The Buffalo Sabres faceoff against the Ottawa Senators in an Atlantic Division showdown to kick off their respective 2022-23 NHL Seasons.
The Buffalo Sabres are not a new-look team, but that doesn’t mean they don’t stack up well against an Ottawa Senators team that has seen its fair share of roster augmentation with Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux.
While the Senators have some new puzzle pieces, the Sabres, in a manner of speaking, have some themselves. Only theirs have come from within the organization with the likes of Owen Power, Jack Quinn, and J.J. Peterka snagging full-time status on the main roster.
So how much of a chance to the Sabres have in this one? Let’s look at the odds and prediction.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Senators Odds – Game 1
Per Fan Duel, the Buffalo Sabres are currently +1.5 point underdogs against the Senators. Their current Over/Under sits at 6.5, and the Sabres hold a +104 moneyline. The moneyline for the Senators is -125.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Senators Prediction – Game 1
The Senators may look like the better team on paper, but the Sabres win in the experience column of having essentially the same team taking the ice. And while that team managed just 75 points in 2021-22, they got it together late and went on a magical run.
Now one year older and one year smarter, with sound additions of players like Power, Quinn, and Peterka, look for the Sabres to pull off an upset in this one. In my bold predictions piece, I said the Sabres would take it 5-3. And I am going to stand by that proclamation.
The Sabres shock the NHL and take Game 1 here, showing that sometimes having an identical team on the ice from last season, even if that team did not win often, can be beneficial. Meanwhile the Senators will show that they will have some work to do in building much-needed chemistry.
(Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change)