Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators Betting Pick & Prediction 1/9/25
Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Sabres and Senators. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 6 goals, and the Senators are favored by -1.5 against the Sabres in a Atlantic division matchup.
BUFFALO SABRES VS OTTAWA SENATORS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Ottawa Senators -1.5
This game will be played at Canadian Tire Centre at 7:00 ET on Thursday, January 9th.
WHY BET THE OTTAWA SENATORS:
- With the Senators being favored by 1.5, our NHL analytics models has this one playing out 4-3 in favor of the Senators.
- Take the Senators on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Sabres (+1.5)
Can the Sabres Lock in a Road Win?
Buffalo fell to 15-21-5 after a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres took an early lead with a short-handed goal from Alex Tuch at 11:39 in the first period, but Detroit responded with two power-play goals in the second.
Going into the game, the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell short of that mark. Buffalo, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. They were shut out after the first period, allowing Detroit to come back and win.
Buffalo’s offense struggled in their 2-1 loss to the Red Wings, with Alex Tuch scoring the lone goal on a shorthanded play in the first period. The Sabres fired 32 shots on goal but were unable to find the net again, recording 13 giveaways.
Tuch, who took 5 shots on goal, netted his 5th goal of the season. The Sabres were shut out in the second and third periods, and none of their goals came on the power play.
Defensively, the Sabres will look to bounce back after giving up two goals in the second period of their previous game, both of which came on the power play. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, and the Sabres’ defense finished with 17 hits and 5 takeaways.
Will the Senators Make it Happen at Home?
With a 3-0 win over the Kraken, the Senators moved above .500 to 19-18-3. Ottawa covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 3 goals fell well short of the 6.5 set by oddsmakers.
All three of Ottawa’s goals came from different players. Adam Gaudette opened the scoring at 5:28 in the first period, followed by goals from Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle, who added an empty-netter in the third.
Ottawa’s offense netted three goals in their recent game against Seattle, with Tim Stützle securing his 6th goal of the season on an empty net. Adam Gaudette opened the scoring, finding the net for the 7th time this season, and Brady Tkachuk followed with his 7th goal as well.
The Senators took 23 shots on goal and recorded 11 giveaways. They scored once in each period: Gaudette at 14:32 in the 1st, Tkachuk at 8:49 in the 2nd, and Stützle at 2:14 in the 3rd.
On the defensive side, the Senators will look to build on a strong performance in their last game, where they shut out the Kraken 3-0. Anton Forsberg made 22 saves, finishing with a perfect 100% save percentage. The defense also contributed 2 takeaways and 25 hits.