Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Preview
Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Sabres and Canadiens. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Canadiens at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. Get ready to place your bets!
The Sabres are favored by -1.5 in this Atlantic division showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 6.5 goals. Check out BetCoco for Montreal Canadiens – Buffalo Sabres odds
Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Heading into this week’s matchup, the Canadiens have the edge in their recent matchups against Buffalo, posting a record of 2-1. In the last three games Montreal is averaging 2 goals per game compared to 3 for the Sabres.
- Across their ten previous road games, Buffalo has an puck line mark of 7-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 3 goals per game.
- Montreal has a 2-3 record in their last five home games. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 4-1.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 0-3 and an puck line mark of 1-2.
- The last three games that Buffalo was favored, they have an puck line mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction
Buffalo comes into this game with a record of 24-27-4 and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference. In their last ten games, the Sabres have gone 4-6, and they have gone 2-3 in their last five games.
On the road this season, Buffalo has gone 12-11-3 and have won their last three road games. When playing in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres have gone 13-19.
The Sabres come into the game scoring an average of 2.9 goals per game, putting them 22nd in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 11th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Sabres offense is 29th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 24th in the NHL.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the start and has made 28 starts this season. His record at this point is 14-14, and his save percentage is 0.745%.
At this point in the season, the Canadiens find themselves in 7th place in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. Their overall record is 22-25-8, and they have lost two straight games. Over their last ten games, Montreal has gone just 3-7.
When playing at home this season, the Canadiens have gone 11-15-3, and they have been the underdog in 50 of their 55 games. As the underdog, Montreal has a record of 18-24-8 and has lost four straight games in this situation.
The Canadiens come into the game scoring an average of 2.8 goals per game, putting them 27th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 27th in the league. Montreal’s offense is currently ranked 17th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 16th in the league.
Entering the game, goalie Sam Montembeault has started 25 games this season. His current record stands at 12-9, and his save percentage is 0.774%.
Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Canadiens to come out on top with a final score of 4-3.
Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Tips
- We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+109)
- The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Montreal Canadiens Injury Report
- Carey Price – Knee – Out
- Christian Dvorak – Pectoral – Out
- Chris Wideman – Back – Out
- Jordan Harris – Upper Body – Questionable
- Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Lower Body – Out
- Kirby Dach – Knee – Out
Buffalo Sabres Injury Report
- Eric Comrie – Illness – Questionable
- Victor Olofsson – Illness – Out
- Mattias Samuelsson – Upper Body – Out
- Jack Quinn – Lower Body – Out
- Owen Power – Hand – Out
