Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24
Looking to win big? The Lightning and Sabres face off at 12:30 ET on ESPN+. The Sabres are hosting the game at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The Lightning are favored in this Atlantic division showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 6.5 goals.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS BUFFALO SABRES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Buffalo Sabres +1.5
This game will be played at KeyBank Center at 12:30 ET on Saturday, January 20th.
WHY BET THE BUFFALO SABRES:
- The Lightning enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
- Take the Lightning on the moneyline
- On the puck line, we like Sabres (+1.5)
Will the Lightning Make it Happen in Buffalo?
Heading into today’s game, the Lightning sit 7th in the Eastern Conference and 4th in the Atlantic Division with a record of 23-17-5. Over their last ten games, Tampa Bay has gone 6-4 and they come in having won four straight games. On the road this season, the Lightning are 8-12-2 and have been favored in 24 of their 45 games.
For the year, the Lightning have been favored in five straight games and have gone 15-8-1 as the favorite. In the Eastern Conference, they have gone 9-11 and have a goal differential of -4. Over their last three games, Tampa Bay has gone 3-0.
On the season, Tampa Bay has an average scoring differential of .0 goals per game. So far, the team has played 45 games where they were listed as the favorite, and their puck line record in those games is 9-15. Across their last ten games, the Lightning’s puck line record is 5-5.
When playing on the road, Tampa Bay has a puck line record of 8-14, and their average scoring margin away from home is -1.0 goals per game. So far, the team has 16 losses by more than one goal.
This season, Tampa Bay’s games have an average of 6.8 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.5. The Lightning come in with an over/under performance of 20-21-4.
Through their last three road contests, the Lightning offense has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing an average of 4. Tampa Bay posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
In terms of their offensive performance, the Lightning are averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, putting them in the 5th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 15th in the league. Coming into the game, the Lightning have a 15-11 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 8-5.
The leading scorer for Tampa Bay’s offense is Nikita Kucherov. Coming into the game he has 28 goals, ranking 4th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 47 assists so far.
In terms of defense, the Sabres head into the game ranked 23rd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.1 shots per game against Buffalo. So far, they are 10th in shutouts, achieving 3 shutouts.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy gets the start and has made 22 starts this season. His record at this point is 13-9, and his save percentage is 0.689%.
Will the Sabres Find a Way to Win at Home?
Buffalo is 20-21-4 overall, and they are 14th in the Eastern Conference standings. In the Atlantic Division, they are 7th with a record of 7-6. Over their last ten games, the Sabres are 6-4, and they have won two straight games. At home this season, Buffalo is 11-11-1, and they have won their last two games at home. As the underdog, the Sabres are 10-15-3 this year.
Over their last five games, Buffalo is 3-2, and they have won three straight games as the favorite. In games against other Eastern Conference teams, the Sabres are 13-17 this season. This year, Buffalo has been the underdog in 28 of their 45 games.
Buffalo comes into the game with a puck line record of 24-21 and an average scoring margin of -.2 goals per game. So far, they have had 15 wins by multiple goals and have gone 6-4 against the puck line in their last ten home games.
As the underdog, the Sabres have a puck line mark of 18-10, and their average scoring differential as the underdog is -.5 goals per game. In their last three games, Buffalo has gone 3-0 against the puck line.
This season, Buffalo’s games have an average of 6.1 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.5. The Sabres come in with an over/under performance of 19-25-1.
Across the Lightning last three road games, the team averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
In terms of their offensive performance, the Sabres are averaging 3 goals per game this season, putting them in the 19th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 11th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Sabres offense is 27th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 20th in the NHL.
Buffalo’s leading goal scorer is Jeff Skinner. So far this season, he has 17 goals, placing him 41st in the NHL. Skinner also comes into the game with 16 assists.
Defensively, the Sabres are currently 23rd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.1 shots per game against Buffalo. They also are 10th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.
Heading into this matchup vs. Tampa Bay, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started 20 games in this season. His current record is 11-9, and his save percentage stands at 0.699%.