The Tampa Bay Lightning, led by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, are set to take the ice against Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, and the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center for an Atlantic Division tilt. The action will get going at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 12, and you can catch the game live on Fox Sports Sun.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres Odds
Moneyline odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Tampa Bay is 34-10 straight up (SU) and has netted 17.1 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 44 regular season matches, 25 of its games have gone over the total, while 17 have gone under and just two have pushed. As the road team in 2018-19, the Bolts are 15-6 SU.
Tampa Bay enters the match up with the first-best power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s scored on 30.0 percent of its extra-man advantages this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked eighth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 83.1 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 30.7 saves per game with a .925 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (18-6-2) has been the best option in goal for Tampa Bay this season. If it chooses to rest him, however, Tampa Bay may roll with Louis Domingue (15-4 record, .904 save percentage, 2.99 goals against average).
Buffalo is 23-21 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 6.5 units this year. Through 44 regular season matches, 21 of its games have gone over the total, while another 21 have gone under and just one has pushed. This year, the team is 14-8 SU at home.
The Sabres have converted on just 18.7 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked third overall, and it’s successfully killed off 84.4 percent of all opponent power plays.
Carter Hutton has denied 28.1 shots per game as the primary option in the crease for the Sabres. Hutton has 14 wins, 16 losses, and three OT losses to his name and has maintained a .916 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average this year.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres Betting Picks
NHL Pick: SU Winner – Sabres, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The Sabres are 3-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Lightning are 3-0 in shootouts.
- For both of these teams, the game went under the total in three of their past five outings.
- Six of Tampa Bay’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 5-1 in those games.
- Tampa Bay skaters have accounted for the eighth-most hits in the league (24.1 per game), but that number’s down to just 20.8 hits over their last five away games.
