Nashville Predators at Buffalo Sabres odds, picks and predictions
The Nashville Predators (11-12-0) take on the Buffalo Sabres (10-12-2) Sunday at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Predators vs. Sabres odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Preds enter this tilt after losing 4-3 Saturday to the New York Rangers and 6-1 Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. So this will be their 3rd game in 72 hours. LW Filip Forsberg leads the team with 27 points on 12 goals and 15 assists.
The Sabres are 3-4-1 since they lost star forward Tage Thompson to a wrist injury. They have dropped 2 in a row and 3 of 4. They have been bad losses, too, to the tune of 7-2, 6-4 and 6-2. C Casey Mittelstadt is on his way to a breakout season as he leads the club with 21 points on 5 goals and 16 assists. He has a point in 6 of his last 7 games.
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Predators at Sabres odds
BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:47 p.m. ET.
Predators at Sabres projected goalies
Juuse Saros (8-10-0, 3.17 GAA, .895 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (6-4-1, 2.88 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO)
Saros was pummeled for 4 goals on 15 shots Thursday against the Wild. He was pulled early in the 2nd period. November was a rough month for Saros, who had a 3.71 GAA after a great start to the season. He was 1-1-0 with a 4.09 GAA in 2 starts against the Sabres last season.
Luukkonen was floored for 6 goals on 20 shots against the St. Louis Blues Thursday night. That accounted for 1/4 of the 24 goals he allowed in 8 November starts. He had 1 start and 1 relief outing against the Preds last season, and he stopped 44 of 47 shots fired his way.
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Predators at Sabres picks and predictions
Prediction
Sabres 5, Predators 3
We have an old-fashioned pick ’em here, and while I don’t like the way Buffalo has been trending, they still have the offensive punch to knock out the weary Preds. The Sabres are 5-5-0 at home, and the Preds are 3-6-0 on the road. Saros has been pretty giving this holiday season.
Take the SABRES -110.
The Sabres have won 3 of the last 4 meetings. We’ve had 5 one-goal finishes in the last 9 meetings, though. I’m projecting a multiple-goal win here, and you can get the Sabres -1.5 (+220) to more than double up. However, the numbers don’t give me confidence in them without Thompson.
PASS.
The Sabres have allowed 6+ goals in 3 of 4, and the Preds have been a part of 7-goal games in their last 2 games. Neither team is very adept defensively as Nashville is 19th at 3.3 goals allowed per game, and Buffalo is 24th at 3.46.
Take the OVER 6.5 (-105) or wait for puck drop to catch better odds on a live bet.
