A couple of squads ready to get at it, the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres open the 2019-20 season at the KeyBank Center in a divisional showdown. Sportsnet will showcase the matchup, and the action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 9.
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres Odds
The Sabres (-115) are the favorite over the Canadiens (-105), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
The Montreal Canadiens went 44-38 straight up (SU) last season, while the Buffalo Sabres finished just 33-49.
The Canadiens managed to score 3.04 goals per game on offense (34.1 shot attempts per game), while the defense gave up 2.88 goals per contest. Opponents attempted 31.1 shots per game on the Canadiens last year.
Behind an offense that managed 32.9 shot attempts per matchup, the Sabres recorded 2.76 goals/game. The defense yielded 33.0 shots and 3.30 goals per game.
The Canadiens found goal on 13.3 percent of their power play opportunities during the 2018-19 season. They successfully killed off 80.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Sabres converted on a whopping 19.5 percent of their man-advantages and killed off 80.8 percent of the power plays encountered by the defense.
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres Betting Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Sabres, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The Canadiens went 3-0 in games that went to a shootout last season. The Sabres were 5-3 in shootouts.
- Montreal skaters registered 26.9 hits per game last season, while the Sabres forced 19.1 hits per contest.
