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The Buffalo Sabres (8-9-1) visit the LA Kings (10-6-3) Wednesday for a 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+) game at Crypto.com Arena. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Sabres vs. Kings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Buffalo leads 1-0
The Sabres, who defeated LA 3-1 in their Oct. 10 season opener, are 4-2-0 over their last half-dozen games. That includes a 5-2 setback in their last game, which was Saturday at the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Kings have had 3 days off since their last game, a 4-1 home-ice triumph over the Detroit Red Wings Saturday. LA outshot Detroit 41-18 in that game. The Kings have held foes to just 22.9 shots per game since Oct. 29.
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Sabres at Kings odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 9:55 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Sabres +130 (bet $100 to win $130) | Kings -155 (bet $155 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Sabres +1.5 (-190) | Kings -1.5 (+155)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Sabres at Kings projected goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (6-4-1, 2.83 GAA, .903 SV%) vs. David Rittich (6-4-0, 2.52 GAA, .892 SV%)
Luukkonen missed Buffalo’s last 2 games due to an undisclosed injury. He last played Nov. 11 when he was pulled after 40 minutes and 4 goals allowed against the Montreal Canadiens. Luukkonen had clocked a fine .947 SV% over 4 previous November games.
Rittich had a shutout going until the 1:27 mark of the Saturday win over the Red Wings. He filed 17 saves against 18 shots in that game and owns a .932 SV% over his last 194 minutes.
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Sabres at Kings picks and predictions
Prediction
Kings 3, Sabres 2
Moneyline
Buffalo is just 2-4-1 on the road, and its recent goal-scoring numbers are not supported by peripheral analytics.
LA is playing on 3 days of rest for the first time this season. In 2023-24, the Kings went 4-1-0, scoring 3.80 goals per game while allowing 1.40, in such situations. The Kings are stingy in giving up quality shots, and generating such has been a problem area for Buffalo of late.
BET LA (-155).
Puck line/Against the spread
The Kings are a lean, but so is the Under. This play, with its extra juice, has little or no value. PASS.
Over/Under
The Under has gone 6-3 across the last 9 Buffalo-LA meetings.
Both clubs have some shooting-percentage splits and expected-goal numbers that indicate they are likely too far out over their skis at current scoring averages.
Especially with LA’s style of play and the Sabres struggling to generate shots of late (23.4 per game in last 5), the UNDER 6 (-110) is the strongest value in this matchup.
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