Two teams squaring off for the second time this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres meet at the KeyBank Center in an Atlantic Division showdown. This one will get started at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 13 and it’s being shown live on Fox Sports Sun.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres Odds
Tampa Bay is 38-18 straight up (SU) and has netted 12.4 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 56 regular season contests, 34 of its games have gone over the total, while 21 have gone under and none have pushed. The Bolts are 19-12 SU as an away team in 2017-18.
Tampa Bay has converted on 24.0 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s good enough for fifth-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 21st overall, and it has successfully killed off 78.7 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, Tampa Bay has been penalized 4.0 times per game overall in the 2017-18 season, and 3.2 per game over its last five games. The teams had to kill penalties just 8.2 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
With a .928 save percentage and 29.1 saves per game, Andrei Vasilevskiy (33-14-2) has been the primary option in goal for Tampa Bay this year. Vasilevskiy did just play last night, however, so head coach Jon Cooper might decide to rest him and instead roll with Louis Domingue (2-9 record, .877 save percentage, 3.88 goals against average).
The visiting Lightning will be led by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Kucherov has 71 points on 30 goals and 41 assists, and has recorded two or more points in 23 different games. Stamkos has 21 goals and 44 assists to his credit (and has registered a point in 38 games).
On the other side of the ice, Buffalo is 16-40 straight up (SU) and has lost 19.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 56 regular season matches, 28 of its games have gone under the total, while 25 have gone over and just three have pushed. It’s 7-20 SU as the home team this season.
Buffalo has converted on just 17.0 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s ranked 23rd in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 21st overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Buffalo skaters have been penalized only 3.6 times per game in total this season, and 5.0 per game over their last five home outings. The teams been forced to defend opponent power plays just 7.2 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Robin Lehner has stopped 26.6 shots per game as the top choice in goal for Buffalo. Lehner has 12 wins, 30 losses, and seven OT losses to his name and has maintained a mediocre 2.90 goals against average and a .910 save percentage this season.
The Sabres offense will be led by Jack Eichel (22 goals, 31 assists).
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The over has hit in four of Buffalo’s last five games.
- The Sabres are 5-14 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 13-28 when they serve fewer than 10 penalty minutes, in total.
- Buffalo is ranked 30th in the NHL with 5.4 takeaways per game. That figures trended upward lately, as it has averaged 6.1 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.8 takeaways over its last five.
- Tampa Bay has forced 4.4 takeaways per game over its last five road games, a drop-off from its season average of 7.1 takeaways per game (ranked 18th overall).
- Tampa Bay might have an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The teams an impressive 14-7 in games decided by one goal, while Buffalo is only 7-19 in such games.
