The Washington Capitals (29-26-6) travel to meet the Buffalo Sabres (30-23-4) Sunday at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. (NHL Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Capitals vs. Sabres odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Capitals picked up a much-needed 6-3 victory at home against the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon, snapping a 6-game losing streak. Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie scored a pair of goals, while Alex Ovechkin had a pair of assists for his 1st points since returning from a personal leave.
The Sabres swept a 2-game Sunshine State trip, topping the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5 in OT on Thursday, and beating the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Friday. Buffalo has won 4 of its last 5 games overall.
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Capitals at Sabres odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:35 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Capitals +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Sabres -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-250) | Sabres -1.5 (+200)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +105 | U: -115)
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Capitals at Sabres projected goalies
Charlie Lindgren (12-8-2, 2.71 GAA, .906 SV%) vs. Craig Anderson (9-7-2, 2.70 GAA, .920 SV%, 1 SO)
Lindgren gets the nod after Darcy Kuemper started at home on Saturday. While Lindgren has been on the losing end of his last 2 starts, while earning just a single victory in his last 5 starts and 7 appearances, it’s not his fault.
Lindgren has allowed 3 or fewer goals in each of his last 5 starts, but he has received just 11 goals of support during the span, or 2.2 goals per game (GPG).
Anderson turned aside a whopping 49 out of 50 shots in Friday’s 3-1 win at Florida, and he has managed a 1-1-0 record, 2.53 GAA and .930 SV% in 2 starts and 3 appearances in February.
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Capitals at Sabres picks and predictions
Prediction
Sabres 4, Capitals 2
Moneyline
The SABRES (-120) are playing great hockey, as they make a push for a playoff spot for the 1st time since the 2010-11 season.
The Capitals (+100) grabbed a much-needed win Saturday, but they’re still on the outside looking in for a playoff spot, too. This is a very important game for both teams, but a tough spot for Washington. It is 1-7 in the last 8 games when playing on no rest, while going 1-4 in the last 5 against Atlantic Division teams.
Puck line/Against the spread
The SABRES -1.5 (+200) are worth playing lightly for the chance to double up. It might take an empty-net goal late to push this bet across the finish line, but the way Buffalo is playing, it is worth a roll of the dice.
Over/Under
The UNDER 6.5 (-115) is way to go in Sunday’s matinee action.
The Caps have cashed the Under in 6 of the last 8 outings, although it did hit the Over Saturday. However, the Under is 3-1-1 in the last 5 on the road, while going 7-0-2 in Washington’s last 9 when playing on no rest.
The Sabres have cashed the Under in 5 of the last 7 games against Eastern Conference foes, while going 4-1-1 in the last 6 against Metropolitan Division opponents.
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