Sabres vs Islanders Prediction, Preview , Odds and Picks Mar 25

Islanders Coming Off Disappointing Loss as Favorite

In case you missed the NHL news on Friday, the New York Islanders lost in Columbus as a -230 road favorite. That was a disappointing result as the Islanders are in the thick of the playoff race while the Blue Jackets are dead-last in the standings.

The Islanders are again favored on Saturday but should bettors trust them in this spot? Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.

Buffalo Collapsing on Defensive End

In the most important stretch of their season, those who bet online have seen Buffalo completely fall apart on the defensive end of the ice. They’ve allowed over five goals in each of their last four losses.

To make matters worse, they’ve allowed at least seven goals in three of their last eight games. Simply put, this defense holding them back as both goaltenders struggling to keep up.

If it wasn’t already difficult to roll with the Sabres considering their defensive struggles lately, their star player might not be able to suit up. Tage Thompson is listed as questionable for this upcoming contest with an undisclosed injury.

He’s far and away their best offensive weapon with a team-high 89 points. Thompson being absent will make it that much harder for Buffalo to keep up given their goaltending. That’s part of why the Islanders are favored in the sportsbook.

Devon Levi is on the ice

We repeat, Devon Levi is on the ice‼️ pic.twitter.com/THQxdrqzmg

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 24, 2023

Islanders Offense Could Be Coming Alive

The Islanders haven’t been the best offense but they’ve been turning it up a notch lately. They’ve scored a combined 21 goals over the span of their last four games.

This recent stretch has been impressive despite the recent defeat in overtime to Columbus. It’s even more impressive considering that Mathew Barzal has been out with a lower body injury.

Barzal has missed a number of games but still ranks second on the team with 51 points. New York has started to get some consistency without him but it might still be early to tell if it’s sustainable.

Luckily, Sorokin is 6-1-0 with a 2.30 GAA and a .920 save percentage throughout seven starts during March. If he gets another nod in the net, the Isles should be a good bet versus the NHL odds.

Sabres vs Islanders Game Injuries

Sabres vs Islanders Head-to-Head

These teams have met twoce, with each of them pulling away with a victory.

Sabres vs Islanders Information

• Game: Buffalo Sabres (34-31-6) New York Islanders (37-27-9)
• Location: UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
• Day/Time: Saturday, p.m. ET
• Sabres vs Islanders Live stream:NHL.TV

Sabres vs. Islanders Betting Lines

Sabres vs Islanders Prediction

Each of these teams has won a meeting this season, which makes this tricky to handicap in the sportsbook. However, all signs point towards the Islanders finding a way to win this game.

Buffalo did get a nice win over New Jersey on Friday but their defense has been porous to say the least lately. Meanwhile, the Islanders have been ramping up their play lately with Sorokin in the net.

They also get home-ice advantage here. Take the Islanders with your NHL picks to pull away with a win here, especially if Thompson isn’t able to hit the ice with his injury.

New York is listed at -175 in our Vegas NHL lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Islanders, there’s a chance to win $57. Buffalo is +155 with a chance to win $155 on a $100 wager.

The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Sabres a 39.22% chance to win, with the Islanders at 63.64%.