How to Pick the Lightning vs. Sabres Game with Odds, Spread, Betting Line and Stats

Both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres are coming off a defeat, heading into their meeting at Amalie Arena on Thursday at 7:00 PM ET. Lightning (-155) versus Sabres (+130) has a clear favorite, according to the moneyline odds.

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Lightning vs. Sabres Picks

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Total Pick

Pick OU: Under 6.5 (model projecting 6.4 goals)

• Tampa Bay and its opponent have combined for more than Thursday's total of 6.5 goals 30 times this season.
• This season, 23 of Buffalo's games have featured more than 6.5 goals.
• The total for this game (6.5) is 0.2 more than the combined scoring averages for the Lightning (3.38) and the Sabres (2.88).
• These two teams give up a combined 6.4 goals per game, 0.1 less than this one's over/under.

Moneyline Pick

Lightning Moneyline: -155

• The Lightning have been victorious in 20 of their 33 games when they were favored on the moneyline this season (60.6%).
• When it has played with moneyline odds of -155 or shorter, Tampa Bay has put together an 8-4 record (winning 66.7% of its games).
• The Lightning's implied moneyline win probability is 60.8% in this matchup.

Sabres Moneyline: +130

• In Buffalo's 35 games as the underdog on the moneyline this season, it has 13 wins.
• The Sabres have eight wins in games when their moneyline odds are +130 or longer (in 20 such games).
• Buffalo's implied probability to win is 43.5% based on the moneyline odds.

Score Prediction

Prediction:
Tampa Bay 4, Buffalo 2

Lightning Leaders

• One of Tampa Bay's top offensive options this season is Nikita Kucherov, who has recorded 103 points in 60 games.
• With 30 goals and 33 assists, Brayden Point is one of the most important contributors for Tampa Bay with his 63 points (1.0 per game).
• Brandon Hagel has created 59 points for Tampa Bay in 61 games this season, netting a goal on 15.1% of his shots and recording 22 goals and 37 assists.
• As Tampa Bay's top goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy has recorded 20 wins and 15 losses this season while allowing 102 goals with 884 saves.

Sabres Points Leaders

• Casey Mittelstadt is among the top options on offense for Buffalo, with 45 points this season. He has put up 13 goals and 32 assists in 59 games.
• Rasmus Dahlin is a top contributor for Buffalo, with 44 total points this season. He has netted 14 goals and provided 30 assists in 58 contests.
• Alex Tuch has scored 16 goals and contributed 23 assists for Buffalo, giving him a point total of 39.
• Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 17-15-2 this season, collecting 869 saves and permitting 82 goals (2.5 goals against average) with a .914 save percentage (11th in the league).

Lightning's Schedule

Sabres' Schedule

Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo Game Info

• Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• How to Watch on TV: ESPN+, BSSUN, and MSG-B
• Location: Tampa, Florida
• Venue: Amalie Arena

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