In their final head-to-head matchup of the regular season, the St. Louis Blues and the Buffalo Sabres meet at the KeyBank Center in an East-versus-West tilt. Fox Sports Midwest will broadcast the game, and the opening face-off takes place at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 3.
St. Louis Blues at Buffalo Sabres Odds
St. Louis (+150) is entering this one as the underdog to St. Louis (-170), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 5 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -130 money on the over and +110 on the under.
St. Louis is 31-22 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 2.5 units this year. 33 of its contests have gone under the total, while 20 have gone over and none have pushed. As the road team in 2017-18, the Blue Notes are 13-12 SU.
St. Louis has converted on just 16.4 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s ranked 26th in the NHL. Its penalty kill is ranked 15th in the league, and it has successfully killed off 81.4 percent of all penalties.
The Blue Notes, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 3.4 times per game during the 2017-18 season, and 2.6 per game over its last five games. The team has had to defend opponent power plays just 8.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 26.3 saves per game with a .911 save percentage, Jake Allen (18-19-2) has been the best option in goal for St. Louis this season. If St. Louis decides to rest him, however, head coach Mike Yeo could turn to Carter Hutton (14-8-1 record, .945 save percentage, 1.70 goals against average).
Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko will both spearhead the attack for the visiting Blues. Schenn (51 points) is up to 21 goals and 30 assists, and has recorded two or more points in 12 different games. Tarasenko has 21 goals and 26 assists to his credit, and has logged a point in 30 games.
Over on the other bench, Buffalo is 14-37 straight up (SU) and has lost 19.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. 27 of its outings have gone under the total, while 21 have gone over and just three have pushed. This season, the team’s 6-17 SU at home.
The Sabres have converted on just 16.6 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is also ranked 25th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.3 percent of all penalties.
Sabres players have been penalized 3.6 times per game in total this season, 4.0 per game over their past five contests total, and 4.2 per game over their last five at home. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays a whopping 13.6 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Robin Lehner has stopped 26.6 shots per game as the top choice in goal for the Sabres. Lehner has 11 wins, 27 losses, and six OT losses and has recorded a .912 save percentage and 2.85 goals against average this season.
Jack Eichel (20 goals, 29 assists) will lead the offensive attack for the Sabres.
St. Louis Blues vs. Buffalo Sabres Betting Predictions
Free NHL Tip: SU Winner – Sabres, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in four of Buffalo’s last five outings.
- Eight of Buffalo’s last ten games have been decided by two or more goals, and the club is 3-5 overall in those games.
- This game features two of the tougher teams in the league. St. Louis skaters have accounted for the 10th-most hits in the league (22.5 per game) and the Sabres have handed the 10th-most (22.7).
