Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and the Buffalo Sabres will face off against Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho, and the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in an Eastern Conference showdown. The action will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 16 and it can be caught live on MSG Western New York.
Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes Odds
With a -215 moneyline, Carolina enters the game as the heavy favorite. The line for the Sabres now stands at +180, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been placed at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Carolina is 38-32 straight up (SU) and has recorded -4.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a welcomed improvement compared to what the team managed during the 2017-18 season (36-46). Among the team’s 70 games this season, 30 have gone under the total, while 30 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team’s 18-15 SU at home this season.
The Hurricanes have converted on 17.3 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked seventh overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 82.0 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 24.6 saves per game with a .908 save percentage, Petr Mrazek (18-16-3) has been the most dependable goalkeeper for Carolina this season. Mrazek did just play last night, however, so Carolina could decide to rest him and turn to Curtis McElhinney instead (17-10-10 record, .914 save percentage, 2.52 goals against average).
On the other hand, Buffalo is 30-40 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.0 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. Through 70 regular season matches, 38 of its games have gone over the total, while 30 have gone under the total and just two have pushed. As the away team, the Sabres are 11-24 SU.
The Sabres have converted on 18.4 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 11th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.1 percent of all penalties.
Carter Hutton (27.4 saves per game) has been the primary choice in the net for Buffalo. Hutton owns a 16-27-5 record, and has registered a .910 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average this year.
Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Hurricanes, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The Hurricanes are 1-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Sabres are 4-3 in shootouts.
- For both of these teams, the over has hit in four of their past five outings.
- Over Buffalo’s last ten games, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 1-6 in those games).
- The Hurricanes this season have registered the eighth-most hits per game in the NHL (24.7).
