Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and the Tampa Bay Lightning will face off against Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and the Buffalo Sabres at Ericsson Globe in a divisional tilt. The first puck will drop at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, November 8, and you’ll be able to catch the game live on NBC Sports Network.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres Odds
The Lightning (-165) are the favorite over the Sabres (+145) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
Earning moneyline bettors 3.9 units, Buffalo is 9-6 straight up (SU) overall in the 2019-20 season. That winning percentage, ranked fifth in the NHL in this young season, is a remarkable improvement over the 33-49 record from last year’s regular season campaign. Through 15 regular season matches, eight of the team’s games have gone over the total, while seven have gone under and none have pushed. The team’s 5-2 SU at home thus far.
The Sabres have been able to convert on 26.4 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s good enough for fourth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated 17th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.5 percent of all penalties.
With a .928 save percentage and 27.3 saves per game, Carter Hutton (6-3-1) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Sabres this season. If head coach Ralph Krueger chooses to give him a rest, however, the team may go with Linus Ullmark (3-3-3 record, .915 save percentage, 3.12 goals against average).
Tampa Bay has lost 5.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far and is currently 6-7 straight up (SU). Eight of its games have gone over the total, while five have gone under the total and none have pushed. The Lightning are 4-5 SU as the road team this season.
The Lightning have converted on 21.6 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 27th overall and it’s successfully killed off 72.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (29.4 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy has five wins and four losses to his credit, while registering a .904 save percentage and 3.12 goals against average this year.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres Betting Predictions
NHL Tip: SU Winner – Sabres, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the under has hit in three of their last five outings.
- Over Tampa Bay’s last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-4 in those games).
- Tampa Bay skaters notched 26.3 hits per game last season, while the Sabres accounted for 19.1 hits per matchup.
