Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres Preview
Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Sabres versus the Wild? The puck drops at 5:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.
The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Wild as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals. Check out BetCoco for Minnesota Wild – Buffalo Sabres odds
Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres Head-to-Head and Key Stats
When looking back on the last three times the Sabres and Wild have played each other, Buffalo has the edge with a record of 2-1. However, the average scoring differential in these matchups is dead even with each team averaging 3 goals per game.
- Buffalo has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 3. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.
- Through their last three home contests, the Wild offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 2. Minnesota posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Wild have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 5-5.
- As the betting favorite, the Sabres have an puck line mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Buffalo posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction
Buffalo enters the game with an overall record of 23-26-4, which places them 7th in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. On the road, the Sabres have gone 11-11-3 this season and have won two straight games away from home.
As the underdog, Buffalo has gone 12-18-3 this season and has been the underdog in 33 of their 53 games. Over their last ten games, the Sabres have gone 5-5, and in their last five games, they have gone 2-3.
On offense, the Sabres are averaging 2.9 goals per game which is 21st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 9th in the league. This year, the Sabres have recorded a 15-17 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 8-9 record.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the start and has made 26 starts this season. His record at this point is 13-13, and his save percentage is 0.736%.
At home this season, the Wild have gone 13-11-3 and have won four straight games. In the Western Conference standings, Minnesota is 11th with 55 points and a record of 25-23-5. In the Central Division, the Wild are in 6th place.
As the favorite, Minnesota has gone 16-6-2 this season and has won two straight games when favored. Over their last ten games, the Wild have gone 7-3 and have won four straight games overall. In the Western Conference, Minnesota has a record of 11-13.
On the offensive side, the Wild are scoring an 3 goals per game this season, ranking 18th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 19th in the league. This season, the Wild are 14-9 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 11-14 record.
Heading into this matchup vs. Buffalo, goalie Filip Gustavsson has started 30 games in this season. His current record is 15-13, and his save percentage stands at 0.811%.
In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Sabres winning this one 4-3.
Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Tips
- We like the Sabres on the moneyline (+126)
- The Sabres are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Minnesota Wild Injury Report
- Marcus Foligno – Lower Body – Out
- Jared Spurgeon – Lower Body – Out
- Pat Maroon – Back – Out
- Declan Chisholm – Personal – Probable
- Sam Hentges – Undisclosed – Out
Buffalo Sabres Injury Report
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Lower Body – Probable
- Mattias Samuelsson – Upper Body – Out
- Jack Quinn – Lower Body – Out
- Owen Power – Undisclosed – Out
