Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks Preview
The Canucks and Sabres are set to face off at 4:00 ET on ESPN+. The Sabres will host the game at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.
The Canucks are the favored team in this non-conference contest against the Sabres. The game’s over/under currently sits at 7 goals. Check out BetCoco for Buffalo Sabres – Vancouver Canucks odds
Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Over the last three times that the Sabres have hosted the Canucks, they have gone 2-1. The over/under record in the five most recent head to head games between the Canucks and Sabres is 3-2 with an average of 7 goals per game. The last three times that the Canucks have been on the road vs. the Sabres, the over/under record is 5-0.
- Across their last three road contests, Vancouver has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 3-0. Their overall mark in these games was 3-0, while averaging 5 goals per game.
- Although Buffalo has a straight up record of 2-1 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs. the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Sabres have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-2.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Canucks have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.
Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction
As the second-place team in the Western Conference, the Canucks have a record of 28-11-3. In their last ten games, they are 7-3, and they have won four straight games. On the road this season, Vancouver is 14-7-2.
When playing against other teams in the Western Conference, the Canucks have gone 16-8. Against divisional opponents, they have a record of 9-4. For the season, Vancouver has been favored in 23 of their 42 games and has a record of 16-7 when favored.
On offense, the Canucks are averaging 3.9 goals per game which is 1st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 27th in the league. Coming into the game, the Canucks have a 13-5 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 14-6.
Heading into this matchup vs. Buffalo, goalie Thatcher Demko has started 30 games in this season. His current record is 21-8, and his save percentage stands at 0.981%.
At home this season, the Sabres are 9-10-1, and they are 7th in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo has gone 18-20-4 overall and 13-17 against the Eastern Conference.
As the underdog, the Sabres have gone 10-14-3 this year, and they have been the underdog in 27 of their 42 games. Over their last ten games, Buffalo has gone 5-5, and they have won two of their last three games.
In terms of their offensive performance, the Sabres are averaging 3 goals per game this season, putting them in the 17th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 8th in the league. Coming into the game, the Sabres have a 12-12 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 6-8.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the start and has made 17 starts this season. His record at this point is 9-8, and his save percentage is 0.66%.
Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Sabres to come out on top with a final score of 4-2.
Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks Betting Tips
- We like the Sabres on the moneyline (+128)
- The Sabres are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our NHL model projects 6 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Buffalo Sabres Injury Report
- Jeff Skinner – Upper Body – Out
- Tage Thompson – Undisclosed – Doubtful
- Victor Olofsson – Illness – Questionable
Vancouver Canucks Injury Report
- Phil Di Giuseppe – Undisclosed – Out
- Guillaume Brisebois – Upper Body – Out
- Tucker Poolman – Head – Out
