Florida Panthers vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Pick & Prediction 10/12/24

The Panthers and Sabres are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Sabres will host the game at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The Panthers come into this Atlantic division matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite to pick up the win. Currently, the over/under for the game is at 6 goals.

FLORIDA PANTHERS VS BUFFALO SABRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Buffalo Sabres +1.5

This game will be played at KeyBank Center at 7:00 ET on Saturday, October 12th.

WHY BET THE BUFFALO SABRES:

• The Panthers 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 Panthers on the moneyline
• On the puck line, we like Sabres (+1.5)

Can the Panthers Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Florida dropped to 1-1-0 after a 3-1 road loss to the Senators. The Panthers were favored on the puck line, but failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.

Defensively, Florida struggled early, giving up two goals in the first period. They cut the deficit to 2-1 with a goal in the second, but the Senators added an empty-netter in the third to seal the win.

Florida managed 31 shots on goal but only found the net once in a 3-1 loss to Ottawa. Gustav Forsling scored his first goal of the season, with Sam Bennett picking up his first assist and Matthew Tkachuk adding his second.

The Panthers were held scoreless in the first period before Forsling’s goal at 4:12 in the second. Florida recorded 13 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Panthers will look to bounce back after allowing the first two goals in their previous game, both coming in the first period. The first was a power-play goal just 5:52 into the game, followed by another at the 9:18 mark. They also gave up an empty-netter late in the third. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 28 saves and a 93.3% save percentage, while the defense added 2 takeaways and 20 hits.

Taking a Look at the Sabres Chances at Home

The Sabres dropped to 0-3-0 with a 3-1 loss to the Kings. As -1.5 goal favorites, Buffalo failed to cover the puck line. The total was set at 6 goals, but the combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.

Buffalo held a 1-0 lead after Alex Tuch scored a short-handed goal at 16:55 in the second period. However, the Kings responded with three unanswered goals in the third, starting at 0:13 into the period.

Buffalo managed 33 shots on goal but only scored once in their 3-1 loss to the Kings, with Alex Tuch netting his first goal of the season on a shorthanded play. The Sabres had 13 giveaways and failed to score on the power play.

After a scoreless first period, Tuch’s goal came at 3:05 in the second. It was the only time they found the net, as they were shut out in the third period.

Buffalo’s defense will look to bounce back after giving up three third-period goals in their last game, leading to a 3-1 loss to the Kings. The Sabres had taken a 1-0 lead at the 16:55 mark of the second period, but they allowed the tying goal just 13 seconds into the third, followed by two more late in the period. The Sabres also committed 35 penalty minutes, and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with a 90.9% save percentage on 22 shots from Los Angeles.