The Nashville Predators (14-10-5) visit the Buffalo Sabres (15-11-6) Thursday at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Predators-Sabres sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Predators at Sabres: Projected starting goalies
Pekka Rinne vs. Carter Hutton
Rinne enters Thursday with a 10-4-3 record, .897 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average. He last played Saturday, when he allowed four goals on 33 shots faced in a win over the New Jersey Devils.
Hutton is 0-2-3 over his last five games. He last played Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, when he allowed six goals on just 30 shots faced. He is 6-5-4 on the year with a .901 SV% and 3.05 GAA.
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Predators at Sabres: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Sabres 4, Predators 3
Moneyline (ML)
The SABRES (+110) have surged into second place in the Atlantic Division, winning back-to-back games with goaltender Linus Ullmark in net. They’re 5-2-3 over their last 10 games and 9-3-3 at home for the year. The Predators (-133) have also won two straight games and are 5-3-2 over their last 10, but they’re just 5-5-1 away from Music City for the year.
Nashville has a plus-5 goal differential on the year to the plus-4 for Buffalo. The Preds have the advantages in Corsi (percentage of total shot attempts), scoring chances and PDO (save percentage plus shooting percentage) at 5-on-5, but take the value with the home underdogs as captain Jack Eichel looks to extend a 14-game point streak.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
There’s NO PLAY to be made on the puck line. The Sabres (+1.5, -233) are laying too much chalk to stay within a goal in a loss or to win outright. The Predators (-1.5, +190) are intriguing at nearly a 2x return. Four of their five road wins on the year were by margins of at least 2 goals, but I’m sticking with Buffalo to win outright.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Sabres to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $11. Backing them to stay within 1 goal in a loss profits just $4.30 on the spread.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the OVER 5.5 (-133). The Sabres played to goal totals of 6 or more in four of their last five games and seven of their last 10. The Preds hit the Over in four of their last 10 games, but Hutton poses an easier test for the visiting offense.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 116-97
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