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

Buffalo Looks to Build Off Huge Victory at Toronto

Sabres, Capitals Battling for Wild Card

The Buffalo Sabres aim to stay in striking distance of an Eastern Conference playoff spot as they visit the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in the second leg of a three-game trip.

The Sabres had just one win in seven games (1-5-1) before opening their road swing by scoring three goals in the third period to knock off the playoff-bound Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

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

Buffalo, which has not made the playoffs since 2010-11, went into Tuesday five points behind the New York Islanders for the final wild card with three games in hand. Washington is tied with the Sabres (71 points), but has played two more contests.

The Capitals fell 5-3 at the New York Rangers on Tuesday night without leading scorer Alex Ovechkin (36 goals, 62 points). The nine-time “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner sat out the contest with a lower-body injury and his status is uncertain for the matchup with Buffalo.

Tuch’s Return Ignites Buffalo

Sabres forward Alex Tuch returned to the lineup earlier than expected Monday and scored twice in the victory after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

Tuch scored four goals as Buffalo went 4-1-0 in five games before his injury, but the Sabres were 2-5-1 without him. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson missed the game at Toronto with an upper-body injury and is week-to-week.

Tage Thompson has not slowed down in his quest for a 100-point season, registering seven of his team-high 87 in the past six contests while Jeff Skinner boasts nine of his 29 goals over the past 13 contests for Buffalo.

The Sabres can score, but they’re save percentage was ranked 25th in the league through Tuesday at .898.

The over is 36-27-2 in Buffalo games this season, but the under is 3-1-1 in the past five, according to NHL lines.

Capitals Face Critical Stretch

If Washington is to make a run for a postseason spot, the Capitals must show life in the next two weeks.

After facing Buffalo, Washington plays three teams with under .500 records at home (St. Louis, Columbus, Chicago) surrounding a trip to Minnesota. The Capitals are averaging more than four goals over the last eight games, but have not made up any ground at 4-3-1.

Forward Sonny Milano (non-Covid illness) also missed Tuesday’s game and talented centre Evgeny Kuznetsov extended his pointless streak to six contests. Backup Charlie Lindgren (12-8-2) could get a start after No. 1 goalie Darcy Kuemper (20-21-5) stopped 31 of 35 shots Tuesday.

Defenseman Rasmus Sandin has made quite an impression since being acquired from Toronto, posting a goal and eight assists in five games.

If you are online gambling, Washington is 1-6-1 in the second of back-to-backs this season and the under is 9-2-1 in the last 12 Capitals home games.

Sabres vs Capitals Game Injuries

Sabres vs Capitals Head-to-Head

Buffalo has gained at least a point in four straight meetings (2-0-2), including both this season while combining to score 12 times.

The Sabres, who were 0-1-2 with two shootout losses versus the Capitals in 2021-22, won in overtime at Washington 5-4 on Jan. 3 and 7-4 at home on Feb. 26.

Thompson (four goals) and Dylan Cozens (three) have each registered five points in the two games against the Capitals this season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won both of those games in net for Buffalo but owns a .878 save percentage versus Eastern Conference teams.

If you are betting online, the over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings at Washington and 6-1-1 in the past eight matchups overall.

Both teams are +10000 to win the Eastern Conference in the sportsbook.

Sabres vs Capitals Game Information

  • Game: Sabres (33-28-4) vs Capitals (32-29-7)
  • Day/Time: Wednesday, March 15, 7 p.m. ET
  • Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
  • Sabres vs Capitals Live stream: NHL.TV

Sabres vs Capitals Betting Lines

Sabres vs Capitals Picks and Prediction

The momentum in this matchup is definitely on the side of Buffalo after the Sabres produced one of their better efforts in a while at Toronto.

Veteran Craig Anderson got the win in net last time out and is 7-3-1 with a .918 save percentage on the road this season. With Eric Comrie out week-to-week (lower body), it is between Anderson and Luukkonen for a few weeks.

Washington is very close to falling out of the playoff chase realistically and this contest might determine whether it still has a chance. That could mean you see the best of the Caps or the end of the road.

We think Buffalo is the team that has the tools to move forward and the third-ranked offensive team in the league (3.65) should light up the scoreboard.

The Sabres are listed at +100 in our Las Vegas NHL odds. This means that if you wager $100 on Buffalo, you have a chance to win 100$. The Capitals are -120, offering a chance to win 83$ on a $100 wager.

The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Sabres a 50.00% chance to win, with Washington at 54.55%.

Sabres vs Capitals Edge

Sabres vs Capitals Results

Sabres vs Capitals Game Summary

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