in front of their home fans.
Boston is listed at -245 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Bruins, you can win $41. Buffalo is +205, offering a chance to win $205 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Bruins a 71.01% chance to win, with the Sabres at 32.79%.
Sabres vs Bruins Trends
Sabres vs Bruins Edge
Sabres vs Bruins Results
Sabres vs Bruins Game Summary
