The Buffalo Sabres are coming off of a tough loss vs. the Edmonton Oilers, making tonight’s game even more imperative to keep pace in the wild card.
The Buffalo Sabres are facing what might be their biggest game of the season to date at the New York Islanders. Right now, the Isles hold the lead in the wild card race with 72 points, while the Sabres sit in third with 68.
And while they won’t surge into second past the Pittsburgh Penguins (71 points) with a win tonight, they can pull to sitting just one point behind the Penguins if the latter loses to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
So can Buffalo avenge their loss last night with a win against a rough, tough Islanders team? Let’s check out the odds and make a prediction.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Islanders Odds – Game 63
Per Fan Duel, the Buffalo Sabres are +1.5 underdogs on the road against the Islanders. The Over/Under is 6.5 and the Sabres moneyline is +138. The Islanders moneyline is -166.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Islanders Prediction – Game 63
Buffalo beat the Islanders once already this season in a 3-2 overtime thriller and today, I’m expecting nothing less. The Sabres, shorthanded in their loss to Edmonton last night, looked good and kept one of the NHL’s highest-scoring teams in check.
They can easily do this again tonight on the second half of a back-to-back against New York, a team currently 23rd in goals scored. Buffalo, however, must find the back of the net more than they did on Monday night, and it will be no easy feat, as New York boasts one of the league’s best goaltending duos in Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov.
If Buffalo plays the way they did last night defensively, there is no doubt that they can and will keep New York in check. But will they score? If so, look for them to inch one step closer to a wild card berth. My prediction is that they will score and take the W on Long Island.
(Game odds update regularly and are subject to change)