The Buffalo Sabres skate into Philadelphia tonight, hoping to put Wednesday’s collapse in the rearview mirror and earn two much-needed points.
The Buffalo Sabres flopped the first time they played the Flyers back in January. They met met at KeyBank Arena and the Sabres, even in the Goatheads, gave Philadelphia little resistance, and the Flyers dominated that game in a 4-0 win.
Until that debilitating meltdown, Buffalo was going through a strong stretch. And now, they are coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the Washington Capitals.
So will the Sabres avenge that collapse and come back strong in a game against one of the NHL’s worst teams? Let’s check out the odds and see if we can predict what happens.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Flyers Odds – Game 68
Per Fan Duel, the Buffalo Sabres are -1.5 favorites on the road against the Flyers. The Over/Under is 6.5, and the Sabres moneyline is -142. The Flyers moneyline is +118.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Flyers Prediction – Game 68
Since Alex Tuch returned to the lineup, the Sabres have scored at least four goals a game. And against a team that’s allowed 3.3 goals per contest, expect Buffalo’s high-octane ways to be on full display tonight.
The only question is: Can they keep the Flyers from scoring? Theoretically, even a team with a poor penalty kill, defense, and at best, average goaltending, should keep the Flyers at bay. Philadelphia is 32nd in goals scored with 172, or a measly 2.56 per contest.
So it’s not necessarily a question of whether the Sabres will win this game, but should they win tonight? And the answer is a resounding yes.
Buffalo shouldn’t need to score at least four goals to win this affair. But just as they bounced back strong defensively vs. the New York Rangers after that 10-4 meltdown to Dallas, I’m expecting a flurry of goals in this one as the Sabres, offensively, aren’t going to show any complacency tonight.
So expect the Blue and Gold to put up at least five goals in this one, no exaggerating. And if they give up at least five to the Flyers, something is seriously wrong defensively.
(Game odds update regularly and are subject to change)