San Jose Sharks vs Buffalo Sabres Preview
The Sabres and Sharks are set to face off at 4:00 ET on NBCS. The Sharks will host the game at SAP Center in San Jose, CA.
The Sabres are the -1.5 goal favorites in this non-conference matchup against Sharks. The over/under for the game is set at 6 goals. Check out BetCoco for San Jose Sharks – Buffalo Sabres odds
San Jose Sharks vs Buffalo Sabres Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last three times that the Sabres have faced off vs. the Sharks as the favorite, they have gone 3-0. The last three times that the Sharks have hosted the Sabres, the over/under record is 1-2 with the teams combining for an average of 6 goals. The over/under record in their last three overall matchups is 1-2.
- In their last three road games, Buffalo has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
- When looking at their past three matchups at home, San Jose has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
- As the betting underdog, the Sharks have an puck line record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.
- The Sabres have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
San Jose Sharks vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction
Buffalo enters the game with a 21-23-4 record, which has them in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. In the Atlantic Division, the Sabres sit in 7th place. Over their last ten games, Buffalo has gone 6-4.
On the road this season, the Sabres have gone 10-11-3. Against teams from the Eastern Conference, Buffalo has a record of 13-18. In games where they have been favored, the Sabres have gone 10-7-1.
When looking at their offense, the Sabres have an average of 2.9 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 20th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 12th in the league. Looking at how the Sabres’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 28th in power play goals and 22nd in shorthanded goals.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the start and has made 22 starts this season. His record at this point is 11-11, and his save percentage is 0.709%.
At 13-31-4, the Sharks are in 15th place in the Western Conference. In the Pacific Division, they are in 8th place. Over their last ten games, San Jose has gone 4-6. At home, the Sharks are 8-12-2 this season and have won two straight.
As the underdog, San Jose has a record of 13-31-4 this season. Over their last three games, the Sharks have won all three. So far this year, they have not been favored in any of their games.
On the offensive side, the Sharks are scoring an 2.1 goals per game this season, ranking 32nd in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 32nd in the league. Looking at how the Sharks’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 30th in power play goals and 30th in shorthanded goals.
Heading into this matchup vs. Buffalo, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen has started 19 games in this season. His current record is 6-13, and his save percentage stands at 0.718%.
Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Sharks to come out on top with a final score of 4-3.
San Jose Sharks vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Tips
- We like the Sharks on the moneyline (+153)
- The Sharks are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
San Jose Sharks Injury Report
- Mikael Granlund – Upper Body – Out
- Matt Benning – Lower Body – Out
- Givani Smith – Lower Body – Out
- Mario Ferraro – Undisclosed – Questionable
- Jacob Macdonald – Lower Body – Out
- Ty Emberson – Upper Body – Out
- Henry Thrun – Shoulder – Out
Buffalo Sabres Injury Report
- Zemgus Girgensons – Upper Body – Questionable
- Erik Johnson – Upper Body – Out
- Mattias Samuelsson – Undisclosed – Doubtful
