Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres Preview
Betting on today’s Sabres and Capitals game? Catch the action at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, as the Capitals hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+.
The over/under for this game is set at 6.5 goals, and the Capitals are the home favorites against the Sabres in a Eastern conference matchup. Check out BetCoco for Washington Capitals – Buffalo Sabres odds
Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres Head-to-Head and Key Stats
In the last five head to head matchups, the Capitals have had the upper-hand, going 3-2. Over the last three head-to-head matchups between the Sabres and Capitals, taking the Sabres against the puck line has been a good bet, as they are a perfect 3-0 ATS.
- Through their last three road contests, the Sabres offense has averaged 1 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Buffalo posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
- The Capitals are 3-0 puck line in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Washington has an puck line mark of 6-4 while going 5-5 straight up.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Sabres have a straight up record of 7-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 2-8.
Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction
Before their matchup against Washington, the Sabres arrive with a 8-9-1 record. They hold a 4-2-0 record when considered the favorites and 4-7-1 when seen as the underdogs. For away games this season, they have a 4-4-1 record, while they are 4-5-0 when playing at home.
On offense, the Sabres are averaging 2.8 goals per game which is 24th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 25th in the league. In terms of the Sabres’ offense during power plays, they are 29th in power play goals and 14th in shorthanded goals.
Goalie Devon Levi comes into the game having made seven starts this season. So far, his record is 3-4 and he has a save percentage of 88%.
Going into the game against Buffalo, the Capitals hold a 9-4-2 record. They have a 4-0-1 record when favored and 5-4-1 as underdogs. On the road this season, they have a 3-1-1 record, while they are 6-3-1 in their games at home.
For their offensive performance, the Capitals come in averaging 2.5 goals per game this season, which is 31st in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 31st in the league. Looking at how the Capitals’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 32nd in power play goals and 17th in shorthanded goals.
Heading into this matchup vs. Buffalo, goalie Darcy Kuemper has started eight games in this season. His current record is 3-3, and his save percentage stands at 89.2%.
With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Capitals to secure a 4-3 victory.
Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Tips
- Take the Capitals on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Sabres (+1.5)
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Washington Capitals Injury Report
- Max Pacioretty – Achilles – Out
- Evgeny Kuznetsov – Illness – Questionable
- Nicklas Backstrom – Hip – Out
- Martin Fehervary – Lower Body – Out
Buffalo Sabres Injury Report
- Tage Thompson – Upper Body – Out
- Jack Quinn – Achilles – Out