Connor Brown, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and the Ottawa Senators are set to do battle against Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center in a divisional showdown. The first puck will drop at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 16, and you’ll be able to see the game live on MSG Western New York.
Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres Odds
The Sabres (-185) are currently favored over the Senators (+160), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 7 goals (-105 over, -115 under).
Earning 0.9 units for moneyline bettors, Buffalo is 9-9 straight up (SU) overall this year. That early-season winning percentage is a welcome improvement over the 33-49 record from last year’s regular season campaign. Through 18 regular season contests, 10 of its games have gone over the total, while eight have gone under and none have pushed. The team’s 5-4 SU at home so far this year.
The Sabres have converted on 23.3 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s good enough for ninth-best in the league. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 28th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 74.5 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 27.7 saves per game with a .913 save percentage, Carter Hutton (six wins, five losses, and two OT losses) has been the most dependable option in goal for the Sabres this season. If the Sabres decide to give him a rest, however, the team could roll with Linus Ullmark (3-4-4 record, .915 save percentage, 3.12 goals against average).
On the visiting bench, Ottawa is 8-11 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.9 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. Nine of its contests have gone over the total, while another nine have gone under the total and none have pushed. As an away team this season, the Senators are 2-7 SU.
The Senators have converted on just 7.8 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s ranked 31st in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 16th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Anders Nilsson (30.7 saves per game) has been the primary choice in the net for Ottawa. Nilsson has five wins, five losses, and one OT loss to his credit, while registering a .925 save percentage and 2.76 goals against average this year.
Ottawa Senators at Buffalo Sabres Free Picks
NHL Pick: SU Winner – Sabres, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- Over Buffalo’s last ten outings, four of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 1-3 in those games).
- The Senators are 1-5 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 2-4 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total.
- For both of these clubs, the game went over the total in three of their past five outings.
- Ottawa has averaged 9.2 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 11.8 giveaways per game (ranked 23rd overall).
- One of the best teams when it comes to stickhandling and crisp passes, Buffalo is ranked 1st this season with just 7.6 giveaways per game. That figure has trended down lately, however, as it’s averaged 6.7 giveaways over its last 10 games and 5.2 giveaways over its last five.
- Ottawa skaters have accounted for the league’s second-most hits per game (28.7), but that number’s down to just 25.2 hits over their last five away games.
