Buffalo Sabres vs Dallas Stars Betting Pick & Prediction 12/31/24

Planning on watching today’s Sabres and Stars game? Catch the action at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, as the Stars hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 6 goals, and the Stars are favored by -1.5 vs. the Sabres in a non-conference matchup.

BUFFALO SABRES VS DALLAS STARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Dallas Stars -1.5

This game will be played at American Airlines Center at 8:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st.

WHY BET THE DALLAS STARS:

• Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Sabres to come out on top with a final score of 4-3.
• We like the Sabres on the moneyline (+181)
• The Sabres are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog Buffalo?

Buffalo fell to 14-19-4 after a 2-1 road loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell well short of that mark.

Buffalo took an early lead with a short-handed goal from Alex Tuch at 11:39 in the first period. However, the Red Wings responded with two power-play goals in the second period, handing the Sabres another loss.

Buffalo’s offense managed only one goal in their 2-1 loss to Detroit, with Alex Tuch netting his 5th of the season on a shorthanded play. The Sabres took 32 shots on goal but were unable to find the net after Tuch’s goal at 8:21 in the first period.

Buffalo recorded 13 giveaways and failed to score on the power play. Tuch led the team with 5 shots on goal.

Buffalo’s defense will look to bounce back after giving up two goals in their previous game, both of which came in the second period on the power play. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had 21 saves and a 91.3% save percentage, while the Sabres’ defense recorded 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

Will the Stars Live Up to Expectations at Home?

Dallas fell to 21-13-1 after a 4-2 road loss to the Panthers. The Stars were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the game’s 6 total goals fell just short of that mark.

After trailing 2-0, Dallas tied it up with two goals in the second period. However, the Panthers pulled ahead with a goal at 2:32 in the third and added an empty-netter with 1:00 left to seal the win.

Dallas managed 25 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 4-2 loss to the Panthers. Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the season, while Matt Duchene added his 7th. Duchene also picked up his 8th assist on Dadonov’s power-play goal.

Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley contributed with their 4th and 5th assists, respectively. The Stars were held scoreless in the first and third periods, with both goals coming in the second period.

Defensively, the Stars gave up the first two goals of the game, and after tying it at 2-2, they allowed two more in the 3rd period. Casey DeSmith made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%. The Stars’ defense recorded 5 takeaways and 26 hits.