The Buffalo Sabres, spearheaded by Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, are set to take the ice against Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ericsson Globe in a divisional tilt. The opening face-off takes place at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 9, and you’ll be able to view it live on Fox Sports Sun.
Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Oddsmakers have not yet posted moneyline or Over/Under odds for this matchup.
Buffalo is 9-7 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 3.9 units this year. Through 16 regular season matches, eight of its games have gone over the total, while seven have gone under and none have pushed. The Sabres are 4-4 SU on the road in 2019-20.
Buffalo has converted on 25.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s good enough for sixth-best in the NHL. Additionally, its penalty kill is ranked 20th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.0 percent of all penalties..
Averaging 27.3 saves per game with a .928 save percentage, Carter Hutton (6-3-1) has been the top option in goal for Buffalo this season. If it decides to give him a rest, however, the team may turn to Linus Ullmark (3-4-1 record, .915 save percentage, 3.12 goals against average).
On the other side of the rink, Tampa Bay is 7-7 straight up (SU) and has lost 5.8 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Eight of its matches have gone over the total, while five have gone under and none have pushed. The team’s 2-2 SU at home this year.
The Lightning have converted on 22.0 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 27th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 74.0 percent of all penalties.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has stopped 28.5 shots per game as the primary option in goal for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy has six wins and four losses to his name and has registered a subpar .905 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average this year.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- Extra-man opportunities may be extremely important in this one. The Sabres are 4-4 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 8-5 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Lightning are 3-0 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 4-1 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- For both of these clubs, the under has hit in three of their last five outings.
- Buffalo skaters have averaged 8.6 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 7.9 giveaways per game (ranked second).
- The Bolts this season have tallied the 10th-most hits in the NHL (23.2 per game).
